MIAMI GARDENS — Credit the Miami Dolphins for this: they’ve taken every opponent seriously this season.
All it takes is a small lapse in concentration, and boom, the game is gone. So Kansas City has lost to Green Bay, and Dallas has lost to Arizona, the Dolphins (9-3), the No. 1 seed on the AFC playoff picture, have remained focused on the job at hand, beating the teams they’re supposed to beat.
This week’s job for Dolphins is hosting Tennessee (4-8) on Monday Night Football at Hard Rock Stadium, where Miami is 5-0 this season.
The Titans are 0-6 on the road and while they played Indianapolis tough in last week’s 31-28 overtime loss, Tennessee doesn’t have much that worries anyone aside from running back Derrick Henry and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. And they play on an offense that’s 27th overall (292.1 yards per game) and 25th in scoring (17.8 points per game).
The Dolphins, meanwhile, are on a three-game winning streak and their offense (428.4 ypg, No. 2 in NFL), defense (300.2 ypg, No. 6 in NFL) and special teams are playing a complementary style, which makes Miami even more dangerous.
Here are some things to watch for in Monday’s game.
Dolphins offensive line
Health at left tackle is a primary concern with starter Terron Armstead leaving the last two games with knee and ankle injuries, and backup Kendall Lamm being slowed by a back ailment. That means third-teamer Kion Smith, who finished last week’s Washington game at left tackle, could be this week’s starter.
Beyond that, keep an eye on right guard Rob Hunt (hamstring). He left the Washington game and is week-to-week. Most likely Liam Eichenberg would start in Hunt’s place.
The big picture is Miami wants to be healthy for the final three regular season games and playoffs, and the Dolphins have been cautious in bringing guys back so this situation bears watching because Miami is likely to take a conservative approach.
Turnover margin
This always bears watching because it’s the equalizer. Miami is minus-4, tied for 22nd with Tennessee, Chicago and the New York Jets, but ahead of Kansas City (minus-6). Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (24 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 106.0 passer rating) didn’t have a turnover last game for just the second time in the last six games. The good news in this category is Miami’s defense has produced turnovers recently with interception return touchdowns in each of the last two games.
Miami run defense vs. RB Derrick Henry
Tennessee’s best chance will be to bludgeon Miami with workhorse running back Derrick Henry (841 yards, No. 2 in NFL). The Titans most likely won’t be able to rely on the right arm of rookie quarterback Will Levis (seven touchdowns, two interceptions, 86.9 passer rating). The problem for Tennessee is Miami’s run defense is No. 8 (96.6 ypg) in the league. The Dolphins might not have linebacker Jerome Baker (knee) but there’s a chance safety Jevon Holland (knees) returns. Either way, defensive linemen Christian Wilkins (46 tackles, eighth on Dolphins) and Zach Sieler (40 tackles, 10th on Dolphins), and linebacker David Long Jr. (team-leading 78 tackles) will make life rough for Henry.
Jalen Ramsey and Xavien Howard vs. WR DeAndre Hopkins
Hopkins (50 receptions, 774 yards, five touchdowns), now in his 11th season, is still someone to watch, but with Ramsey and Howard doing the watching the threat is greatly reduced. And remember, Levis is the quarterback and it would take a lot for a rookie to repeatedly challenge Ramsey or Howard. It’ll be interesting to see how often Hopkins lines up in the slot opposite Kader Kohou in an effort to stay away from Ramsey and Howard.
Titans defense vs. WR Tyreek Hill
Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen is tasked with slowing Hill (1,481 yards receiving), who is on pace to establish a NFL-record with more than 2,000 yards receiving. New England tried a never-before-seen three-deep safety shell, the New York Giants, who blitz frequently, rarely blitzed and uncharacteristically played lots of nickel defense, and Kansas City and Philadelphia were aggressive at the line of scrimmage.
We have no idea what Tennessee will do, but it’d be wise to employ the two-safety shell to limit the YAC (Yards After Catch) and double-cover Hill as much as possible to prevent the reception. Both are tall tasks.