The Miami Dolphins pass rush was supposed to be a game-changer.

With Zach Sieler rewarded with a hefty extension, the star defensive tackle would lead a unit bolstered by the “Big Dawgz,” the edge rusher’s self-proclaimed nickname. The issue, however, was that the pass rush lacked bite in Week 1 as the unit only finished with a single sack against the Indianapolis Colts in a brutal 33-8 loss. Even worse: the pass rush grades for Sieler, Chop Robinson, Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb and Matthew Judon were far below average to say the least, per Pro Football Focus.

As the Dolphins prepare to face a divisional rival in the New England Patriots, the vaunted pass rush must come alive Sunday. Its starts with better discipline, according to defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, in order to create more pass rush opportunities.

“I think all credit goes to the Colts,” Weaver said Thursday. “I think they did a great job of keeping them out of predictable passing situations, which is obviously going to slow the rush.“

“Then we had self-inflicted wounds, right,” Weaver continued. “We jump offsides on third-and-10. We get a holding penalty on first-and-30. There were just too many second-and-1 to 6s, third-and-1 to 4 where we didn’t get a chance to pin our ears back.”

What made the situation look even more unfortunate was that the lack of pass rush allowed Daniel Jones, a quarterback that has thrown more picks than touchdowns since 2022, to look elite. Jones virtually had all day to stand in the pocket and pick apart the Dolphins’ secondary, which certainly lacked experience before Storm Duck’s unfortunate ankle injury.

In the immediate aftermath of the loss, Chubb put the blame on some players not following their assignments.

“Trying to make our own thing up and not playing team football,” Chubb said Sunday. “At the end of the day, that’s what we watch the film for. That’s where we sit back and learn, see what we did wrong and correct it come next week.”

Weaver, however, downplayed the “freestyle” aspect of Chubb’s comments, instead noting that there were a few instances of miscommunication that doomed the teams’ chances.

“You got 10 out of 11 guys getting the call,” Weaver said. “When you talk about making stuff up, I think that’s what our guys were referencing. Those about four or five instances that hurt us in critical situations where there’s one guy, somehow, someway, that didn’t get the call.”

That, according to Chubb, won’t happen again as the defense has emphasized “loud, obnoxious communication.”

“You can’t have one guy here doing one thing, one guy here doing another thing,” Chubb continued. “We all have to be on one accord and play good defense.”

With Rasul Douglas in line to start in place of Duck, communication will be even more important as the veteran cornerback, barely two weeks into his Miami tenure, continues to learn the ins and outs of Weaver’s scheme. Keep in mind: Dolphins coaches repeatedly emphasized that the pass rush can help alleviate some issues in the secondary.

“They also have to understand they’re not alone,” Weaver said during training camp, referencing the 2011 Super Bowl-winning New York Giants, which featured a trio of elite pass rushers in Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora. “We got guys up front who are going to do work. They’re going to create problems with the quarterbacks that’s going to make it hard to get balls to those receivers.”

It doesn’t make it any easier that Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, who averaged nearly 8 yards per carry as rookie, can use his legs to make plays, something the Dolphins need to be aware of come Sunday.

“Get off the ball and not trying to rush past him or counter back inside too early because he can use his feet,” Robinson said. “So if you can get him to stay in the pocket as much as possible — cage rush him — you’ll be better off.”

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