NFL Preview: Dolphins Take on Cardinals

The Miami Dolphins will take on the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday at the Hard Rock Stadium. Both of these teams are ranked 2nd in their divisions, the AFC East and the NFC West, respectively.

The Miami Dolphins

 Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Dolphins are coming off a bad loss last week to the Baltimore Ravens, 38-6. Ryan Tannehill had a rough game last week with 226 passing yards, three interceptions and only one touchdown. Overall, the Dolphins only had a total of 277 total yards, while the Baltimore Ravens had a total of 496 yards. Head coach Adam Gase says the team needs to move on quickly. 

Jay Ajayi and Jarvis Landry are season leaders for the Miami Dolphins this season for rushing and receiving yards. Ajayi has 908 total yards and 7 touchdowns, while Landry has 820 total yards and 2 touchdowns. DeVante Parker will be another player to watch this game, as he’s caught 2 touchdowns in the past 3 games.

The Dolphins defense will need to put pressure on Carson Palmer this week in order to improve their 7-5 record. Unfortunately for the Dolphins defense, they have 4 players who are currently questionable. Cornerbacks Tony Lippett and Xavien Howard along with linebackers Kiko Alonso and Jelani Jenkins are all questionable for Sunday’s game. On the offense, lineman Mike Pouncey is also questionable.

The Arizona Cardinals

Nov 27, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) greets cornerback Patrick Peterson (21) before their game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
 Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports 

The Arizona Cardinals had a 31-23 win over the Washington Redskins last week to improve to 6-5-1. David Johnson led the team in both rushing and receiving yards last week with 84 rushing yards, 91 receiving yards and a total of 2 touchdowns. David Johnson was also named NFC offensive player of the week. Johnson has ran for a total of 1,005 yards on the season, to go along with 11 touchdowns.

Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald are two of the other offensive leaders for the Cardinals this season. Palmer has thrown for 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Fitzgerald, meanwhile, is leading the team in receiving yards with a total of 880 yards and 5 touchdowns. The Miami Dolphins will need to be on the lookout for Patrick Peterson this week. Peterson has 3 total interceptions this season, including one last time out against the Redskins.

Overall, the Arizona Cardinals have averaged 389.8 total yards per game, 284.6 passing yards per game and 105.3 rushing yards per game.

ESPN’s Power Football Index favors the Cardinals with a 52.3% chance to win. Make sure to tune in to FOX at 1:00 p.m. to watch the game.

About Sydney Jones

Sydney is a senior studying telecommunications with a specialization in sports media at the University of Florida. She is a multimedia sports reporter for ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM WRUF and WUFT-TV.

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