Eagles

“We Made Them One Dimensional” – Nick Sirianni with High Praise for Defense After Miami Win

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Oct 23rd, 2023 · 9:22 AM EDT

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The Dolphins came into Lincoln Financial Field averaging 37.2 points per game and scored 10 on Sunday night. Yeah, Tyreek Hill dropped a touchdown pass, and a Jalen Hurts fumble gifted the Dolphins a field goal, but you can apply whatever asterisk you’d like and it doesn’t take away from what Sean Desai’s unit did in the 31-17 win.

“We have a good defense,” head coach Nick Sirianni said after the game. “Great job to the defensive staff first and foremost to put them in positions to make plays, but at the end of the day, it’s about the players making the plays. We made them one dimensional. I can’t tell you how much respect I have for Mike (McDaniel) and his staff and those players. … (it) starts with our defensive line and being able to apply pressure, which I thought we did, and the DBs did a good job making (Tua Tagovailoa) hold the ball a tick when we were able to get home. But it started with making them one dimensional. I think you saw some good things there with Haason (Reddick), with the way he kind of stopped the toss crack play and set the edge, because they have been highly successful on that play.”

It’s true, the Eagles’ ends did a great job in contain. Miami only ran the ball 12 times for 45 yards, which was a season low by a very large margin. Miami came into the game with the league’s #1 rushing attack and over the past three weeks logged totals of 162, 222, and 142 on the ground:

Dolphins rushing yards this season: pic.twitter.com/YX5YTdxWnM

— Crossing Broad (@CrossingBroad) October 23, 2023

Limiting Raheem Mostert and Salvon Ahmed while controlling the clock allowed the defense to keep Miami’s passing game in check. They got burned by Hill for a touchdown, but most people do, and they kept him under 100 yards for the first time in three games.

“You see why we hired him, right?,” Sirianni said of Sean Desai. “We knew the type of guy we were getting. I just think he’s done a phenomenal job. What I think he’s done such a good job of is what I admire of any coach: Adapting to the personnel that you have. I think he’s done that, and we’ll continue to look to climb. Sean has done a great job of putting the guys in positions to make plays and our defensive staff, they all contribute to that. So, hats off to all of them, and obviously hats off to Howie, because it’s all about the players, and we’re really doing a great job up front.”

Key was the defensive line in particular, which logged four sacks, eight tackles for loss, and six quarterback hits. Those TFL made it easier on a depleted secondary that was down three players that started in Week 1, with Avonte Maddox, Justin Evans, and Reed Blankenship all on the shelf, replaced in this game by Sydney Brown, Terrell Edmunds, and a Josiah Scott/Eli Ricks platoon.

“That was our goal going into the week, was being physical all around,” said Brown, making his first NFL start. “It’s guys stepping up to the plate and coaches coming up with a great game plan. We’re working our asses off, just trying to build week-in and week-out. I think it’s just the beginning of something we can continue to push the entire season. I personally feel we can shut down a lot of offenses, and it’s next man up mentality. You never know what’s going to happen. Someone’s gonna go down and you just have to ready for the moment.”

“Our whole talk this week was about details and physicality,” Sirianni added. “We did some things last week detail-wise that we want back. When we talk about details, it’s like, ‘hey, we got all the talent we need in this room.’ When the details are on, the talent can shine. …Those guys went out and did it and they played their butts off.”