Miami Dolphins vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Everything you need to know and a final prediction
How to Watch: Time, Date, Location, and Channel
When: Sunday, Oct. 22nd, 8:20 PM EST
Where: Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA)
Channel/Streaming: NBC/Peacock
Game Overview
Tua vs. Jalen: A Trip Down Memory Lane
This game feels like a trip back to the late 2010's for young and former Bama quarterbacks Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa.
They were teammates back at the University of Alabama. During that time, Hurts was their starting quarterback while Tagovailoa, a red-shirt freshman at the time, was the backup.
Hurts was one of Bama's best, leading the team to two national championship games.
In the 2018 National Championship against Georgia, Tagovailoa replaced Hurts in the second half. Bama was trailing 13-0 at halftime.
He might have been a freshman, but he shocked the nation when he led the team out of a 13-0 deficit in halftime to win the game 26-23 in overtime.
Tagovailoa became the starting quarterback the following season. He got injured and was unable to play the SEC championship game.
Hurts took over that game and won. He then transferred to Oklahoma for his final season.
Both men were drafted into the NFL in 2020. Tagovailoa to the Dolphins at #5, and Hurts to the Eagles at #53.
Since then, both men have forged their own paths and dealt with a plenty of difficulties on the road.
Now, they both have 5-1 records, their teams are some of the best in their respective conferences, and they're potential Super Bowl contenders.
Don't take the Eagles lightly.
What makes the Eagles another tough test for the Dolphins is that they were runner-ups in last year's Super Bowl. Not to mention they are also one of the best in the NFC, next to the 49ers.
Despite their shocking loss to the New York Jets last week, they are still possible contenders for this year's Super Bowl. That's the kind of acknowledgment Miami wants to have.
Now, the Eagles have a great defense, and if they're on the same level as the Bills defense was the day the Phins lost, they're gonna give them the fight of their lives.
One of those people who might do so is CB Darius Slay. He is set to return to the field after he was out last week due to his knee injury.
His assistance will be needed, especially with Reed Blankenship sitting out due to rib injuries.
Even with a near-broken defense and the second-best offense in the league, the Eagles found their groove despite their unbeaten streak coming to an end.
They are now more motivated than ever before after their poor performance last week. It's likely they have no intention to repeat it against Miami.
Final Thoughts and Prediction
It's another scenario for the Dolphins where they are going to have their work cut out for them.
The way I see it, they will have to take the Philly defense very seriously, which was something they failed to do against Buffalo. If they can do that, victory will be assured for Miami.
The combined speeds from Raheem Mostert, Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle will be present and definitely play a part in this game.
If they can keep themselves away from Slay and the rest of the Eagles defense, they should be fine.
This game is just the second of their biggest tests this season. The third will come in two weeks against Kansas City.
If Miami can't find a way to win this one, it's going to put a huge dent on the hype surrounding them. Even more so, the people will see that they're just not on the level of other elite teams.
Can they really be considered for the Super Bowl? This game will be able to tell us.