Photo Courtesy: Rick Leal
By DaVince “Dino” Wright
Game Info
Tennessee Titans vs Miami Dolphins
Monday – December 11 – 7:15 p.m.
TV: ESPN
Hard Rock Stadium – Miami Gardens, FL
Records Before the Game
Tennessee Titans (4-8, 0-6 Away)
Miami Dolphins (9-3, 5-0 Home)
What happened to the Tennessee Titans? Over the last fours seasons these guys basically beat up on every team in the NFL. Titans running back Derrick Henry was the engine that kept this team afloat. The offensive line was a mainstay controlling the line of scrimmage. Now they are pretty cellar dwellers for the season. The Miami Dolphins have been a surprise for everyone this season. Currently the Dolphins have the number 1 seed in the AFC. This team is averaging 34 points per game. This will be a very interesting game to see if Miami will run up the score or not and to see if Derrick Henry can take over the game with his carries. Let’s take a closer look at this week’s NFL Monday Night Football matchup in Miami!
Whoever Scores First…
The 3 games that Miami has lost this year, they fell behind early; simple fact. This team can score in bunches, but when they get behind, they lose very winnable games. Tennessee has struggled all season with stopping their opponents passing game. They are giving up about two passing touchdowns a game. In order to win, the Titans will need to apply pressure on Tua Tagovailoa and have some luck with secondary defending passes.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans will need to protect backup quarterback Will Levis. He has 1266 passing yards with 7 touchdowns and 2 interceptions since taking the starting spot. He will need to get the ball into the hands of his playmakers this week. Wide out DeAndre Hopkins is a stud! He will be the x-factor for the offense. He 50 receptions for 774 yards and 5 touchdowns. Those are lows for him, but he can break out at any time. Keep an eye on running back Derrick Henry. He needs to carry the ball at least 15-20 times in this one. Can Hopkins have a hot start in which Henry benefits from, we’ll see.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphin’s passing game has been through the roof. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been ripping up defenses all season. He has 3457 passing yards with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. His favorite targets are Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. These two receivers have 15 touchdowns between them. Tua will be the x-factor this week. He’s the catalyst that drives the machine. The Miami offense scores at will when he’s hot. Defensively the Dolphins have honored their side of the ball. Other than the opener against the Chargers, the defense has only given up more than 20 points once this season. That’s impressive to say the least.
Prediction
ESPN has the Dolphins with a 85.3% chance of winning at home this week. This is an easy pick. Miami by 14!
Final Score
Dolphins – 27
Titans – 13
