With all the scoring the Miami Dolphins have been doing this season, the focus has been on the offense and the players threatening league or team records.
But, even though they're doing it much more low-key, Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler both are in the midst of a memorable season.
Wilkins and Sieler are among the four Dolphins players — along with Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips — tied for the team lead with 6.5 sacks.
While we can quibble about position designations, Wilkins and Sieler both are listed as defensive tackles on the Dolphins roster, even if they're actually 3-4 defensive ends when Raekwon Davis is on the field between them.
And when it comes to defensive tackles, Wilkins and Sieler already have recorded more sacks in 2023 than any Dolphins player at the position since 2009 when Randy Starks — who also was a 3-4 defensive end — finished with seven.
When it comes to NFL stats, Wilkins is listed as a defensive tackle and Sieler as a defensive end, but narrowing it to only interior defensive linemen — as opposed to pure defensive ends, outside linebackers or edge defenders — the two Dolphins players are tied for fourth in sacks behind only Baltimore's Justin Madubuike, Tennessee's Denico Autry and Kansas City's Chris Jones.
On one final statistical note, Wilkins and/or Sieler have the chance to become the first Dolphins players outside of edge defenders (4-3 DE/OLB) to lead the team in sacks since 1988 when T.J. Turner finished with five as a 3-4 defensive end.
WILKINS AND SIELER UNLEASHED
The 6.5 sacks already represents a career high for each player.
Wilkins' previous high was 5.5, while Sieler's high was 3.5.
The two defensive linemen clearly have been huge for a Dolphins defense that started slowly but has kept improving to the point where it's now ranked seventh in the NFL in yards allowed.
Wilkins and Sieler have provided their usual strong work in run defense, but the uptick in sacks could not have come at a better time for Wilkins given his contract situation.
He's playing on his fifth-year option in 2023 after the Dolphins and his representatives failed to agree on a long-term contract extension, which led to his training camp "hold-in."
Suffice to say he's made himself some money this year — whether it comes from the Dolphins or another team in free agency — because he's answered the one question anybody could have had about his work and that was the ability to make an impact as a pass rusher.
He's done that and then some, regardless of the sack numbers.
Sieler, meanwhile, got a three-year contract extension during training camp.
The two have made a massive impact in 2023 while getting more work than recent Dolphins interior defensive linemen.
The proof is in the numbers.
So while we watch Tyreek's quest for 2,000 receiving yards, Tua's push to top Dan Marino's Dolphins single-season passing yardage record or Raheem Mostert moving toward Mark Clayton's single-season touchdown record, let's not forget about Wilkins and Sieler as they threaten the team record for sacks by an interior defensive lineman of 9, set by Bob Baumhower in 1981.
Wilkins and Sieler have been that impressive, even if it's gone a bit more under the radar than what their offensive teammates are doing.
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