AFC East

Barry Jackson: Surprising, worrisome data about Dolphins front seven on defense: What the metrics say

MIAMI — The Dolphins can rationalize their uneven play in the secondary because of the injury absence of All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey. But the inconsistent play of their front seven is more difficult to stomach, even with key cog Jaelan Phillips missing two of the first four games. That group of defensive linemen and linebackers has had somewhat unsatisfying results trying to stop the run and rush the quarterback. And in the case of the inside linebackers, they haven’t been able to hold up in pass coverage. Pro Football Focus grades are sometimes disputed by players (such as former Dolphins…