2025
2025 season · Weeks 1 to 22 · 7-10
Dolphins defense
Every snap the Dolphins defended, what it cost them and how they got there: the league ranks the player pages quote, where offenses find room, how this defense plays, and who plays in it.
- How good+0.09 EPA a play allowed, 26th of 32, and 0.09 above what the offenses they faced usually manage (27th).
- How they playThey blitz on 37% of dropbacks, the 5th-most in the league, and get pressure on 22%.
- Where offenses find roomThrough the air: +0.17 EPA a dropback, 27th, softest intermediate middle (+1.19 a throw).
- Who hurt themRhamondre Stevenson (NE): 295 yards and +20.4 EPA on 25 touches, the most anyone has managed against them.
How good is itthe defense against the league, and game by game
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA per playevery snap | +0.09 | 26th of 32 | 20th | |
| Pass EPAper dropback | +0.17 | 27th of 32 | 17th | |
| Rush EPAper designed run | -0.03 | 21st of 32 | 36th | |
| Success rateplays that gain enough | 48% | 29th of 32 | 11th | |
| Explosive rate20+ pass, 10+ run | 11% | 25th of 32 | 23rd | |
| Yards per play | 5.9 | 26th of 32 | 20th | |
| Yards per carry | 4.6 | 25th of 32 | 23rd | |
| Third downsconverted against them | 41% | 17th of 32 | 48th |
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sack rateper dropback | 6.6% | 16th of 32 | 52nd | |
| Pressure rateper dropback, PFR | 22% | 20th of 32 | 39th | |
| QB hit rateper dropback | 13% | 28th of 32 | 14th | |
| INT rateper dropback | 1.5% | 23rd of 32 | 31st | |
| Red-zone TD ratetrips ending in a touchdown | 60% | 23rd of 32 | 30th | |
| Points per drivetouchdown 7, field goal 3 | 2.35 | 27th of 32 | 17th | |
| Takeawaysper game | 1.1 | 19th of 32 | 42nd | |
| EPA against expectationallowed minus the offenses' usual | +0.09 | 27th of 32 | 17th |
Each bar is the league's 32 defenses; the marker is the Dolphins. Right is better for the defense, so a low EPA allowed sits right. The pressure rate is PFR's pressures (hurries, hits and sacks) per dropback. EPA against expectation compares each game with what that offense averaged in its other games, so a strong schedule is not held against them.
They held 4 of 17 offenses below their usual EPA a play. The biggest stop: Week 14 against the Jets, 0.34 a play under their norm. The offenses they have faced average +0.00 a play elsewhere, the 21st-toughest schedule of offenses.
at INDL 8-33+0.26usual +0.06
vs NEL 27-33+0.33usual +0.15
at BUFL 21-31+0.28usual +0.13
vs NYJW 27-21+0.14usual -0.15
at CARL 24-27+0.16usual -0.05
vs LACL 27-29+0.10usual -0.03
at CLEL 6-31-0.08usual -0.20
at ATLW 34-10-0.34usual -0.01
vs BALL 6-28+0.21usual +0.02vs BUFW 30-13-0.06usual +0.15
vs WASW 16-13+0.07usual +0.00
vs NOW 21-17-0.14usual -0.08at NYJW 34-10-0.45usual -0.11
at PITL 15-28+0.22usual +0.01
vs CINL 21-45+0.37usual -0.03
vs TBW 20-17+0.04usual -0.01at NEL 10-38+0.36usual +0.15Where offenses find roomthe field, the run lanes, the positions and the situations
The soft spot is intermediate middle: +1.19 EPA a throw against a league +0.59. The lockdown zone is short left, -0.15 a throw (league +0.12). Completions against them run 7.1 points over expected, 32nd-best in the league.
Every pass they faced with a charted air distance and side, sacks excluded. Green is a zone where they allow less than the league, red more. How often shows the share of throws against them there.
Offenses run for 4.6 yards a carry against them, 25th of 32. The leak is at left guard: 5.8 a carry and +0.11 EPA (league 3.9, -0.09).
| Position | Targets a game | Yards a game | EPA per target | Fantasy points allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide receivers | 15.54th | 127.09th | +0.3527th-toughest | 19.316th-fewest24.615th-fewest29.914th-fewest |
| Tight ends | 8.225th | 65.829th | +0.2318th-toughest | 9.96th-most13.15th-most16.34th-most |
| Backs, receiving | 5.517th | 36.525th | +0.3529th-toughest | 20.57th-most23.07th-most25.47th-most |
| Quarterbacks | – | – | – | 18.210th-most18.210th-most18.210th-most |
Who hurt them most
| Player | Team | Touches | Yards | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhamondre Stevenson | NE | 25 | 295 | 3 | +20.4 |
| Rico Dowdle | CAR | 27 | 234 | 1 | +10.4 |
| Devaughn Vele | NO | 8 | 93 | 1 | +9.4 |
| Khalil Shakir | BUF | 13 | 103 | 1 | +8.7 |
| Chris Godwin Jr. | TB | 8 | 108 | 1 | +8.5 |
| Chase Brown | CIN | 16 | 109 | 3 | +8.4 |
Targets, yards and EPA per target by the receiver's position, ranked 1st for the toughest defense: the same numbers a receiver's This week panel quotes against this defense. Fantasy points allowed follow the scoring switch. Who hurt them ranks every opposing player by EPA on his targets and carries against this defense.
