Key matchups when the Miami Dolphins take on Cincinnati

Miami will take on the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday trying to avoid taking another loss after last Sunday’s game against the Patriots.

Miami will need a solid team outing and will need some new guys to step up in order to beat a good Bengals team. Let’s look at some of the key matchups Miami will need to win in order to take home a victory.

Xavien Howard vs AJ Green

After having three weeks where he looked like an All-Pro corner, Xavien Howard had a really rough outing against New England. In reality, this should probably be taken with a grain of salt, as most of the team didn’t look good against the Patriots. I expect him to shake off those struggles and go back to competing at the highest level on Sunday.

AJ Green is one of the top receivers in the game and is a true threat every where on the field. He has 297 yards with 5 touchdowns on the year so far. Watching him compete against Howard is going to be a great battle and may be the difference maker in this game. Whoever can win the most matchups will help their team win this game.

Cameron Wake vs Jake Fisher

Both Cameron Wake and Robert Quinn need to have good days on Sunday but this feels like a breakout game for Wake. He has had a slow start to his season so far and Wake will need to take advantage of Jaker Fisher and put pressure on Andy Dalton. As is the case with most quarterbacks, the more pressure the better for the defense. If Wake can turn it on Sunday, he’ll be able to keep Dalton unsettled and force him to make poor mistakes. Miami’s defense has thrived on turnovers, so the more then can produce, the more effective they can be.

Kenny Stills vs Dre Kirkpatrick

Kenny Stills is Miami’s top reciever and needs to get more involved to be the difference maker that Miami knows he can be. It will be Dre Kirkpatrick’s job to keep Stills contained. Stills didn’t really have a great day up in New England, but it needs to be taken with a grain of salt. In the games against the Titans and the Raiders, Stills looked great and was fed the ball with generally great success. Kirkpatrick is a quality player, but I don’t know if he has the speed to keep up with Stills at his fastest. If Miami can exploit this matchup, Tannehill will fall into a rhythm and should be effective.

Geno Atkins vs Miami’s Interior Offensive Line

Geno Atkins is a force to be reckoned with. He has the ability to make huge plays in the backfield against any offensive line. Unfortunately, with the injury to Daniel Kilgore on Sunday, Miami’s offensive line will be down two starters, both of which are on the interior. Ted Larsen, in for Josh Sitton, and newly signed Wesley Johnson, in for Daniel Kilgore, are going to have their hands full with Atkins. Right guard Jesse Davis may be fine against Atkins, but if the other half of the interior line falters, both the passing and running game are going to fail.

Let me know your other matchups that will be big on Sunday.