Miami Dolphins' Chop Robinson finally shows what he's capable of

MIAMI GARDENS — Miami Dolphins edge rusher Chop Robinson had five tackles, 1 1/2 sacks, three quarterback hits and a game-ending tackle in a defeat of the Saints .

"A lot of people forgot who I was and the type of player I am," Chop said in the locker room after the game.

It was a breakout game for Chop in what has been a disappointing second season.

Chop entered with only one sack on the season. But more is expected of him, especially now that Miami has traded Jaelan Phillips to Philadelphia .

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"Just going out there and trying to play to the best of my ability," Chop said. "Just be who I am. It's nothing I gotta' do more, that's what everybody told me. I don't gotta' go out of my zone to be who I'm not, just go out there and play my football."

As Chop was answering questions, locker mate Bradley Chubb was hyping Chop up.

"I see it every day!" Chubb was shouting.

"That's big bro," Chop replied.

Miami Dolphins ' Chop Robinson shows positive signs

Robinson and Tyrel Dodson combined to make a stop on 4th-and-1 of Saints quarterback Tyler Shough with 35 seconds to play.

"I was grabbing him and I knew he wasn't moving," Chop said. "And I felt T-Dot come in too, so I knew he didn't get the first down. I knew the game was over."

Miami's defense has shown marked improvement in a 4-1 streak. And defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver needs Robinson - who was dominant in the spring and summer - to continue to ascend.

"I think the main thing is everybody just sticking together," Chop said. "Things weren't going our way in the first half of the season. I think everybody just kept their eyes forward and just kept getting better every single day. So I think as a defense, everybody just stuck together and just got better. That's the main message that (Weaver) has been saying to us."

Chubb said he believes in Chop.

"How he approaches the practice field, how he approaches everything," Chubb said. "I know he's gonna go out there and do the things he did today. And you know, as we're on the field we're talking to each other, making sure we're on that right mindset. He's been doing his thing."

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Joe Schad is a journalist covering the  Miami Dolphins  and the NFL at  The Palm Beach Post . You can reach him at  jschad@pbpost.com  and follow him on  Instagram  and on X  @schadjoe . Sign up for Joe's free weekly  Dolphins Pulse Newsletter . Help support our work  by subscribing today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins' Chop Robinson breaks out of malaise with impact game