Three keys to a Miami Dolphins victory: Week 4 vs Seattle Seahawks

Can the Miami Dolphins upset the Seahawks? Yes, if they follow these keys.

The Miami Dolphins are no longer winless. After a 31-13 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Dolphins have had a week and half off to prepare for the red hot Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawk’s quarterback is currently on pace to throw 74 touchdowns, 19 more than the current NFL record. He is the runaway favorite for MVP and his team is undefeated. The Dolphins have a tall task in front of them. Seattle currently sits as a 6.5 favorite on the road this week. What do the Dolphins have to do in order to pull off the upset?

Let it fly

Normally when the opposition is a quarterback of the caliber of Russell Wilson, the game plan would be to keep him off the field. That’s not the case with Seattle. They have put numerous resources into their run defense. Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright, along with some big bodies in the middle makes it impossible to run on this team. However, they cannot really stop the pass. The Falcons, Patriots, and Cowboys all threw for 450, 472, and 397 yards against this Seahawks secondary. The days of the vaunted Legion of Boom are long gone. To beat Seattle, it is going to take a shootout. With Mike Gesicki coming along well, Jakeem Grant’s speed, and Preston Williams and Devante Parker’s high point ability, the Dolphins certainly have the ability to score some points. Ryan Fitzpatrick needs to let it fly. Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey needs to stay aggressive. The Seahawks don’t have much of a pass rush either, so Miami’s young offensive line will not have to go up against top tier rushers.

Win on the defensive line

The Seahawks have a bad offensive line. A really bad one. Duane Brown is a bright spot at left tackle, but the rest is nothing but question marks. The Dolphins can rotate bodies all over the defensive line. The heat and humidity should be a big factor in wearing down those offensive lineman for Seattle. By the end of the game, the Dolphins should have fresh legs in the trenches while Seattle will have worn down and less talented players. All of this should allow the Dolphins to get after Wilson and disrupt this Seahawks passing attack.

Playing Zone

If Byron Jones cannot go on Sunday, the Dolphins can absolutely not play the majority of their defensive snaps in man to man coverage. Noah Igbinoghene still has a long way to go and Xavien Howard is still not exactly where he needs to be after missing most of training camp. D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are going to eat them alive in man to man. Even if Jones can play, there is a good chance he will not be 100% healthy. Seattle likes to throw the ball deep all of the sudden. With a lot of question marks at safety, the Dolphins cannot put so much strain on them by pressing this receiving core at the line.