Dolphins Getting National Attention
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins won’t be making any more national TV appearances this year and they will not be making the playoffs. They are at best an 8-8 team and at worst a 3 win team. That hasn’t stopped their recent four week play from getting a little attention. In fact, it seems that at least for this week the Dolphins are one of the most talked about teams.
Why? Because they play the Oakland Raiders this weekend and can put a big stick in the middle of the AFC West race for the playoffs.
You would think that in the tight races that are developing as the season winds down would steal some spotlight and not the 3 win Phins. It seems however that no one is giving the Raiders a chance to win this weekend in sunny South Florida. At least not most. The Dolphins have been solid against the run and for Oakland that is the only thing they have going for them. Injuries will put Jacoby Ford and Denarius Moore out of the Wide-Receiver group and Darren McFadden will not return. In other words, Carson Palmer doesn’t have anyone to get excited about.
Defensively, well, the Raiders have struggles to stop anyone on land or by air. This bodes well for Reggie Bush, Matt Moore, and Brandon Marshall. In fact, if you read the national “fantasy football” expert advise for this week you will see that all three are must starts for your roster. I realize that fantasy football and real football are not the same thing and neither will get you a victory or the team a victory, but match-ups don’t typically lie. Sure there is the “any given Sunday” rule but by most accounts, fantasy match-ups pluses and minuses are usually a good barometer on how a given player or players will produce against an opposing teams real statistics and not necessarily the “fantasy point” statistics.
More will be said in pre-game shows about the Dolphins on Sunday, how they stand to put the already teetering AFC West into complete turmoil. The Tim Tebow Broncos are one game behind the Raiders who have won three straight and two games behind them are both the San Diego Sinking Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs. Both of those teams will likely be without head coaches come “black Monday”.
For now, the positive talk about the Dolphins is all anyone can really ask for considering the dismal season they produced and are trying to climb out of. At least it’s positive and the media is realizing what fans have been saying for awhile. The Miami Dolphins have the talent, they just don’t know how to use it.
The game kicks off at 1:00 pm eastern time and you can join us here for our live game chat starting just prior to that game.