Kelly: Will the Dolphins defense be forced to salvage the 2024 season?

In a hostage situation, “proof of life” refers to any evidence, usually a video or audio recording, that confirms that someone who has been captured is still alive, often provided by the captors.

After spending the previous two seasons as one of the NFL’s most potent offenses, the 2024 Miami Dolphins offense is clearly gone.

The unit has been held hostage by the absence of Tua Tagovailoa, who has been sidelined due to the concussion he suffered in the week two loss to the Buffalo Bills. He has missed snaps throughout the stretch of games. Miami has scored 10, 3, 12 and 15 points.

The Dolphins are averaging twelve points per game heading into Sunday’s road game against the Indianapolis Colts, but Miami is poised to turn around this dismal start and get the season back to .500 if they can win.

Where is the proof of this, the proof that this season has life?

It’s evident in the way Miami plays defensively that has left this offensively inept team in every game heading into the fourth quarter.

And the only reason why some of the final scores – losses to Buffalo, Seattle and Tennessee – got lopsided was because of the terrible conditions and the positions the offense put them in.

Despite all of Miami’s problems this season, Miami’s defense ranks fifth in yards allowed (285.4) per game.

Miami ranks third in defense (25.4 percent converted), meaning the Dolphins are tightening the screws at the most crucial points in football.

The Dolphins defense ranks fifth in the NFL in opposition passer rating, with an 80.2 rating heading into the Colts game.

Only the Minnesota Vikings (70.3), Chicago Bears (72.8), Detroit Lions (75.3) and New Orleans Saints (76.5) have lower passer ratings for opposing quarterbacks.

These startling defensive statistics are typical traits exhibited by good defenses.

However, there is one thing keeping defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver from saying his unit is meeting his personal expectations.

“Scoring defense,” Weaver said, noting that points allowed and scored are the most important football statistics.

“I’m pretty sure you win 100 percent of the games where you score more points than the other team,” Weaver continued. “So we try to keep the violations to as few points as possible…. All those measurable things are there to justify fouls not scoring, so that’s the most important thing to me. I love the statistics, and (they are) incredibly important. Obviously you want to be great on defense, but the most important thing is that we want to win games.”

The Dolphins rank 17th in defensive rating, allowing 22.6 points per game.

Last year, Miami allowed 23.2 points per game. Only 10 teams allowed more points that season.

While this season is still young, it appears that Weaver’s defense is off to a good start, even if there have been some notable growing pains.

“I think sometimes when you’re in a new situation it takes a while to get your processes in place, how you want to do things,” defensive lineman Calais Campbell said. “I think we’re starting to get to that level where we can kind of anticipate now. How players (play). How we treat each other. How we do things. So I think we should see an upturn in everything.”

Oddly enough, Vic Fangio’s Dolphins defense also started tightening the screws at this point last season.

That’s the respected coordinator Weaver replaced, who gave the Dolphins a top 10 defense last year, a defense that set a franchise record for sacks in a season.

Miami doesn’t have many of those (nine on the season) or turnovers (four).

But so far, things are going well for Weaver, McDaniel’s third defensive coordinator hire in three seasons.

However, there is one Achilles heel to this defense that Weaver has worked to fix.

Miami’s middle of the pack in rushing yards allowed per play (125.8, which ranks 18th), and rushing yards per attempt (4.7 per carry, which ranks 23rd).

And there is some concern that more leakage is on the way as the Dolphins are running low on players, especially after losing Jaelan Phillips to a season-ending knee injury two weeks ago.

This week, starter Emmanuel Ogbah is listed as questionable due to a biceps injury he suffered in Miami’s 15-10 win over the New England Patriots.

Miami claimed Tyus Bowser, a seven-year veteran, from the Seahawks practice squad to address depth concerns. The franchise has kept tabs on Bowser since the offseason, but he worked his way back from a knee injury that kept him from playing last season. Miami also decided to spark a youth movement by selecting Chop Robinson and Mohamed Kamara in the 2024 NFL draft.

Robinson, who was drafted 21st overall by the Dolphins, is off to a slow start in his NFL career, largely due to his struggles stopping the run. But Miami coaches insist he is heading in the right direction.

Until Robinson is ready to become a speed rusher, it appears the team will lean on Bowser if Ogbah’s injury allows it.

“He probably knows the defense better than anyone, better than anyone, honestly,” Campbell said of Bowser. “He’s a real cerebral guy, very reliable.”

And that’s what the Dolphins are looking for: a unit full of players they can count on to execute their assignment every time, someone who will help Weaver’s unit keep its season alive until the offense comes out of slavery.