The 3-2 Miami Dolphins will face the Minnesota Vikings (4-1) at Hard Rock Stadium Sunday in Week 6 of the season; listed below are some keys to the sport to look at for:
Dolphins’ beginning quarterback
It’s rookie Skylar Thompson beginning at quarterback, not veteran Teddy Bridgewater, as many anticipated. We’ll see whether or not Thompson can get vast receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle the ball constantly. It’s the important thing to a profitable offense. Yes, the working sport had its finest outing final Sunday with Raheem Mostert dashing for 113 yards, however the Dolphins solely scored two touchdowns. It’ll be as much as Thompson to get the ball to Hill and Waddle the place they will get yards after the catch or to hit them deep, and Thompson has proven he has the arm power to throw deep and correct passes.
Still, all the pieces will likely be a problem for the rookie seventh-round decide, together with being settled within the pocket. For that to occur, go safety should enhance. Thompson had 16 quarterback hits together with two sacks within the 40-17 loss on the New York Jets. And if the Vikings play a two-deep security alignment such because the Cincinnati Bengals and the Jets, the Dolphins should determine a number of methods to get the ball to Hill and Waddle, which might be a precedence this Sunday.
Dolphins’ secondary vs. Vikings’ passing sport
Health is a significant factor. The Dolphins want All Pro cornerback Xavien Howard (groins) in a position to play. The Vikings’ passing sport is fueled by quarterback Kirk Cousins (1,327 yards passing, 66.2% completions, 7 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 8 sacks, 86.4 passer ranking) and vast receiver Justin Jefferson (40 receptions, 547 yards, 2 touchdowns). But don’t ignore vast receivers Adam Theilen (25 receptions, 248 yards, 1 landing) or Okay.J. Osborn (16 receptions, 159 yards, 1 landing).
If Howard doesn’t play the go protection begins with the entrance seven and their strain. If Howard does play maybe he shadows Jefferson. Or the Dolphins may double-team Jefferson and have Howard shadow Theilen, the No. 2 vast receiver, in an try and get passes thrown towards Howard. The Dolphins used that philosophy with Cincinnati when Howard shadowed Tee Higgins, the Bengals’ No. 2 vast receiver, and so they double-teamed Ja’Marr Chase, the No. 1 vast receiver. Whatever occurs the strain is on cornerbacks Nike Needham, Kader Kohou, Noah Igbinghene and the safeties Jevon Holland and Brandon Jones to get the job performed.
Special groups
This has been a rising concern for the previous few weeks. The Dolphins are dropping factors and creating stress among the many 103-yard kickoff return allowed for a landing towards Baltimore, the “butt punt” towards Buffalo that resulted in a security, the missed subject aim makes an attempt towards Cincinnati and the New York, and the blocked subject aim try towards the Bengals.
Yes, accidents have been an element. However, each group has accidents. Punter Thomas Morstead has been good, however kicker Jason Sanders has been shaky. The Dolphins have a big crew of core particular groups gamers, together with security Clayton Fejedelem, cornerbacks Keion Crossen and Justin Bethel, linebacker Duke Riley and Andrew Van Ginkel, tight finish Tanner Conner, and vast receiver Trent Sherfield, and somebody wants to guide the group again to respectability.
Fourth quarter
The Dolphins have been outscored, 34-0, previously two fourth quarters, each on the highway, towards Cincinnati (13-0) and the New York (21-0). That can’t proceed. The Dolphins have performed exhausting, which is admirable, however they’ve made pricey errors, significantly in go protection. It needs to be famous Howard hasn’t been out there for the fourth quarter of both sport, which has harm the protection.
Offensively, the Dolphins have had Bridgewater and Thompson enjoying quarterback within the fourth quarters. But each conditions could possibly be the case once more this Sunday so the Dolphins should discover a strategy to rating factors and preserve opponents off the scoreboard within the fourth quarter.
Turnover margin
The Dolphins at the moment are minus-two in turnover margin, and that’s ceaselessly a telling statistic. Among the 11 groups which can be damaging in turnover margin, solely the Dolphins (3-2) and Green Bay (3-2) have profitable data. Taking a little bit of a better look, the Dolphins’ 4 takeaways are tied for thirtieth within the 32-team league. That should enhance.
The six giveaways are good. The Dolphins are tied for fifth-fewest turnovers within the league. This concern rests principally with the protection and its lack of takeaways. There are methods to navigate round this example such because the protection tightening up on third downs, getting sacks, placing strain on the opposing quarterback, enjoying robust run protection, and so forth. But creating turnovers does wonders for taking part in complementary soccer, which is important for many groups, together with the Dolphins.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com