The Miami Dolphins know they need to corral Cam Newton on third down if they plan to upset the hot Carolina Panthers.
With that in mind, the name echoing in the Dolphins' locker room this week has been rookie Dion Jordan, NFL Media's Jeff Darlington said Sunday on NFL Network's "NFL GameDay First."
"(Jordan) has not been getting a ton of repetitions in each game, but the Dolphins do believe he can provide the presence on third down to shake things up for Cam Newton," Darlington said. "We know all about Cameron Wake, but Dion Jordan is the name to watch as they really try to stop Cam Newton. (Newton's) decision-making has been so good, so (the Dolphins) want to make sure they get plenty of pass pressure on him."
Dolphins defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle said earlier this month that Jordan is not in a position to be an every-down player and has only progressed far enough in his rookie season to play on obvious passing downs.
Jordan has played a combined 31 snaps in the Dolphins' last two games (23 percent) and hasn't gotten more than 26 snaps in a game since Week 3.
Given the Panthers' propensity to run the ball, Jordan likely won't see the field a ton, but the Dolphins are expecting him to disrupt Newton in the pocket when he does get on the field. At the very least, Jordan's athleticism should give him an advantage in keeping Newton from making game-changing plays with his legs.
*We previewed every Week 12 game in the latest "Around The League Podcast." *
