Anthony DiBona
Sunday’s game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins should be called the “Mystery Bowl.” I know, it sounds like an awful cereal but it’s a perfectly fitting name. Both of these teams have struggled to find their true identity throughout the first half of the regular season. One week, they’re dominant and the next week, they look absolutely lost. So which teams will show up on Sunday?
That remains to be seen but both of these teams have plenty of playmakers and potential. It’s just a matter of them putting it all together on the field. Although both teams have been inconsistent through out this season, they’re currently heading in different directions. The Eagles are coming off a huge divisional win while the Dolphins are trying to recover from two consecutive embarrassing losses.
Despite the directions each team is currently heading in, Sunday’s game should certainly be an entertaining matchup. Here are three storylines to watch for during the action!
Three Storylines To Watch For
1) The professor welcomes back his former student, who will win?
When the Philadelphia Eagles first hired Chip Kelly as the team’s head coach, he brought in Bill Lazor to be the team’s quarterback coach. Now Lazor is the offensive coordinator for the Dolphins and will take on his former “teacher” for the first time in the NFL on Sunday. Although they both will brush the storyline under the rug, it’ll be interesting to see how each offense does on Sunday. I’m sure Kelly and Lazor are talking trash to eachother in their group chat this week…come on, we all know they have one.
2) How will the Eagles defend Jarvis Landry?
Last week against the Dallas Cowboys, the Eagles were embarrassed by wide receiver Cole Beasley…COLE BEASLEY! Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins was beat over and over again by Beasley, who was basically running the same route. So how will the team attempt to defend a versatile weapon of Jarvis Landry’s caliber?
They very well may give him the same treatment they gave his best friend, New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. The Eagles spent most of the game having two players keep an eye on “OBJ” and Landry is worthy of the same treatment. Miami does a good job of moving Landry around and even handing the ball off to him at times. Shutting down Landry, wherever he may line up this Sunday, should be Philadelphia’s top priority on defense.
3) Can the offensive line hold up once again?
It looks like the Eagles could be without starting left tackle Jason Peters for one more week. Although they performed well against the Cowboys last week, will they be able to do so again against Miami’s talented defensive front seven? The interior of the offensive line will have a tough test, dealing with defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh all game long. But maybe we should worry more about him slamming Sam Bradford. Don’t get it? Then maybe you haven’t seen this video from Miami’s game last week:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-JIwLqH-Fw
Key Matchup To Watch For
Eagles’ front seven vs. Lamar Miller
The Eagles had never, ever allowed back to back 100-yard rushers under Chip Kelly…not until their last two games, that is. Jonathan Stewart and Darren McFadden each eclipsed the mark against the Eagles, which is a rare accomplishment by itself. It’s also worth noting that Eagles inside linebacker DeMeco Ryans has missed some time and he’s normally relied upon to make calls on the defensive side of the ball. Either way, it’s worth asking, have the wheels fallen off Philadelphia’s normally stout run defense?
They’ll face another tough test this Sunday against Miami Dolphins running back Lamar Miller. He wasn’t getting the touches he deserved earlier in the season but that has changed under interim head coach Dan Campbell. Now Miller is a key cog in Miami’s offense and has put together a few impressive games, including a two touchdown effort against the Buffalo Bills last week. It’ll be interesting to watch the battle in the trenches and see if the Eagles can get back to their old ways and shut down the run.
Bettor’s Odds
According to Covers, the Eagles are currently six point favorites over the Dolphins, twice as much as the standard three point advantage awarded to home teams. The over/under is also set at 50, which seems a bit high to me. If I was a betting man, although you should ignore me and leave that to Godfather Locks, I’d go with the Eagles to cover and the under.
My Prediction
It’s obviously hard to predict what either of these teams will do on any given Sunday. But I think the Eagles will win relatively easily against the Dolphins at Lincoln Financial Field. It’s been a while since they’ve had a home game and the crowd will certainly help the birds out a bit. The Bills ran all over the Dolphins last week and I expect Chip Kelly and the Eagles to do the same exact thing on Sunday. Expect a whole lot of DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews as the Eagles run away with their second consecutive win.
Final Score Prediction: Eagles 30, Dolphins 17
That’s all for my Eagles vs. Dolphins preview, be sure to check back here at PhillyInfluencer.com for all of the latest news regarding your beloved Birds and everything else happening in Philadelphia!