MIAMI -- This is going to sound wild, but the Miami Dolphins are quietly fielding one of the most improved defenses in the NFL.
Considering they ranked dead last in yards allowed per game (414.9), 31st in scoring (29.6) and third-down percentage (51.6%), and 28th in defensive expected points added (-52.1) through the first seven weeks, when they were 1-6.
Since Week 8, however, Miami (3-7) ranks third in EPA (24.6), 10th in yards per game (309), eighth in third-down percentage (31.8%) and sixth in scoring (15). Perhaps what's most impressive about its recent stretch is that in two of its past three games it faced offenses ranked among the NFL's best -- the Buffalo Bills (No.