‘I Had Some S— in My Neck About It’ – Miami Dolphins’ Bradley Chubb Looks Back and Looks Ahead

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Did we see the best of Bradley Chubb in the Miami Dolphins‘ Week 2 win over the New England Patriots?

He doesn’t think so — not even after seven tackles (including two for loss), a sack, and a forced fumble.

“I feel like I got a lot more games in me even better than that,” Chubb said here Wednesday following the Dolphins’ first practice of the week.

So the Denver Broncos, the Dolphins’ Week 3 opponent, should be on alert — if, for some foolish reason, they already are not.

Because Chubb is both finding his form and full of motivation — which, as the Patriots learned Sunday night, is a dangerous combination.

It’s easy to say that the other guys will get it. But when you make the extra effort, like Bradley Chubb here, good things happen. #MiamiDolphins pic.twitter.com/r7BTf3irXD

— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) September 20, 2023

Bradley Chubb Revenge Game vs. Denver Broncos?

Twelve months ago, the Dolphins weren’t even a thought in Chubb’s mind. He was preparing for a season loaded with expectations as a member of the Broncos.

That club had just traded for Russell Wilson and was a chic Super Bowl pick.

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But not even two months into the season, things had so unraveled that the Broncos were willing to deal Chubb to Miami in a midseason blockbuster.

“It was very difficult, man,” Chubb said. “When you put your heart into some place for four years, four and a half years, you want to see it turn out. You want to see the wins start to add up, and I just never got to that point there. So yeah, I was disappointed not reaching that goal, but I got a new goal. That wasn’t God’s plan for me to win there.”

So on Sunday, instead of cheering for Russell Wilson, Chubb will be chasing him. And unlike in practice, Chubb will be able to hit him, too.

“Russell is a guy I’ve grown to love and respect over the last year,” he said. “You know, being a man of God, being the man he is, and kind of learning a lot of different things from him.

“So it’s gonna be dope to go out there and compete against because I know the competitor he is, and I know he has a lot of, a lot of ‘get back’ to the NFL this year. You know what I mean? He has something that he wants to prove. And our main thing on Sunday is to not let him prove it.”

Bradley Chubb on facing the Broncos pic.twitter.com/kf3E8lBkO8

— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) September 20, 2023

A Needed Bust-Out Game for Miami Dolphins

Chubb proved in Week 2 that those who sleep on him — even after a quiet opener — are making a mistake.

“I don’t want to cuss, but I had some s— in my neck about it,” Chubb said. “I wasn’t happy with my performance [against the Chargers]. I wasn’t happy with how we played as a defense, and I kind of, throughout the whole week, just was focused on being the best me, and being the best me is helping the defense be the best us.”

The only way the Dolphins can be the best them is if Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Christian Wilkins are disruptive in the backfield.

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That’s why the Dolphins parted with a first-round pick and a nine-figure contract to acquire and lock down Chubb going forward.

For much of his first nine games in a Dolphins uniform, the player they got did not match the player they expected — at least in the box score.

But that didn’t mean Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel was disappointed in how Chubb had performed. The opposite was true, actually.

“I think there hasn’t been a day that has gone by since we were able to acquire him that I haven’t been thankful,” McDaniel said. “[His] production is more of a when, not if. I think it’s awesome to see earned production. I think what’s unique about Bradley and one of the reasons why we chose to acquire him, and we chose to pay him, is because he is a difference-maker that is also selfless.

“I think a lot of times, particularly at the EDGE position in the National Football League, it’s almost like a receiver blocking,” McDaniel continued.

“You have to, as an EDGE player, defend the run if you want your team to be good, but you don’t necessarily get direct compensation all the time for it. Guys get paid for sacks. So when you’re fortunate enough to have a guy that can get sacks but also takes extreme pride in the overall complexion of the defense and his part in it, you feel very, very fortunate to have that.”