MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The return of Jalen Ramsey has had an immediate and significant impact on the Miami Dolphins.
In the two games since he’s come off of injured reserve, the Dolphins defense has allowed just 31 points and 485 yards.
Not surprisingly, Ramsey has been excellent in coverage. Opposing quarterbacks have targeted him just six times. He’s allowed three completions for 37 yards with an interception, zero touchdowns, and a microscopic 29.9 passer rating against.
Jalen Ramsey chose to be a 🐶 for halloween this year 🔥🐬 #FinsUp pic.twitter.com/zdntGaUoJF
— Kam🐬 (@Tua2Cheetah) October 31, 2023
But with Ramsey in the lineup, the Dolphins’ biggest leap on defense hasn’t been in the passing game but on the ground.
Impact of Jalen Ramsey on Miami Dolphins
Before we dive too deep into the numbers, a couple of caveats:
- The Dolphins’ defense had made significant strides before Ramsey even returned to action. But certainly, adding him to the mix supercharged the trend.
- These numbers should be viewed in the context that the sample size with him on the field is small. Ramsey has been on the field for just 109 of a possible 601 defensive snaps in 2023.
But it would also be foolish to ignore the improvement.
Per SIS, the Dolphins’ defense in 2023 has an EPA per play of -.04 when Ramsey is off the field, with a dropback EPA of -.08 and a rush EPA of .02. (Negative numbers are good on defense.)
Meanwhile, when Ramsey is on the field, those figures improve to -.10, -.09, and -.12.
So yes, the Dolphins’ rush defense EPA has been .14 better per play when Ramsey has been in the game.
Why?
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It’s not like Ramsey has been acting like a box safety, sticking his nose in the fray during run plays. He’s been in coverage for the vast majority of his snaps.
Plus, there’s surely some variance involved here, given the small sample size. Still, the jump in effectiveness is so significant that it shouldn’t be dismissed.
Our theory?
Having Ramsey on the field allows Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to get away with dedicating less safety help to his corners. Instead, they’re freed up to help with run fits.
“It was big-time,” Dolphins safety Jevon Holland said of Ramsey’s return to action. “You look out to the right and you see [Xavien Howard], you look out to the left now you see Jalen, and it’s kind of like, ‘who do you want to throw to?’”
“Him being out there, you can just tell there are certain things that we do — you feel his presence in the run game,” he added. “If we’re in man-to-man, you don’t have to really worry about him; you don’t have to worry about X. As a safety, it feels good to have two All-Pro, Pro Bowl, gold jacket guys on each side. Knowing that if they throw it out there, it’s liable to be a turnover.”
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