Five things to know about the Chiefs’ next opponent: Miami Dolphins
The Chiefs will be going for their second win of the year at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
The Chiefs face the Dolphins on Sunday, and even if Kansas City wins, it won’t be as special as the victory at Hard Rock Stadium in February.
No duh, right? That win came in Super Bowl LIV.
Each week I take an early look at the Chiefs’ next opponent, and here are five things to know about the Dolphins, 8-4, ahead of Sunday’s game, which kicks off at noon and will be broadcast on CBS (Ch. 5):
1. The lefty
Rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returned from a left thumb injury on Sunday and completed 66.7% of his passes for 296 yards and a touchdown in a 19-7 win against Cincinnati. That was Miami’s seventh win in their last eight games.
Tagovailoa, who throws left-handed, took over the starting job in Week 8. He has thrown for 898 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions. He has completed 86 of 136 passes (63.2%).
This was his touchdown pass in Sunday’s game against the Bengals:
2. Myles is the main man
Myles Gaskin is the Dolphins’ leading rusher with 477 yards in 121 attempts (3.9 yards per attempt) with two touchdowns.
Miami’s rushing offense is ranked 27th (96.5 yards per game) and they have the lowest yards per carry (3.7) in the NFL.
The Dolphins’ offensive line took a hit Sunday as guard Ereck Flowers suffered a left ankle injury Sunday and left the game. He did not return.
3. Receiving leaders
Receiver DeVante Parker leads Miami in catches (56) and receiving yards (677) and is tied with tight end Mike Gesicki with four touchdown receptions. Gesicki is the team leader in yards per catch (13.8) and has 537 receiving yards.
Jakeem Grant (28 catches for 298 yards) is Miami’s second receiver.
4. Bringing the blitz
Former Chiefs defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah has a team-high eight sacks, while Kyle Van Noy, the ex-Patriots linebacker, has six sacks and 39 tackles.
The Dolphins are one of the most active blitzing defenses in the NFL, blitzing on 38.6% of drop backs, per Pro Football Reference. That’s the fourth highest behind the Ravens, Steelers and Buccaneers.
Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard leads the NFL with eight interceptions, and they’ve all come in the last 10 games. He snagged this one on Sunday:
The eight interceptions are more than eight NFL teams have this season. Howard also leads the NFL in passes defended with 16. It will be interesting to see if he’s matched up with Tyreek Hill.
5. Successful Sanders
Kicker Jason Sanders has made all but one of his 29 field-goal attempts, and he has been successful on all eight tries from 50 yards and beyond. He’s converted all 27 extra-point tries.
This story was originally published December 7, 2020 at 11:01 AM.
