Miami Dolphins key player of week 4: Robert Quinn needs a big game
By Nick Belotto
The Miami Dolphins are set for their biggest game and test of the still young 2018 season and Robert Quinn is expected to play a big role for the Dolphins.
With Miami traveling to division rival New England on Sunday, Miami will need their whole team to play well to send a message to the AFC east. Continuing my series on players of the week, it’s time to look at one player, Robert Quinn, who could cause Tom Brady a variety of headaches on Sunday and keep the Patriot’s offense out of rhythm.
Pass rush is going to be extremely important this week so my key player of the week is Robert Quinn.
Robert Quinn has been a menace this season for the Miami Dolphins. So far this year, Quinn’s numbers don’t necessarily jump off the page. He has 1 sack and 9 total tackles. For defensive ends, the stats usually don’t represent how effective they are during a game, and looking at Quinn’s numbers isn’t a fair understanding of how he has been playing.
Over the last three games, Quinn has looked more than disruptive in the passing game and has been able to help against the run. He seems like he is involved in every play and looks fast off the edge. Those are a great combination of traits to have, especially when going up against Tom Brady.
For years, the best way to rattle Brady was to get pressure on him early and often. The more hits he takes, the more rattled he gets. We saw this in their game against Detroit on Sunday night and it has been the only way to really beat the Patriots throughout his career.
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Quinn will be going up against Trent Brown on Sunday. He is a quality tackle, but is prone to mistakes. Quinn can capitalize on those mistakes and get blind side pressure on Brady to slow the offense down.
Quinn will need to be fast if he is going to get to Brady, who generally has a very quick release. If coverage can hold up in the middle of the field, Brady will hold on to the ball just long enough for Quinn to have a field day.
Miami’s defensive line will be low on depth on Sunday, which means that the play of Robert Quinn and the rest of the starters needs to be effective from the first snap. I believe that Quinn will play great football on Sunday and be a one man wrecking crew. If he is successful, he will be able to rattle Brady and keep their offense off the field.
This is a great opportunity for Miami to make a statement to the NFL with a win in Foxborough. I think that Quinn will be instrumental in helping the team make that statement.