Phins former QB Ryan Tannehill will face his former team in a critical matchup
The Miami Dolphins have made a near miraculous turn around off a 1-7 start by rattling off 7 straight wins.Now they are in position to control their own playoff destiny by winning out and making the playoffs. Miami has two games remaining and it will be the stiffest competition of this win streak. And the first team up is the Tennessee Titans with the Phins former quarterback Ryan Tannehill at the helm!
Weird how things go!
Ryan Tannehill vs the Dolphins
The Titans are currently the second best team in the AFC. To make it worse, Miami will have to play in Tennessee off a short week due to their Monday Night game. Luckily, the Titans are still without their All-Pro running back, Derrick Henry, which is advantage for the Dolphins.
While Miami’s old friend Ryan Tannehill has found a better home and more success in Tennessee, there are still some things that are the same old Tannehill we remember.
Despite how good of an offensive line Tannehill has, he’s still terrible at feeling the pressure and has been sacked the second most times in the NFL with 45 take downs. In addition, he still has an issue protecting the football and is tied for most interceptions in the league at 14 along with lost 4 fumbles. If the Dolphins are going to have a chance to win this game, then it starts with attacking Tannehill by pressuring him with lots of different blitz packages. However, they still have to contain his rushing because that’s something he still does well. Tannehill has 265 rushing yards and 7 rushing touchdowns this season.
Phins need their offense to set the pace
On offense, the Dolphins will face a Tennessee defense that is 2nd best in the league against the rush, allowing only 86.7 yards per game. Considering that we have the 3rd worst rushing attack in the league, generating only 86.6 yards per game, this will be extremely tough sledding on the ground. Instead, Miami will need to focus on an unbalanced offensive game plan and throw the ball a lot more than they run the ball this week. The Titans pass rush isn’t equal to their run stop, so Miami may want to attack with a lot of quick slants and other quick passes. Jaylen Waddle will be critical in this game. This could be the game where Waddle shows his game breaking ability after the catch. Despite a pass heavy game plan, they will still need to sprinkle in some running plays to keep the Titans honest, though.
The various free sportsbook software per head solutions sites have the Dolphins as a +3.5 underdog. This isn’t terrible considering they are on the road and facing the #2 ranked team in the AFC. However, covering the spread won’t cut it for the Dolphins this week. Miami must win this game to give themselves the best chance at making the playoffs.
The Dolphins short week combined with the Titans extended break, since they played the previous Thursday Night football game, makes this one tough game. But, the Titans extended time off could be a bad thing if they come out rusty… or good if they can get some players healthy and are sharp. Either way, Miami must play their best football of the season to get the victory! What an epic way to start the New Year if they do!
What are the rest of the Miami Dolphins News fans thoughts on the Dolphins chances of winning this game?
