The Miami Dolphins will finish the 2014 season out of the playoffs after a promising start to the campaign, and head coach Joe Philbin and the rest of the staff will likely need to focus on the team's run defense in order to help the team get over the hump in 2015.
The Dolphins have given up 888 of the team's 1,833 rushing yards allowed, and eight of its 12 rushing touchdowns in the past five games. That comes out to 177 rushing yards a game during the team's slide out of playoff contention - a red flag for everyone involved with the team.
"We've had more self-inflicted wounds than offenses coming in here and throwing us around," said defensive end Cameron Wake, via the Sun Sentinel.
The Dolphins are 2-3 over their past five, sliding down to 24th in the NFL in yards allowed against the run. Wake may have been selected to his fourth Pro Bowl last week, but he's still not satisfied with the way this season is finishing out.
"I've never seen any running back run through three D-linemen, and over the linebackers and break a 40-yard run. It's usually a miscommunication, misfit, missed tackle, something the defense has done to themselves," Wake said of the defense. "In this league, running backs, quarterbacks are going to take advantage of those mistakes."
Follow our Miami Dolphins team page for the latest Dolphins news!
Back to the Miami Dolphins Newsfeed