Exploring lineup choices, how players are being used on Dolphins defense and the thinking

Exploring assorted issues with how Dolphins’ defenders are being used:

▪ The Dolphins are doing something this organization hasn’t done in recent years: giving significant snaps to four safeties in the same game. Jason McCourty, Jevon Holland, Eric Rowe and Brandon Jones all played more than 20 snaps against Buffalo, with McCourty playing the most and Rowe the least.

That’s an adjustment for Rowe, who played most snaps last season.

“Everybody has different strengths and weaknesses,” Rowe said. “Combined, we’re a pretty talented group. Everybody, even coach, trying to figure out what role everybody is going to play. With us four weaving in and out, we’re trying to find strengths we all have.”

As McCourty said: “Collaborate on what we see has been a lot of fun. Some guys have strengths in some things and weaknesses in another. It’s fun to see how we’re deployed.”

McCourty is playing the most safety of his career: “I’m new to learning the ins and outs of our position. It’s been fun when you walk into a new challenge.”

▪ Other than defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah (nine sacks), nobody on the Dolphins had more sacks last season than linebacker Jerome Baker, who had seven.

So it’s notable that Baker, at least early on, has been used as a pass rusher a bit less than a year ago. The Dolphins might need him to blitz more, considering their defense has produced just two sacks in two games; no other NFL team has fewer except Green Bay.

Baker has rushed on 16 of 80 opponent passing plays this season, which is 20 percent of the time; he has dropped into coverage on the 64 other passing plays.

Last season, he rushed on 24 percent of the opponent’s passing plays and had the seven sacks and 17 pressures.

So why are the Dolphins rushing Baker less frequently so far this season?

“Bake gives us great versatility,” defensive coordinator Josh Boyer responded. “It’s a week-to-week decision of what we feel is best, whether he’s covering, whether he’s rushing. He’s more than capable of doing all those things.

“It comes down to what we feel like is putting guys in the best position that week. It’s also the variable of what other teams are doing, if you need an extra guy in coverage or an extra guy in the rush. You try to find a balance.”

Baker said he won’t ask for more pass rush opportunities and is happy to do whatever is asked.

But here’s the problem: Baker hasn’t been great in pass coverage so far, allowing seven of eight targets to be caught for 82 yards, equaling a 109.4 passer rating in his coverage area.

▪ With behemoth nose tackle Raekwon Davis (who is 6-foot-7 and 330 pounds) out indefinitely with a knee injury, the Dolphins last week opted to play 295-pound Adam Butler 47 snaps and 335-pound John Jenkins 18 snaps.

The Bills ran for 143 yards (4.8 per carry), though that’s no indictment on Butler.

Why did Butler get the nod over Jenkins?

“It’s game plan, personnel; it’s going to be different every week,” defensive line coach Austin Clark said. “They both have their strengths. Maybe one doesn’t have something the other does do well. How the guy practices is a big part of it too each week.”

Though Butler’s forte is rushing the passer, Clark said: “Adam is a good run player.”

▪ Christian Wilkins has rushed the quarterback 44 times and has no sacks and just one quarterback pressure to show for it. He has 3.5 career sacks.

Is there much hope can become a better pass rusher in Year 3 of his career?

“Absolutely,” Clark said. “Rushing the passer is a team thing. One-on-one matchups, we’ve got to win those for sure. As a team, we’ve got to generate more pressures.”

▪ Are the Dolphins getting enough pressure with four-man rushes? Probably not.

“Sunday we definitely could have done a better job with that,” Clark said. “I’ve got to do a better job preparing these guys for that. There are some times we do have opportunities. We have to finish it. There was one where we jumped and missed the sack. When we get those opportunities, we have to capitalize and get more pressures on a unit.”

▪ Slot cornerback Nik Needham played a lot in the opener while Justin Coleman barely played; in Week 2, it was the exact opposite.

“We’re going to look at things week-to-week,” defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander said. “It doesn’t necessarily mean somebody did something wrong.”

THIS AND THAT

▪ Rookie Liam Eichenberg said he has practiced this week at both guard and tackle. “They flipped me around the whole week,” he said.

According to a source, the Dolphins began the week intending to start Eichenberg at one position and move Solomon Kindley to the bench, provided Jesse Davis — off a knee injury — is able to play. But Eichenberg must practice well for the Dolphins to stick with that plan.

Eichenberg — who’s able to play left tackle, right tackle, and left guard — said he has put notes about every position on flash cards, which he often carries in his backpack.

Center Michael Deiter said the offensive line room was “down at first” after the Buffalo loss “but you use that to fuel you to get better.”

Davis was again limited in practice on Thursday with a knee issue. So was receiver Jakeem Grant, who has a sprained ankle.

▪ In the wake of the Dolphins yielding two sacks to unblocked Bills blitzers early Sunday, Deiter explained the process.

“It starts with the center and quarterback,” Deiter said. “How are we identifying it, how are we communicating [before the snap]. It comes down to all six to make sure communication is clean. Make sure there’s no gray area and make sure they are echoing it out to the rest of the guys. There are some instances where we might be seeing the front a little different.”

In that case, the quarterback can override the center’s reading of the defense if they see things differently.

▪ Albert Wilson, who had two drops against Buffalo, said “I’ve got to be able to bring those in. Just got to catch the ball. That’s our job. I was excited, trying to make things happen.”

Wilson said: “We definitely got humbled by Buffalo. We know we’re a good team. We know we’ll be able to compete with anybody in the league.”

▪ Receiver Preston Williams said he is past the foot and knee issues that have hampered him this season.

“I feel good physically,” he said. “On game day, nothing hurts.”