Miami Dolphins have a clear goal on defense against Jacksonville

As he prepares for his first regular season as the Miami Dolphins’ defensive coordinator, Anthony Weaver made one focus clear for his team heading into the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Take the ball.

It’s not necessarily revolutionary, but the ability to recover from mistakes is often what separates good saves from great saves.

“So take Trevor out of it, we’re always trying to get the ball,” Weaver said before Thursday’s practice. “As a defense, since I got here, we’ve always forced turnovers and we’ve got a schedule where we’re trying to get shots on goal every single day, we’re trying to take the ball away from our offense at least twice a day. That’s something we’re constantly trying to reinforce. (Linebackers coach Joe) Barry just gave a great presentation to the whole team about the importance of the ball both in offense and in keeping it and taking it away from us.

“So take Trevor Lawrence out of it. Great point guard, have a ton of respect for who he is and what he’s done in this league. Whoever we’re playing, we’re trying to get the ball. That’s our job defensively. Keep him out of the end zone, get him the ball, because I think we have a great offense, just like everybody else. So if you give Steph Curry extra plays, good for Golden State. If we give Tua, Tyreek Hill, (De’Von Achane), (Jaylen Wright), (Jaylen) Waddle, extra plays, extra plays, good for us.”

While Weaver did not provide specific numbers for Jacksonville, based on the 2023 stats, the Dolphins’ chances of winning could be good.

Jacksonville finished the regular season 9-8 but turned the ball over 30 times, good for fifth in the NFL.

But what stands out here is the high number of fumbles. Jacksonville has lost 16, the second-most in the league, behind the New York Jets’ 18.

Trevor Lawrence also threw 14 interceptions, and his interception percentage of 2.5 ranked 24th in the league, tied with, ironically, Tua Tagovailoa and Brock Purdy.

Defensively, the Dolphins ranked seventh in the NFL with 27 interceptions (15 INTs, 12 fumble recoveries), but the league-high 31 was shared by the New York Giants and Weaver’s former team, the Baltimore Ravens.

A closer look at the numbers shows that interceptions didn’t have a big impact on the Dolphins’ wins or losses last season, as the defense forced 10 interceptions in the six straight games they lost and 17 in the 11 wins — a higher average in losses than in wins.

The Dolphins were 4-0 when they didn’t lose the ball at all and 5-3 when they had two or more interceptions. Their losses came to the Philadelphia Eagles, Tennessee Titans and Buffalo Bills in the season finale.