Miami Dolphins key match-ups for week three vs. Oakland
By Nick Belotto
The Miami Dolphins are back home this week with a matchup against the Oakland Raiders. Both teams boast solid teams and winning individual matchups will be key for Miami to move to 3-0.
Let’s dive into some of these match-ups for the Miami Dolphins.
Kiko Alonso has looked like a different player this season. He is all over the place, making great plays and forcing turnovers. There is, however, a big test on the horizon. The last time Miami played Oakland, Jared Cook had a great day, going for 126 yards through the air. Containing Cook won’t only fall on the shoulders of Alonso but his importance in protecting against the pass is paramount to the Dolphins defense being successful. I highlighted Alonso as my player of the week because he is very important in shutting down the Oakland passing game.
On one side of the field, we have a receiver who is struggling to get himself going in the early season. On the other, we have a defensive back who has played great, lockdown coverage to start the year. Cooper vs Howard will be an intriguing matchup to watch over the course of the game. If Howard can play effectively against Cooper, the Raiders passing attack will struggle. Couple that with Alonso’s play against Cook, and this defense will dominate on Sunday.
Marshawn Lynch vs Davon Godchaux, Vincent Taylor and Akeem Spence
Marshawn Lynch is one of the better running back in the leagues and one of the toughest to bring down. Miami’s run defense was not great against the Titans but improved dramatically against the Jets, holding them to 42 yards on the day. That was due to great penetration and stopping the run behind or at the line of scrimmage. Davon Godchaux has been playing great football over the first few weeks, and Taylor and Spence have been awesome compliments. They will need to dominate on the inside to shut down Marshawn Lynch and keep the Raider’s running game in check.
Battles in the trenches are always fun to watch when they pit two quality guys up against one another. Robert Quinn has been on a tear to start the season. Even though he only has one sack, he has been putting constant pressure on opposing quarterbacks and has been extremely disruptive. Donald Penn is a very solid tackle for the Raiders and will be tasked with settling down the Dolphin’s pass rush. Quinn isn’t going to just lay down and let Penn keep him from sacking Derek Carr, making this an extremely intriguing matchup to watch.
Miami has a great chance to put up some points on Sunday and if they can win these matchups, they are going to have a great day.