Their biggest third-down edge is third-and-short (1 to 3): offenses convert 54% against a league 60%. They are stingiest in 2nd down (+0.01 a play, league +0.02) and weakest in the red zone (+0.18, league 0.00).
| Situation | Plays | Allowed | League | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st down | 450 | +0.14 | +0.01 | +0.13 |
| 2nd down | 326 | +0.01 | +0.02 | -0.01 |
| 3rd down | 207 | -0.06 | -0.05 | -0.01 |
| 3rd and 1 to 3 | 76 | 54% | 60% | −6 pts |
| 3rd and 4 to 6 | 46 | 52% | 44% | +8 pts |
| 3rd and 7+ | 85 | 22% | 26% | −4 pts |
| Red zone | 162 | +0.18 | 0.00 | +0.18 |
| Two-minute drill | 117 | +0.12 | +0.03 | +0.08 |
| When they lead | 501 | -0.01 | -0.01 | +0.00 |
| One-score game | 558 | +0.15 | +0.02 | +0.13 |
| When they trail by 9+ | 169 | +0.17 | +0.04 | +0.13 |
EPA a play allowed, or for third downs the share converted (a first down or a touchdown). Green is better than the league for the defense. Score states are from the defense's side.
How they playpressure, the box, what offenses try, discipline
They send extra rushers on 37% of dropbacks and average 4.4 rushers; 67% of dropbacks see four or fewer. They allow +0.12 EPA when they blitz and +0.20 when they do not.
They put 6.7 defenders in the box on runs, eight or more on 15%. Into a light box (six or fewer) runs gain 4.6 a carry; into eight or more, 3.7.
Offenses lean on the run against them: 1 points under their expected pass rate on early downs in a neutral game. Play action gains +0.17 EPA against them on 20% of throws; screens +0.21.
47 defensive penalties for 441 yards, 38 of them first downs, the 16th-fewest. They miss 10% of tackle attempts by PFR's count, 24th-best.
The defenderswho plays, and what each one has done
Bradley Chubb leads the pass rush with 22 pressures and 8.5 sacks on 71% of the snaps.
| Player | Snaps | Pressures | Sacks | QB hits | TFL | Tackles | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92Zach SielerDE | 73% | 12 | 5.5 | 9 | 10 | 46 | |
| 2Bradley ChubbOLB | 71% | 22 | 8.5 | 20 | 8 | 47 | 2 |
| 90Kenneth GrantDT | 52% | 10 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 33 | |
| 94Jordan PhillipsDT | 44% | 1 | 1 | 1 | 33 | ||
| 50Jaelan PhillipsLB | 39% | 18 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 24 | |
| 44Chop RobinsonLB | 39% | 12 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 21 | 1 |
| 36Matthew JudonOLB | 31% | 7 | 3 | 1 | 18 | ||
| 95Benito JonesDT | 24% | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14 | |
| 93Zeek BiggersDT | 20% | 5 | 1.5 | 4 | 1 | 20 | |
| 91Matthew ButlerDT | 20% | 3 | 2 | 11 |
Jordyn Brooks plays 91% of the snaps with 180 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
| Player | Snaps | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Pressures | Targets | Rating allowed | Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20Jordyn BrooksLB | 91% | 180 | 13 | 3.5 | 7 | 83 | 100.3 | 10 |
| 25Tyrel DodsonLB | 85% | 127 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 63 | 99.5 | 12 |
| 3K.J. BrittLB | 14% | 34 | 1 | 7 | 135.4 | 1 | ||
| 40Willie Gay Jr.LB | 13% | 20 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 74.2 | |
| 53Cameron GoodeLB | 10% | 21 | 1 | 1 | 39.6 | |||
| 51Caleb JohnsonLB | 0% | 2 | ||||||
| 42Jackson WoodardLB | 0% | 2 |
Rasul Douglas is the hardest to complete a pass against: a 72.2 passer rating on 74 targets.
| Player | Snaps | Targets | Catches allowed | Yards | TD | Rating allowed | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23Jack JonesCB | 85% | 58 | 39 of 58 | 489 | 6 | 101.6 | 1 | 6 |
| 26Rasul DouglasCB | 80% | 74 | 41 of 74 | 426 | 2 | 72.2 | 2 | 13 |
| 29Minkah FitzpatrickFS | 78% | 43 | 28 of 43 | 298 | 2 | 86.3 | 1 | 6 |
| 21Ashtyn DavisSAF | 66% | 37 | 28 of 37 | 358 | 2 | 101.8 | 1 | 4 |
| 9Ifeatu MelifonwuSAF | 51% | 26 | 22 of 26 | 258 | 3 | 101.0 | 1 | 1 |
| 11Dante Trader Jr.SAF | 40% | 19 | 14 of 19 | 215 | 1 | 105.7 | 1 | |
| 33Jason Marshall Jr.CB | 22% | 24 | 16 of 24 | 235 | 2 | 105.8 | 1 | 4 |
| 32Julius BrentsCB | 10% | 10 | 6 of 10 | 44 | 68.5 | 1 | ||
| 27Ethan BonnerCB | 9% | 10 | 5 of 10 | 107 | 1 | 74.4 | 1 | 2 |
Tackles, sacks, QB hits, TFL, interceptions, passes defended and forced fumbles are nflverse's weekly stats; pressures, targets, catches and yards allowed, passer rating allowed and missed tackles are PFR's charting. Snap share is the season average of defensive snaps.