NFL’s interception leader Xavien Howard believes ‘sky is the limit’ going forward | Opinion

It’s great when a team has good players. That’s how they become relevant and compete and have success in the regular season. Teams with enough good players generally become good teams.

But there’s something better.

Because there’s good players and then there’s playmakers.

And teams with a handful of playmakers can chase championships.

The Dolphins for a long time have had solid players, and even some good players. But I could count the playmakers on one hand the past decade and most of them rose and fell within one season or two — Cameron Wake a couple of years, Reshad Jones in 2015, Jarvis Landry in 2017, Jay Ajayi, Kenny Stills and Kiko Alonso in 2016.

And now comes Xavien Howard in 2020.

The Dolphins’ cornerback has been more than a good player. He’s been Miami’s best player and a playmaker this season.

How else to put it when he leads the NFL with seven interceptions this season. What else to call him when practically every week he takes on the opposing team’s toughest receiver and often wins.

He is Miami’s premier playmaker.

So ask defensive coordinator Josh Boyer what Howard does well and you probably should sit back because the list of things is quite extensive:

“He’s really put in consistently some good all-around performances,” Boyer begins, “from a run-game standpoint, a pass-game standpoint, his technique at the line of scrimmage, his leverage in pass coverage, his technique at the top of the route, the run game making sure he leverages the ball, being able to able to crack and replace,

“I mean, [he’s] really become a complete corner. And doing it very consistently for a long period of time. And it’s getting better. And that’s a credit to him.”

Beyond leading the NFL in interceptions with seven, Howard is collecting his game-changing plays at a rate that hearkens back to the game’s best cornerbacks of the last quarter century — names that include Deion Sanders, Champ Bailey, Darrelle Revis, and Richard Sherman.

“Those are some great guys, Hall of Famers and stuff like that,” Howard said Wednesday. “I don’t focus on stats and stuff like that and what I’ve been doing. I feel like everybody is different, and I feel like I just focus on getting better.

“With me just being in the same category of talking similar numbers, just doing that, I feel like that’s great. If I stay healthy and just keep going, that’s what’s in the future for me, the things that I want to achieve. I’m just focused on getting better each week.”

Howard improving has to be a scary thought for opposing quarterbacks because he already is ranked first among 121 cornerbacks in the NFL in coverage so far this year, according to ProFootballFocus.

But Howard, a 2018 Pro Bowl player and the Dolphins’ Most Valuable Player that year, believes he hasn’t reached his ceiling yet.

“I feel like I’m just getting better,” the 27-year-old Howard said. “ I kept that attitude coming off of injury of just being hungry. I want to focus on improving each day and proving to myself that I know what I can do on the field when I’m healthy.”

Ah yes, the injury thing.

Injuries, particularly knee injuries, slowed Howard the past few years. In his first four seasons from 2016-19, Howard played a full season only once, in 2017. He missed nine games his rookie season, four games in ‘18 and 11 games last season.

But Howard has 18 interceptions in that time making him the NFL’s interception leader since 2016.

Despite that Howard works as if he has yet to arrive.

“I think the good thing about Xavien is he knows it’s a week-to-week league,” Boyer said. “And he’s striving for improvement. It’s really a credit to him and his work ethic that we’re seeing strides on a week-in and week-out basis.”

But amazingly, teams continue to throw at Howard. The New York Jets targeted receivers covered by Howard 10 times on Sunday. Howard made New York quarterback Sam Darnold pay with an interception and three passes defensed.

“No, I’m not surprised,” Howard said. “Each week, I’m probably on the best receiver on the team — on the best receiver they have — so I’m expecting for them to throw the ball to that guy, no matter who’s on him.

“I feel like they feel like they want to give their guy the best opportunity to catch the ball. I’ve just been making the plays on the ball and really just doing my thing.”

It’s important the Dolphins have a playmaker in their secondary because they’re going to be facing playmakers the last few weeks of the season as they attempt a playoff push.

This week, the Cincinnati Bengals will offer A.J. Green, who isn’t producing at his usual level but remains a threat. And that will be only an appetizer because the following week the Dolphins play the explosive Kansas City Chiefs who boast Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins at receiver.

If he can finish in those matchups as strong as he’s going so far, Howard would show he’s more than just Miami’s best playmaker. He could be vying for All Pro and even Defensive Player of the Year consideration.

(Full disclosure: I hold the South Florida vote for both All Pro and the Defensive Player of the Year award).

“Right now, I’m worried about taking it one day at a time,” Howard said. “Those things I do see in the picture, in the bigger picture for us. I feel like the sky is the limit for me if I keep on ballin’.

“If I keep doing the things I’m doing each week, I feel like all of that is on the table. I can’t forget about those things, those achievements, that are out there.”