Intriguing Game- Week Nine
Miami Dolphins at Arizona Cardinals
Dolphins: The intrigue was high! The Dolphins selected Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth overall pick in the NFL Draft in April. On Sunday, the rookie made his debut. The numbers weren’t necessarily eye-popping because he didn’t have to do much. All they needed from him was to manage the clock and not turn the football over. Otherwise, just manage the game. The defense handled the rest and I was impressed! The gameplan was simple: eliminate Darrell Henderson, make it tough for Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods and make Jared Goff beat you getting the ball to someone else. That’s exactly what happened and they made Jared throw the football 61 times. This Dolphins defense is aggressive and quick to the ball. Right now, they’re in second place in this AFC East race behind the Buffalo Bills. They’ll travel for week nine to face another surprising team this year.
Cardinals: Before their bye week, they had themselves quite the battle against the Seattle Seahawks. They gave Seattle all they could handle and even took them to overtime. I like Kyler Murray because no matter what happens, he erases the previous play and focuses on the next one. He’s a tough kid that leaves everything on the field. In that game, they looked like a strong force offensively. I saw the football being spread around along with balance. It’s the defense that concerned me and quite frankly, they haven’t been the same since Chandler Jones was lost for the year. The Cardinals don’t have much of a pass rush because he was the one who generated that push-up front. The only time they could get to Russell Wilson was when they blitzed. It worked then, but it always won’t. The bye is over and they’re back.
Dolphins X-Factor: Kyle Van Noy– He’s been a huge piece for them. I loved his game with the Patriots and he hasn’t missed a beat yet. I’ve seen him affect the play in so many ways whether it’s knocking the ball down at the line, rushing the passer, or stopping the run. I look for him to be that spy on Sunday.
Cardinals X-Factor: Haason Reddick– He’s no Chandler Jones, but he’s the closest thing they have to a pass rusher now. There was a lot of hype surrounding him when he was drafted out of Temple. The Cardinals need a big game out of him in this one.
Final Thoughts: This will be the first professional meeting between Tua and Kyler. I remember when they faced each other in the College Football Playoff a few years back. I’m looking to see how the Dolphins defense will come after Kyler. You almost need to play him as you would Russell Wilson. Keep him contained and in front of you. What does Tua do in his first road start? Arizona will make him pass as often as they can.
Prediction: Dolphins 24 Cardinals 21
