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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- **Miami's defense made the leap this year from having an outstanding defensive line to getting stellar play from all three lines of defense.
The result is a unit that ranks among the league leaders in most categories. No defense allows fewer yards per play, or is stingier on a per-play basis at conceding first downs.
For the Broncos, the key to success Sunday might be patience -- which could be especially difficult and counter-intuitive seven days after the offense lurched to its lowest scoring output since Jan. 1, 2012.
"The hardest part is staying patient in this game and not getting frustrated," said Offensive Coordinator Adam Gase.
The Dolphins frustrate opponents in a variety of ways. Cameron Wake is one of the best edge rushers in the game, and will provide another stern test for Broncos tackles, just one week after Robert Quinn's big game at their expense. Olivier Vernon is a quality edge rusher on the other side that prevents teams from devoting too much attention to Wake, and 2013 first-round pick Dion Jordan is beginning to emerge after a disappointing rookie season and two suspensions to open this season.
"This is probably one of the better defenses we've seen since Seattle," said Gase. "This whole group—they are really good. They are good on the back end, the linebacking core is playing excellent and that front is tough.
"It's going to be a challenge for us this weekend. They are not the second-ranked defense in the NFL for no reason. They've been playing really well, especially lately."
And although their pass rush is what jumps off the page, given Wake's consistency and the effectiveness at using stunts and twists to generate pressure without blitzing, Miami's run defense is among the league's best on both a per-play (seventh in yardage allowed per carry) and move-the-chains basis (just one of every 5.49 runs against Miami gets a first down, fifth-best in the league.
Given the Broncos' goal of cultivating and rebuilding the run game after just nine handoffs and a kneeldown last week, the Dolphins' run defense, led by defensive tackle Randy Starks, presents a formidable foe in which to begin that task.
"It's hard to go into a game and say we are just going to do this. So we have to see how this game is going to go, script what you're thinking early but it can change really fast," said Gase.
"We've gotten 10, 12 plays deep in what we thought we had planned and then we've gotten about three plays in and had to change course. So it's going to be a little bit of how things go and if it sounds like it's a 20-miles-per-hour wind that might change everything. We have to see how it's going to be on that day."
Louis Vasquez will be tested at his new tackle spot against Cameron Wake, while DeMarcus Ware will face off with a rookie first-round pick.
After a slow start, Demaryius Thomas has been nothing short of spectacular, starting with his record-setting day in Week 5. A 100-yard game against the Dolphins would tie him with Calvin Johnson for an NFL-record eight consecutive such games. Grimes should be an interesting matchup for the league's hottest receiver, particularly because of the size difference between the two. Grimes' measurements on the Dolphins' website (5-10, 190) may actually be a little generous, as the 31-year-old corner often looks dwarfed by the man opposite him. But that's no reason to doubt him. Grimes brings more competitiveness and feistiness to the position than perhaps anyone else in the league besides the Broncos' own Chris Harris Jr. After allowing a touchdown to Calvin Johnson (who hasn't?) in Week 10, Grimes came back and made a right-handed interception that's among the best plays in the league this season. How Grimes tries to handle Thomas' blend of size and speed will be fascinating.
A guard by trade – and an All Pro at that position last season — Vasquez was moved to right tackle in Week 10 as the coaches look to find the best offensive line configuration to stick with moving forward. "We wanted to do what was going to be best for us for the rest of year and that is what we're trying to do," Adam Gase said Thursday of the O-line shuffling. "We felt that was our best five on the field." "We moved Louis out there and I've not even thought twice about it. I feel really comfortable with him out there." Vasquez's comfort on the outside will be tested this week when he faces Wake, who has one of the fastest bursts off the line of scrimmage of any pass rusher in the NFL. Wake doesn't have a wide repertoire of moves, but his speed rush has been effective enough to pick up nine sacks so far this season. Vasquez will need to be quick to the outside to keep Peyton Manning clean.
