Chess Match: Raekwon Davis v.s. Pats

Raekwon Davis is verging on being a dominating force against the run

In the 2nd Round of the 2020 Draft the Miami Dolphins drafted what appears to be their most physically dominating player in decades. I still remember the power of Tim Bowens and Daryl Gardener in their rookie years… Davis was even more over powering. Now, Davis is a bit more limited in his role than they were, but his ability to completely dominate the A-Gap is verging on special. And, Miami will need a special performance from him this week to stop the New England Patriots run game.

While, I’m not saying Davis can do it all alone, he will be the key to the Phins run defense against a very talented Pats offensive line and running back group. Maximize Profits in Online Gambling.

Patriots O-line won’t make it easy on Davis

Despite the huge talent of 6’7′ 330lbs Davis, the Patriots have elite talent on their offensive line as a counter measure. On the Pats offensive line center David Andrews (14th best on a down year), left guard Shaq Mason (6th best), and right guard Michael Onwenu (8th best) are all excellent run blockers. Add in mammoth right tackle Trent Brown (6’8” 380lbs) with burgeoning star running back Damien Harris, big-play scat back James White, and truck-sized rookie Rhamondre Stevenson (6’0” 246lbs) and you can see that for the Phins defense will have their hands full.

In 2020, the Dolphins defense gave up 1862 yards on the ground ranking a middle of the pack 16th. But, a good stat given to me by Yankor Ramos that shows they were trending upwards, “The Dolphins gave up 4.9 yard a carry for the first half of last season. The second half of the season they gave up 4.1 yards a carry.” Davis played a big part in this improvement.

Given the style of play the Pats want to run and the talent to support it, the most physical presence in the Phins run defense Davis must shine! If Davis can dominate the A-Gap, it will go a long way towards slowing the Patriots run attack and putting more and more pressure on rookie QB Mac Jones. And as much as like Jones, I love the odds with the pay-per-head services on Miami winning… if Jones must carry the Pats against Flores and the Phins defense.

Irresistible Force and the Immovable Object

Davis has shown the ability to dominate 1-on-1 match ups and to be very stout against double blocks. I like his chance to handle center Andrews and left guard Mason enough to throw a sizable wrench in their run game. Unfortunately, on the other side Michael Onwenu is a giant in his own right at 6’3” 350lbs and he is the most dangerous Pats linemen. The Dolphins did make a very smart move in the offseason and brought back DT 6’3” 327lbs John Jenkins, who in a limited role last year of around 300 snaps was ranked by PFF as the 29th best tackle in the game. I trust him inside, but as the breather for Davis, pairing Davis and Jenkins will be very limited.

This means former 1st Round pick Christian Wilkens will need to play big. Miami needs Wilkens to finally reach past the level of pretty good considering he was the 13th player taken in the 2020 Draft. Will he or won’t he? His play must be better than preseason. Thankfully, Zach Sieler should play well inside and out against Brown. Although outweighed by 80 lbs, Sieler was in a similar situation with Jet tackle Mekhi Becton and had a good day. You can check out the vid of it here if you want a recap. The only other sizable asset the Phins have is Adam Butler, but he has proven to be much of a run stopper in his career. Enjoy Best Pay Per Head Casino Services When You Are Playing Online Gambling.

Can Davis be our Vince Wilfork?

This will be a real chess-like move and counter move as the Phins and Pats look to control the line of scrimmage.

In my eyes, barring a crazy set of turnovers or the Phins receivers blowing the door off the defense, this game will come down to can the Pats run effectively or not. If Miami does win that battle, you will surely have to give a big round of thanks to #98 Raekwon Davis!!! Go Phins!!! Becoming a Bookie – Learn the Way of Bookies​.