The 4 players that will dictate whether the Miami Dolphins win or lose on Sunday and why Andrew Van Ginkel is key
By Brian Miller
With Jaelan Phillips out and Andrew Van Ginkel likely lining up along the edge, the middle linebackers, specifically David Long, Jr. must remain disciplined.
Long will have two big tasks on Sunday. One, keep the Bills rushing attack grounded in the trenches and two, shadow Josh Allen when he leaves the pocket.
Allen is a hard quarterback to take down and when the pocket collapses he will take off running without hesitation. When he does, David Long needs to be there to meet him. This is a crucial key to winning the game for the Dolphins. Without a run option outlet, Allen will be forced to get rid of the ball, something he tries to do to avoid sacks, those throws are picked off.
If Long is pressed into this job, he will need to excel at it and that means quick reads, something he is good at, between pass and run. If it isn't a run, he needs to set up, watch what the edge defenders force on Allen, and stop him.