This is the tender a part of the Miami Dolphins’ schedule.
We on the skin can say it as media, followers and observers.
But don’t you dare even suppose it if you’re a participant or coach for the Dolphins.
“No such thing in this league,” veteran left deal with Terron Armstead stated. “We’re all pros. I’m definitely not a fan of like an ‘easy stretch’ or nothing. There’s no such thing.”
But the proof is within the information of the groups Miami (4-3) performs on this five-game stretch that began with final week’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-5) and continues with the Dolphins going through the Lions (1-5) in Detroit’s Ford Field for a 1 p.m. kickoff Sunday, particularly in comparison with that from the group’s begin to the season.
Miami’s first six opponents enter Sunday a mixed 27-14. The subsequent 5: a mixed 9-23-1 document getting into Sunday. Following Detroit, it’s the Chicago Bears (3-4), Cleveland Browns (2-5) and Houston Texans (1-4-1) after a bye week.
While the Lions and their league-worst-ranked protection could also be simply neglected, that’s not the best way coach Mike McDaniel is permitting the Dolphins to strategy them.
“It goes to one of the lessons that is really close to all of my fundamental pillars of belief of the game of football,” McDaniel stated this previous week. “Whatever individuals need to say, we’re outlined by our tape and the stuff that we do on Sundays.
“When I look at the Detroit Lions tape, all I see is a team that makes a lot of plays on offense that, fortunately for the opponents, they have made some mistakes along the way. But they are one game away from being as good on offense production-wise as anybody in the league.”
That high-powered offense for the Lions and coach Dan Campbell, who as soon as led the Dolphins as interim head coach in 2015 after Joe Philbin’s firing, will get star operating again D’Andre Swift again, and high vast receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is anticipated to clear concussion protocol earlier than Sunday. Detroit was averaging 35 factors per sport via its first 4, however since, the Lions had been shut out in opposition to the Patriots and scored 6 factors in opposition to the Cowboys.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, heading into his second sport again from concussion, is pushing McDaniel’s message via the group.
“It’s not something that is necessarily spoken out in a locker room where guys are like, ‘Oh, this is going to be an easy win,’ ” he stated. “But it’s never bad to remind the guys that this isn’t just like a college team we’re playing. These guys get paid too on the other side of the ball.”
Other Dolphins leaders are consistent with the mindset of not taking Detroit evenly.
“I see a good team,” second-year security Jevon Holland stated. “They’re a hard-working team. They fly to the ball. You can’t sleep on them at all.”
Added operating again Raheem Mostert: “If you have that mindset [of overlooking opponents], you might not get those games that you thought you would have.”
The Lions protection ranks final within the NFL in factors and yards allowed, however McDaniel didn’t see the correlation when he studied their movie.
“Defensively, I was actually surprised,” he stated. “Because the tape is a competitive, fully committed unit that you see strain and activity and disruption the entire game.”
That unit, although, has its share of accidents. Defensive finish Charles Harris, a former Dolphins first-round decide that by no means made his mark in Miami however emerged for 7 1/2 sacks final season in Detroit, is out. Also out are free security DeShon Elliott, his backup Ifeatu Melifonwu and nickel cornerback Mike Hughes.
Miami’s secondary has been depleted in current weeks, however after dropping cornerback Nik Needham and security Brandon Jones for the season in back-to-back video games, the Dolphins are returning cornerbacks Kader Kohou and Keion Crossen to the lineup whereas Xavien Howard enters Sunday questionable.
It’s been a wrestle for Campbell as Lions head coach, 4-18-1 in that position getting into Sunday. He as soon as captured the hearts of Dolphins followers for the passion he dropped at main Miami as interim head coach, going 5-7 over the ultimate three-quarters of the 2015 season. He bridged the franchise from the top of the Philbin period and the hiring of Adam Gase in 2016, which was the final Dolphins playoff look.
The Dolphins’ final win in Detroit was the 2006 Thanksgiving sport the place Joey Harrington, as quarterback of the Dolphins, threw three landing passes in opposition to his former group in Nick Saban’s closing season as Miami coach.
It’s solely the Dolphins’ second sport at Ford Field since that win, however they’ve additionally misplaced their previous two house conferences in opposition to the not often seen Lions of the NFC North for a three-game dropping streak total to Detroit.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com