Miami’s defense was one of the best in the NFL, and they were led by All-Pro cornerback Xavien Howard. The No. 17 player in the NFL, as voted by the players according to NFL Network, had an interception for every dolphin win last season; 10.
His 10 interceptions led the NFL, but it wasn’t just his interceptions that were impressive. Howard also led the NFL with 20 pass deflections, which led to him being a finalist for the Defensive Player of the Year award. Howard only received one vote, but that does not take away from his dominant season.
Miami will need Howard to be great again in 2021, but they will need more than another All-Pro season from Howard to take the next step.
Fellow cornerback Byron Jones, who Miami signed last offseason, pairs up with Howard to once again give them one of the best cornerback tandems in the NFL, and they may be the best.
Miami’s defense led the NFL in turnovers last season, and they will look to try and keep that crown in 2021. Defensive coordinator Josh Boyer was asked about coaching his defense up to create turnovers.
This story is from the September 20, 2021 edition of Dolphin Digest.
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This story is from the September 20, 2021 edition of Dolphin Digest.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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