Miami Dolphins vs Washington Redskins: Key Match Ups

The Miami Dolphins kick off the NFL season in D.C. against the Washington Redskins with an opportunity to set the tone for their highly anticipated season with a win. The Miami Dolphins are a franchise starved for success and have accumulated quite a bit of buzz this offseason.

By far, this is the most talented roster the Miami Dolphins have fielded in quite sometime, so the buzz comes with reason. With 7 of their first 9 games on the road, the Miami Dolphins can’t afford to get off to a slow start on the road. In Washington they encounter a team coming off consecutive losing seasons and in the midst of a quarterback controversy with Kirk Cousins taking over for the maligned Robert Griffin III. Needless to say the Miami Dolphins are in a good position because of it to get off to a fast start on the road; in order to do so however they will need to win these key match ups.

Brent Grimes vs DeSean Jackson

This will be a battle of Pro Bowlers featuring one the game’s elite deep threats and the game’s most underrated corner. Jackson has been nursing an injury for most of the preseason but figures to be a prominent part of the game plan as Cousins likes to go deep often. Grimes is ready to rock this season and his tenure with the Miami Dolphins has been one of excellence. This year looks no different as Grimes enters this season fully in his prime. It’ll be interesting to see if Miami shadows Jackson with Grimes all over the field or leaves Grimey on the left corner where he’s most dominant.

Ndamukong Suh & Cameron Wake vs Brandon Scherff & Morgan Moses

The Miami Dolphins invested heavily to acquire Suh as the centerpiece of their defense and compliment to elite pass rusher Wake. The Redskins have invested the past two seasons in fortifying their offensive line by drafting Moses and Scherff respectively. With a new QB under center and playing at home, the Redskins are going to try to establish the running game early and often with Alfred Morris. The Dolphins two stars on defense need to control the line of scrimmage early to sputter the ground game and give themselves an opportunity to get after the QB. This should be a mismatch in Miami’s favor and a long day for Redskins running backs and QB.

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Jarvis Landry vs Justin Rogers

Good, bad or indifferent; Landry is the focal point of Miami’s passing game and rightfully so as he’s tough, dependable, and gets open. The Redskins would be wise to put one of their better corners on him, but neither of their starters are capable of playing in the slot, plus they’re thin at the position to begin with. Enter Rogers their slot corner, who will have the tough task of trying to cover Miami’s primary receiver. Look for the Dolphins to capitalize on this match up and get the ball to Landry as often as they can, putting him in motion will be key to combat the Redskins probable game plan for him with bracket coverage.

Jamil Douglas vs Terrance Knighton

Washington had an average run defense last year and addressed it this offseason by acquiring nose tackle Knighton to anchor their defense. The Dolphins o-line woes have been well documented especially at the guard position, leading the Dolphins to address that position in the past three drafts. Douglas was the guard they drafted this year and he beat out last year’s drafted guard Billy Turner. As a rookie starting his first NFL game, lining up across a player of Knighton’s caliber is a definitive test, lucky for Douglas he’s well versed after practicing against Suh all summer and will have help in the form of Pro Bowl center Mike Pouncey in handling the player appropriately nicknamed “Pot Roast”.

Branden Albert vs Ryan Kerrigan

This is the battle to watch, Miami’s best left tackle against Washington’s best pass rusher. Both of them are making their way back from knee injuries, with Albert’s being the most severe but Kerrigan’s being the most recent. Both of them were held out of the preseason for precautionary reasons and kick off will be their first live game action since last year. With back up tackle Jason Fox doubtful for the Dolphins, they need Albert to knock off the rust and come ready to play. Kerrigan is a high motor, relentless type of player and will be a difficult test for Albert right out the gates.

Miami Dolphins football is officially here; so light up the grills, defrost the meat, chill the beers, and get ready! Miami is the more talented team overall and it should be a fun one to watch. I expect the Fins to come out of D.C. victorious and start the season 1-0.

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