The Miami Dolphins’ safeties have gotten plenty of work so far this season.
Strong safety Yermiah Bell leads the team in tackles with 38 (26 total, 12 assist), and free safety Reshad Jones is second with 26 (17 total, nine assist). Jones also has a sack.
“Both our safeties have made too many tackles right now, point blank,” Dolphins coach Tony Sparano told the media Tuesday.
Sparano explained that opponents have thrown a lot of mid-range passes against Miami this year, which has put the safeties in position to make tackles. He added that perimeter run support and safeties playing up near the box have also added to the big tackle totals.
Sparano also noted the tackles safeties shouldn’t have to make in the run game.
“Tackles that you don’t want them to have is the ones where the runs are coming out into the area,” Sparano said. “In San Diego we had three or four runs pop out into that area where one of them safeties… those things are hitting the safeties now.”
Miami has given up only one run over 20 yards in four games, so the defensive secondary has done a pretty good job keeping running backs in front of them.
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