MIAMI -- While most of the football world focuses on the hot-topic emergence of one Dolphins defensive end, the perennial Pro Bowler on the other side continues to do his work.

The new guy on the block is Adewale Ogunleye. He garnered the attention of pro football fans far and wide with a stellar preseason and a 2½-sack performance vs. the Ravens. The perennial Pro Bowler on the other side, the one not as many people are talking about right now, is Jason Taylor. But opponents are talking, and they know how much of a factor Taylor is in Miami.

Listen to what Ravens tight end Todd Heap had to say about Taylor's influence on Baltimore's game plan in Week 11.

	Taylor has an AFC-leading 11 sacks.

"When he's in the game, the offensive line, they definitely want to run the ball more than pass the ball," Heap said. "He kind of puts that frame of mind into a lot of guys like, 'We really need to run (at) him to get him off-balance.' Otherwise, he's just firing up the field."

It's almost a tradition.

Every year, there's no difference. The Dolphins' defense dominates. During much of Taylor's six-year career, he would not be the first name mentioned when one talks about Miami's defense. Middle linebacker Zach Thomas or one of the stellar players from the Dolphins' secondary would be mentioned first, but Taylor has certainly earned the respect of just about everyone as one of the NFL's premier defensive ends.

"He's one of the quickest guys there is to get up the field and try to get around that corner," Heap said. "He definitely presents some problems. You can see that watching the game film. His motor never stops. That's the one thing about him. He just doesn't stop. (He's) relentless to the ball."

What should scare the rest of the league, though, is that Taylor has stepped up his game this year. And as he tells it, his improved skills have helped him and the other Miami defenders around him.

"I feel faster and quicker than I did last year, actually the last couple of years, but that goes to the weight-room work and things like that," Taylor said. "That's something I wanted to make an effort to help, and I did that. And then a thing that I wanted to do was help bring along some of the other guys on the D-line, ... by maybe taking a double-team and giving the other guys opportunities to make a play. And it's been that way so far."

Indeed, things have gone quite well for Taylor and the Dolphins' defensive line. Ogunleye is not the only player who has benefited from Taylor's guidance and presence.

For the first time in years, all four starters on the defensive line have stayed healthy and started every game. That has given the foursome excellent chemistry, and the constant attention Taylor receives has opened things up for the rest of the linemen. And Taylor is the perfect teammate when it comes to the added attention.

"It's easy to sit back and complain that you're getting double-teamed, and that's why you're not getting things done or whatever," Taylor explained. "But there's still plays to be made, and I take a lot of pride in the whole unit. Those guys help make me, and I help them, so we work together."

The Dolphins are getting very good pressure on opposing quarterbacks from their front four, helping them keep linebackers and defensive backs in coverage and run support.

Taylor leads the team in sacks, but he also has made some huge plays in other facets of the game. To go along with his 11 sacks, Taylor leads all Miami defensive linemen in tackles, has four forced fumbles and a stunning eight passes defensed. In Week 6 vs. the Broncos, Taylor was rewarded with his first career Player of the Week award after racking up six tackles, two sacks and two passes defensed and forcing a key fumble on the Dolphins' one-yard line.

But probably the most impressive thing is the fact that the Dolphins' defensive line has been so much more staunch against the run this year after it doomed them down the stretch last season.

	“	It's easy to sit back and complain that you're getting double-teamed, and that's why you're not getting things done or whatever. But there's still plays to be made, and I take a lot of pride in the whole unit. Those guys help make me, and I help them, so we work together. ”
		— DE Jason Taylor

That improved run-stuffing ability, particularly by Taylor and Ogunleye, has given the Dolphins free reign to try new things up front, such as playing smaller defensive ends David Bowens, Rob Burnett and Jay Williams at defensive tackle on passing downs.

Said Taylor, "When it comes to me getting a double-team and you got a guy like a David Bowens or a Rob Burnett or a Jay Williams -- smaller guys who can really move -- that's a one-on-one block for them, and they're going to win a lot of those. They're going to win a lot more than they lose, and that's what makes it difficult on teams."

Of course, it's getting late in the season, which has never been a good thing for the Dolphins. But Taylor says he's not worried about the annual late slump that has dogged the Dolphins since he's started in the league. He believes the team's improving health situation and improved talent level should be enough to help them avoid a major slump.

If the front line keeps playing like it has, led by Taylor, there's no question that the Dolphins will have their best shot in years at making a serious push for the Super Bowl. That unit has been the catalyst for the Dolphins' defensive success this year. Taylor says the Ravens game featured a great performance by the defensive line -- the type of showing it must continue to have down the stretch.

"We had their offense reeling a little bit," Taylor says. "They didn't really know what to do. We had guys coming from all over the place, and that's nice to have, when you have the whole group bringing it, there's nothing the offense can do."

And he's right.

If Taylor and his linemates can stay healthy and continue to build the chemistry they've developed and dominate offenses, there aren't many offenses that will stop them.

Andy Hanacek covers the NFL for Pro Football Weekly.

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