Miami Dolphins face a Tennessee Titans team playing for pride
By Brian Miller
While the Miami Dolphins hold the top seed in the AFC, the Tennessee Titans would love nothing better than to knock them down a peg.
The Titans will enter their game against the Dolphins having lost in overtime to the Indianapolis Colts last weekend. They fought hard against a division opponent and almost stole a game they were not expected to win.
That is who the Titans are at this point in the season. They are spoilers and they would love nothing more than to knock the Dolphins down a bit. Miami on the other hand, has to attack the Titans like they do every week, with a one game at a time mentality.
A win over the Titans will not give the Dolphins the AFC East any more than it will clinch a playoff spot for them but it will move the needle closer.
The Titans have lost 8 games this year and some of those games were not close. 27-3 against the Browns, 20 to 6 against the Buccaneers but most of their losses were not all that close.
They lost by four to the Steelers and by three to the Colts but also lost by 7 to the Colts in week 5 and by 8 to the Ravens. They lost by 20 to the Jaguars and managed to only beat the Panthers by seven.
Tennessee is starting a young inexperienced QB and former Miami Dolphins QB, Ryan Tannehill, is now relegated to holding on field goal attempts. While Derrick Henry is still an incredibly tough runner, he isn't finding the lanes that he used to.
As a team combined, the Titans have passed for 2,470 yards and rushed for 1,307 while their defense has given up 1,274 yards to opposing rushers and 2,9992 passing yards to opposing QBs.
This is a game that the Miami Dolphins should have no trouble winning but the key will be not to let the Titans remain close. Miami has three tough games ahead against the Cowboys, Ravens, and Bills, and losing to a team that they should beat would make the final stretch that much harder.