MIAMI GARDENS — After three games where the Miami Dolphins have allowed more than 30 points, defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver sent a clear, impassioned message at his Friday news conference.
The defense is going to change its attitude, and the key word in the change: Violence.
“All of our problems that we need to solve can be solved through violence,” Weaver said Friday. “Yeah, they want to legislate it out of the game. But we play defensive football. And in defensive football, at some point, you draw a line of sand and you say, I’m going to set the edge. I’m going to stick my helmet under this guy’s chin, and I’m going to set the edge. I’m going to violently take the ball away. And that’s what we need to do.”
The Dolphins are last in scoring defense, 31st in third-down defense, 28th in rushing defense, 26th in total defense and 21st defense, without forcing one turnover this season.
Lack of physicality is at the heart of the issues, according to Weaver, as shown early in last week’s loss to the Buffalo Bills.
“They came out early, and I didn’t think we were playing physical enough,” Weaver said, starting to shake with intensity. “Going into that game, I said it was all about trust. Trusting one another, trusting the coaches that you know your job when you go out and execute at a high level. Got punched in the face early, and that trust f—ing flew out the window.”
Weaver said that trust came back to the team in the second half, but he didn’t like how Buffalo established the physicality early when it ran outside zone against his defense.
“That’s not a them thing. That’s an us thing,” he said. “That’s something we can control. But at some point, we got to do it.”
The head of the Dolphins defense, who could be an interim coach if Mike McDaniel is fired, declared more is needed than simply playing an assignment.
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“We all know run fits. We know where guys are supposed to be and all those things,” Weaver said. “I get it. But at some point, again, it comes down to changing the math through violence. Our whole point of defense is we want the offense to feel like we’re playing with 12 and 13. But you can’t do that if you’re just like, ‘Yeah, I did my job.’ No, I need you to do more than your job. I need you to whip that guy’s ass in front of you and then fall off and make a play.”
It was brought up to Weaver that, after the opener against the Colts, assignment football was deemed the key.
“No, you still got to do your assignment — violently,” Weaver replied. “Excuses change nothing. Execution solves everything. But you can do those same things with violence.”
Then, Weaver was asked about the defense not yet forcing a turnover: “I don’t know how many times I got to say violence.”
Weaver said the Dolphins defense has the players it needs.
“You’ll never hear me say that I don’t think we have enough talent,” he said. “We have everything we need to go out there and play better defense. … My job, ultimately, is to cook the dinner with whatever ingredients are bought.”
This story will be updated.
