Dolphins’ Emmanuel Ogbah, Melvin Ingram have to step up with Bradley Chubb out

MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins’ pass rush for their first game in 2024 might look like something the team had going in 2020.

It could be a lot of Emmanuel Ogbah and Andrew Van Ginkel on the edge.

The Dolphins have already had to be without half of their standout starting outside linebacker combination since Jaelan Phillips went down with his torn Achilles in late November.

Now, they’ll be without both him and Bradley Chubb, lost to a torn ACL in his right knee in Sunday’s crushing loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Van Ginkel was already starting for Phillips on the left end. For Chubb, it should be a rotation of edge rushers that includes Ogbah and fellow veteran Melvin Ingram, with a possibility second-year outside linebacker and special teamer Cameron Goode gets in the game, as well.

“It’s going to be by committee, for sure,” Miami defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said as his Dolphins defense is tasked with containing Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen in Sunday night’s clash for the AFC East and No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs.

Both Ingram and Ogbah go into their enhanced roles in the regular-season finale with unique scenarios.

Ingram is a 34-year-old three-time Pro Bowl selection with 57 career sacks who is technically on the practice squad, as he has been since signing with the team Dec. 14 after he was a free agent the first three and a half months of the season. He has been elevated from the practice squad for the past two games, and the Dolphins have one more of those call-ups available to use on him Sunday.

“I’m grateful for (the opportunity),” said Ingram, also lamenting that it comes at the expense of Chubb. “I’m just not grateful of the way it came, but it’s the next-man-up mentality. It’s the nature of the business.”

For Ogbah, who carries with him a $17.2 million cap hit for the contract he signed in the 2022 offseason, he has been down on the depth chart. It reached a low point last Sunday in the 56-19 loss to the Baltimore Ravens when he was a healthy inactive.

“It was tough,” Ogbah said of receiving that news the morning of the game in Baltimore. “It is what it is, but I’m excited for the opportunities. Whatever they need me to do, I’m ready to do it. … Every time I get an opportunity, I got to go out there and show out.”

Coach Mike McDaniel said the decision to have Ogbah as a healthy scratch had some to do with not wanting him to press the hamstring injury he previously dealt with, although Ogbah was off the injury report entirely in the week of practice.

Ogbah and Ingram have different things they can provide in Chubb’s spot.

“(Ogbah) is a good pass rusher, for the most part,” Fangio said. “Mel’s a little bit more rounded for the OLB position, the ability to drop and stuff like that.”

That leads one to believe Ingram could possibly get the start and be closer to an every-down contributor, while Ogbah gets more of his chances on passing downs against Allen and the Bills.

And Ogbah has put together a quietly productive campaign in limited playing time. He has seen just 200 defensive snaps and has 5½ sacks in those chances.

He and Van Ginkel could rekindle some of the 2020 magic they had going for the Brian Flores-led Miami defense when Ogbah had a career-high nine sacks and Van Ginkel went for 5½, a previous career high before he surpassed it this season with six.

“Ogbah is a guy that’s played a lot of years in this league,” Van Ginkel said. “He’s no scrub. He’s going to come in, and he’s going to make plays. That’s what he’s done his whole career.

“Melvin, the same thing. He’s been in the league a long time, Pro Bowler, knows how to play and has played at a high level. So, I’m excited for what they can do for this team, and I’m excited to see them ball.”

The Dolphins have had heavy hearts for Chubb this week.

“It’s tough seeing him go down like that, and we’ve got his back,” Van Ginkel said. “We’re going to be praying for him and wish him a speedy recovery and surgery.”

Added Ingram: “That hurt, man… It’s one of our brothers. That hurt. You never want to wish injuries on nobody.”

Said Ogbah: “We got more things to fight for. We got to play for him now.”