These Miami Dolphins...
I am having trouble remembering the last time The Patriots played at Miami in late November / early December. Usually Miami gets a boost from the humid weather that they are so used to having down there. I can recall quite a few meetings with Miami where the baseball infield dirt and the heat were significant factors. This time around, there will be no signs of the baseball field, but the weather could still hit 80 degrees. Nevertheless, this game will be decided by blocking and tackling, and not by weather reports.
As far as that goes, Miami has a lot of good players that are flying under the radar. In truth, Miami was lousy last year, and therefore most of the attention goes to new QB Ryan Tannehill. He has been surprisingly well adapted to the NFL considering that most scouts felt he needed a gap year before becoming the starting QB. He was drafted 8th overall, and his Offensive Coordinator is Mike Sherman, who was his head coach at Texas A&M.
It certainly seems like Tannehill landed in the right place because he is running the same offense that he ran in college, and its been going pretty well for the Rookie. His ratio of 7 TDs to 12 INTs is unimpressive, but he's only thrown 1 INT in the Dolphins' 5 wins. When Tannehill plays a clean game, The Dolphins are a very dangerous team. However, when he falters, The Dolphins virtually have no chance. Tannehill will pretty much need to be perfect to topple Brady's Pats this week.
Certainly it helps to have a tremendous offensive line, and with Mike Pouncey snapping him the ball, Tannehill has enjoyed solid protection. Pouncey was considered one of the top 10 most underrated players by ESPN, and at the time Pro Football Focus had Pouncey as their #1 rated Center. Likewise, Jake Long is a perennial Pro Bowler at LT. Tannehill has only been sacked 20 times, which is pretty good considering he's a Rookie. Comparing his numbers to other Rookies, its pretty good: Luck (26), RG3 (26), and Weeden (20).
Overall, The Dolphins are on the up and up, but it seems like their RB, Reggie Bush has been wearing down as time moves on. Bush posted a couple huge weeks for my fantasy team in the early weeks of the year, but he's just hasn't been the same since the knee injury that sidelined him. Still, Bush can hurt you on the edges and in the passing game, but he is proving the critics right that said he couldn't be an every down back. This week, Belichick will certainly do everything possible to limit Bush so that Tannehill will need to shoulder the load.
Defensively, The Dolphins are statistically average, but they do pose some problems as a unit. They rank 9th in points against with 20.5 per game, but they are 21st in yards allowed with 358.5 yds/game. The Dolphins have been exploited by the pass at times this year, but they are fairly stout up front against the run.
The guys to watch out for Defensively are NT Paul Soliai (345 lbs) and DE Cameron Wake, who leads the team in sacks with 9.5. Soliai is the anchor of the DL, much like a Vince Wilfork in teal and orange. Like Wilfork, Soliai has been especially productive against the run, but his statistics don't jump off the page (as with most NTs).
MLB Karlos Dansby leads the team in tackles with 83, but its the Safeties, Reshad Jones and Chris Clemons, that have turned in the impact plays for this unit. Jones has 2 forced fumbles and 2 INTs. Clemons also has 2 INTs. Another impact player is OLB Koa Misi, who leads the team in forced fumbles with 3. He has 3 sacks on his stat sheet, and he is a very disruptive player on the edge.
Overall, The Dolphins are doing it with complimentary football. Their record is a below average 5-6, but that reflects the ups and downs of Ryan Tannehill. Each week this defense puts in a solid effort to keep it close. Tannehill's mistakes have defined this team, but fans in Miami have a lot to be hopeful about. Tannehill has shown that he can develop into a legitimate NFL QB, and lord knows Miami hasn't had one of those in a while. The way I see it, this game is all about Tannehill. The Patriots need to force him into errors or The Dolphins will be tough to beat.
It certainly seems like Tannehill landed in the right place because he is running the same offense that he ran in college, and its been going pretty well for the Rookie. His ratio of 7 TDs to 12 INTs is unimpressive, but he's only thrown 1 INT in the Dolphins' 5 wins. When Tannehill plays a clean game, The Dolphins are a very dangerous team. However, when he falters, The Dolphins virtually have no chance. Tannehill will pretty much need to be perfect to topple Brady's Pats this week.
Certainly it helps to have a tremendous offensive line, and with Mike Pouncey snapping him the ball, Tannehill has enjoyed solid protection. Pouncey was considered one of the top 10 most underrated players by ESPN, and at the time Pro Football Focus had Pouncey as their #1 rated Center. Likewise, Jake Long is a perennial Pro Bowler at LT. Tannehill has only been sacked 20 times, which is pretty good considering he's a Rookie. Comparing his numbers to other Rookies, its pretty good: Luck (26), RG3 (26), and Weeden (20).
Overall, The Dolphins are on the up and up, but it seems like their RB, Reggie Bush has been wearing down as time moves on. Bush posted a couple huge weeks for my fantasy team in the early weeks of the year, but he's just hasn't been the same since the knee injury that sidelined him. Still, Bush can hurt you on the edges and in the passing game, but he is proving the critics right that said he couldn't be an every down back. This week, Belichick will certainly do everything possible to limit Bush so that Tannehill will need to shoulder the load.
Defensively, The Dolphins are statistically average, but they do pose some problems as a unit. They rank 9th in points against with 20.5 per game, but they are 21st in yards allowed with 358.5 yds/game. The Dolphins have been exploited by the pass at times this year, but they are fairly stout up front against the run. The guys to watch out for Defensively are NT Paul Soliai (345 lbs) and DE Cameron Wake, who leads the team in sacks with 9.5. Soliai is the anchor of the DL, much like a Vince Wilfork in teal and orange. Like Wilfork, Soliai has been especially productive against the run, but his statistics don't jump off the page (as with most NTs).
MLB Karlos Dansby leads the team in tackles with 83, but its the Safeties, Reshad Jones and Chris Clemons, that have turned in the impact plays for this unit. Jones has 2 forced fumbles and 2 INTs. Clemons also has 2 INTs. Another impact player is OLB Koa Misi, who leads the team in forced fumbles with 3. He has 3 sacks on his stat sheet, and he is a very disruptive player on the edge.
Overall, The Dolphins are doing it with complimentary football. Their record is a below average 5-6, but that reflects the ups and downs of Ryan Tannehill. Each week this defense puts in a solid effort to keep it close. Tannehill's mistakes have defined this team, but fans in Miami have a lot to be hopeful about. Tannehill has shown that he can develop into a legitimate NFL QB, and lord knows Miami hasn't had one of those in a while. The way I see it, this game is all about Tannehill. The Patriots need to force him into errors or The Dolphins will be tough to beat.
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