Tale of the tape
Week 10: Miami Dolphins Vs. Tennessee Titans
| The Dolphins are one of the surprise teams of the season. Nobody has been more surprising than rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill. While he has the physical attributes you want and is an accurate passer, the best thing about him is that he learns quickly from his mistakes and he always stays cool and that rubs off on his teammates. | Quarterback | The Titans have been asking veteran Matt Hasselbeck to lead the offense, but he has struggled to play consistently. The Titans were overwhelmed by the Bears in Week Nine and Hasselbeck was unable to cope with the Bears’ pressure. His first quarter pass was intercepted by Brian Urlacher and returned for a touchdown. Instead of steadying the team, that play threw the Titans into a panic. |
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| Running back Reggie Bush may be the key player for the Dolphins. When he gets started early, the Dolphins usually play well offensively. However, if he gets off to an unimpressive start, he tends to disappear. Brian Hartline has established himself as a go-to receiver while Davone Bess is very solid in a complementary role. | Offense | The Titans have some decent offensive talent, but they have failed to play consistently this season. That is especially true with speedy running back Chris Johnson, who has been up and down all season. Johnson seems to be surging after a 141-yard effort against the Bears. Wide receivers Kenny Britt and Nate Washington are fairly explosive. |
| The Dolphins were hurt badly by Colts rookie quarterback Andrew Luck. He found open receivers throughout the game and the Dolphins were seemingly powerless to stop them. Karlos Dansby is the Dolphins’ defensive leader and he has to push his teammates harder in this game. Cameron Wake has great closing speed and should cause problems for Hasselbeck. | Defense | The Titans had no answers for the Bears in Week Nine. Their pass defense got eviscerated by wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who caught three touchdown passes against them. If the Titans are going to turn it around, they need linebacker Zach Brown to be productive. He is coming off a 10-tackle effort against the Bears. Defensive end Kamerion Wimbley is a potential game changer with his ability to get to the quarterback. |
| The Dolphins are getting decent but not great production from special teams. Dan Carpenter has made 12-of-16 FG attempts this season. He has not made an attempt of 50 yards or more. Punter Brandon Fields averaged 53.2 yards on four punts against Indianapolis. | Special Teams | The Titans were victimized by special teams when the Bears scored the opening touchdown of the game on a blocked punt. Blocking broke down on that play and it was not punter Brett Kern’s fault. Rod Bironas is one of the best placekickers in the league. |
The winner is
The Dolphins have been playing consistent football in recent weeks and they should be in a good position to get a win at home against a team that is struggling to find an identity. The Dolphins appeared to have one of the worst offensive teams in the league, but they have improved significantly and have a shot at making the playoffs.
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