Ryan Tannehill has had much improved protection behind a rebuilt offensive line this year, which was anchored by free-agent signee Branden Albert. Unfortunately, Albert was lost for the season to a knee injury against the Lions in Week 10, which has forced James, the team's rookie right tackle, to the left side. The results haven't been pretty thus far, with James and his replacement on the right side, Dallas Thomas, combining to allow two sacks and 18 hits and hurries in his last two games (according to Pro Football Focus). Last Thursday night, the Bills picked up five sacks of Tannehill, the most the Dolphins have allowed in any game this season. Ware had a potentially game-changing strip sack of Shaun Hill last week and will have a good chance to get to Tannehill in this game. If he can exploit James' protection the way he did Joe Staley's in Week 7, the Dolphins' offense could be forced into some turnovers.
Marshall has been a tackling machine lately, picking up 28 in the last two weeks and sitting seventh in the NFL with 88 this year. That ability will be key against Lamar Miller and a strong Miami running game, but Marshall will also have to be very disciplined against the Dolphins' QB. A former wide receiver in college, Tannehill has shown off his mobility on the read-option this year, keeping the ball for runs of 40, 30, 30, 22 and 15 yards in the last six games. New offensive coordinator Bill Lazor brought the Chip Kelly-style of offense to Miami, requiring opposing defenses to remain assignment sound or give up big gains. If Marshall can remain disciplined and read Tannehill's run fakes quickly, the space the Dolphins' offense has to operate will shrink.
With Ronnie Hillman and Montee Ball ruled out for Sunday's game, Anderson will certainly be the lead dog against the Dolphins, with Juwan Thompson as his primary backup. Anderson broke out with a huge performance against the Raiders two weeks ago and despite a slow day on the ground last week (nine carries, 29 yards), he continues to make an impact as a receiver. He has 192 receiving yards on 15 catches in the last three games, including a catch-and-run of at least 21 yards in each game. The pressure will be on Jelani Jenkins, Koa Misi and Phillip Wheeler to rally and tackle well after Anderson gets the ball. Additionally, Anderson will play a key role in pass protection against a defense that likes to send its linebackers and even safeties on blitzes with relative frequency. Jenkins has 2.5 sacks this year, while Misi and safeties Louis Delmas and Reshad Jones have combined for two sacks and four quarterback hits. Anderson will need to identify and pick up blitzes effectively for Peyton Manning to make the defense pay.
And when the Broncos do throw, cornerback Brent Grimes is one of the best defenders the Broncos will face this year. The one-handed interception he nabbed against Detroit on Nov. 9 made everyone's highlight reel.
"Yeah, I [did not ever] think a corner could get that," said Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. "When I saw it, I was shocked. That was a good play by him."
But Grimes is more than just a spectacular play: he's a lockdown cornerback. And with Jamar Taylor expected to replace the injured Cortland Finnegan, the Broncos might have even less reason to try and test Grimes.
"He's athletic, he's quick, he's fast," said Thomas. "I feel like he's one of the best cover guys in the league, just being able to stop on a dime and he's explosive, he can jump. He can do it all, so it'll be a good matchup this week."
The coverage of Grimes, plus the pass rush, gives the Dolphins the league's second-best pass defense on a per-game measurement -- and its top unit on a per-pass-play basis. It has the capability to contain even an elite passing game.
That's why Gase preaches patience.
"If you get knocked off the field a couple times on third down, you just know you're going to have to reload and come back the next series and be ready to go again and try to put one together," Gase said.
MIAMI BY THE NUMBERS …
TOTAL DEFENSE
- Yards per game: 302.5, 2nd
- Yards per play: 4.69, 1st
- Takeaways: 25, 9th
- First-down rate: One every 3.89 plays, 1st
- Third-down conversion rate: 38.89 percent, 10th
PASSING
- Yards per game: 208.0, 2nd
- Yards per pass play: 5.23, 1st
- Sack rate: One per 13.27 pass plays, 6th
- Touchdown rate: One every 28.43 pass plays, 4th
- Quarterback hurry rate (per ProFootballFocus.com): One per 2.93 pass plays, 4th
- First-down rate: One per 3.29 pass plays, 3rd
RUSHING
- Yards per game: 94.5, 8th
- Yards per rush: 3.83, 7th
- First-down rate: One every 5.49 carries, 5th
- Touchdown rate: One every 61.75 carries, 2nd
