Miami Dolphins game 1 preview Vs Seahawks
The Miami Dolphins traveled on Thursday to be acclimated for the West coast Sunday match up against Seattle. Let’s take a look at some intangibles for this first game of the NFL season.
It’s good to have NFL football back and the Miami Dolphins find themselves getting one of their toughest matches out-of-the-way right out of the gate.
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This game looks to be a match up at the line of scrimmage so the keys of the game are the same for both teams, establish a strong running game and get the ball out quickly. Another thing that is similar is offensive line stability, maybe more so on the Seahawks side with the recent injury to Germain Ifedi. There might be some shuffling going on from having first time positional players and in the Dolphins case it would be dependent on the running game.
Laremy Tunsil Gets Ready for His First NFL Game
Sun Sentinel
Published on Sep 8, 2016
Laremy Tunsil says he is ready for his first NFL game, but is not looking forward to a loud stadium.
Anthony Steen is also playing his first NFL game in the same loud circumstances.
Seattle has had the highest propensity to be in the nickel formation more so than any team for some time now giving even more importance for The Dolphins to establish a running game. Jay Ajayi will not be one of those in this games running backs room as he has not traveled with the team from an apparent blow up over not being the “1a to the 1b running back” as Adam Gase described it. There were also rumors that Ajayi might have been trade bait while this “demotion” was taking place which may have led to his reported outbreak.
In all likelihood DeVante Parker will not play although he has been practicing more as of late. Adam Gase has stated he would rather be cautious with him to avoid a long-term setback. According to ESPN Staff Writer James Walker‘s Projected week 1 inactives newly acquired WR Justin Hunter should not play so that would leave Leonte Carroo and Jakeem Grant to fill the void also double TE sets is a possibility to try to spring Landry in the slot.
"“Asked who is best equipped to be the No. 3 and No. 4 receivers if Parker cannot play Sunday, Christensen said the Dolphins would use their tight ends “a little bit,” then said “it will have to be by committee. By the end of the week, just make sure [Hunter] knows something. Just give him a limited call sheet and then obviously hope you don’t lose somebody where he’s thrust into action.”If Parker can’t play Sunday, Gase again raised the question about whether it might be best to have 2 TEs – Cameron/Sims – play together moreLeonte Carroo and Grant are the other options, besides Hunter, for the third and fourth receiver jobs if Parker cannot play.” – By Barry Jackson bjackson@miamiherald.com"
Injuries Major Concern For Fins Heading Into 1st Game
CBS Miami
Published on Sep 9, 2016
CBS Miami’s Mike Cugno reports.
The red zone
Jarvis Landry has dropped 2/3 of his targets in the red zone, with this deficiency it’s no wonder we had that 2 TD Kenny Stills preseason game as it was time to try something else and that could continue on if nothing changes. Some have bolstered Kenny Stills as a fantasy football option and this appears to be the reasoning behind it. Will we see the same quick slant route to the TE play? Adam Gase will show some intestinal fortitude if that’s the case.
Other keys to the game
Keeping Russell Wilson from taking off, he can be the biggest running threat on his team. Kiko Alonso has shown a propensity to cover a lot of ground but it is not enough to just contain Wilson he has to pay or it so he might be apprehensive in his actions. The way the Broncos got after Cam Newton is an example of that sans the hits to the head because if it is even close you just know that flag is coming out.
Final notes
• Adam Gase says the Miami Dolphins OL may not be settled until the season or even into the season: you have to think that this is all about run protection at this point because the pass protect has been pretty good. Speaking of which: Can Laremy Tunsil keep up the zero QB pressures?
• Jimmy Graham has been a full participant in practices leading up to this game and looks like he will play so it is time for Neville Hewitt to redeem himself from the last preseason game and blanket Graham like he has done before with Gronk. Although the Dolphins are not the only team lacking good TE play in this regard.
• Cam Wake can open things up by no longer starting for Miami Dolphins just look back at past great Trace Armstrong and how well he did around the same age, even leading the league in sacks at one point. Being over 30 is not the death knell in the NFL also a situational role can pay dividends with the only drawback being caught up from uptempo offenses and being called trying to rotate players.
• Some Seahawk stats: Seattle has invested 8,597,413 dollars in their offensive line 32nd in the league in spending. Miami’s D-line, on the other hand, makes 42.7 million dollars. 5 times more. They also have the most rookies in the league with half of them undrafted although they have the same core players on the team. As already mentioned they have highest propensity to be in the nickel formation more so than any team.