THE Miami Dolphins hit the road this weekend to take on the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Miami is coming off a dramatic overtime victory against the division rival New York Jets last weekend that improved the team’s record to 6-7.
The Texans currently hold an 8-5 record, which ranks them first in the AFC South. After a close 23-20 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 13, the Texans had this past weekend bye. Even though Houston is in first place in its division, the team must continue to win if it hopes to hold off the 6-7 Indianapolis Colts.
Winning this game would not only keep the Dolphins’ season alive, but also open up new avenues to make the playoffs. A Dolphins win would give them the tiebreaker against Houston in the standings and put them just one game behind the team. If Houston were to lose first place in the AFC South, the door would be open for Miami to pass them up for a wild card spot. Yet the Dolphins also need losses to the Broncos, Chargers and/or Ravens, all of whom are 8-5 and currently hold all three wild card spots.
In a very crucial AFC game, here are five of the biggest pregame storylines for the Dolphins heading into Week 15.
Jonnu Smith continues Dolphins franchise history
Tight end Jonnu Smith discusses Dolphins franchise history in his first year with the team. His 692 yards this season leave him just 100 yards away from setting the Dolphins franchise record for receiving yards by a tight end. The record currently belongs to Randy McMichael, who had 791 yards in 2004.
Smith’s yardage total already surpasses a career high he set a season ago in Atlanta with 582.
Not only is it likely that Smith will break the Dolphins’ record with four games remaining, but the team needs his production to win and give themselves a chance at the playoffs.
The eighth-year pro has proven to be a crucial piece for the Dolphins offense this season. Smith’s most dominant performance came against the Raiders in Week 11 when he recorded six receptions for 101 yards and two touchdowns.
Smith also stole the show in overtime last weekend against the Jets. After recording no catches in regulation, Smith took over in overtime with three receptions for 44 yards and the game-winning touchdown to seal the deal.
Can the Dolphins protect Tua Tagovailoa against an elite pass-rushing Texans duo?
Miami’s offensive line did a great job protecting Tua Tagovailoa in the win over the Jets, allowing no sacks, which paved the way for a big performance from the quarterback.
However, this next game presents a much greater challenge. The Texans’ pass-rushing duo of Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. are exceptional at getting to the quarterback, with Hunter recording 10.5 sacks and Anderson 9.5 so far this season. Their 20 combined sacks are the most for any pair of teammates in the NFL.
Anderson is in his second year after winning AP Defensive Rookie of the Year a season ago. He took his game up a notch in year two, already eclipsing his rookie sack total.
Hunter was signed by the Texans this past offseason after spending his first eight games with the Minnesota Vikings. Hunter is a four-time Pro Bowl selection and appears on track to reach a fifth this season.
Making things more difficult, the Dolphins are currently dealing with numerous injuries at offensive tackles. Left tackle Terron Armstead (knee) and right tackle Kendall Lamm (back) are both missing practice time, and right tackle Austin Jackson is out for the remainder of the season after a knee injury that required surgery end-of-season surgery.
If Armstead or Lamm can’t go, the spotlight will fall on rookie Patrick Paul who will take on a starting role for the second time this season. Paul’s lack of experience will certainly make him a target for Houston’s defensive front as they attempt to corral Tagovailoa in the pocket. The Dolphins also have Isaiah Wynn, Andrew Meyer and Jackson Carman as backup offensive linemen if needed on Sunday.
The Dolphins must deal with their former first-round pick
Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil will face a Dolphins team that already selected him 13th overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. Tunsil played his first three years with the Dolphins and started 44 games. With Miami on the path to a rebuild, Tunsil was traded to Houston before the 2019 season along with wide receiver Kenny Stills for a huge amount of draft picks.
Since joining the Texans, Tunsil has been outstanding. He earned a Pro Bowl berth in four of his first five seasons in Houston.
Even though Tunsil had more success in Houston than in Miami, the Dolphins have no reason to regret the deal. The team selected safety Jevon Holland with one of the draft picks it received in the trade and used some of the other assets in trades that brought Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb to Miami .
Not only will Tunsil get a chance to face his former team, but he could also play a key role. The Dolphins are 6-1 this season when the defense records two or more sacks, and the team is 0-6 without a win when it fails to take down the quarterback more than once .
Tagovailoa aims for fourth straight 300-yard game
Tagovailoa is having one of the best stretches of his career since returning from injured reserve in Week 8. Miami’s passing attack is on fire and is being used to its full potential. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle once again look like a dynamic receiving duo, with running back De’Von Achane and tight end Jonnu Smith emerging as their quarterback’s favorite targets.
Tagovailoa is currently on a three-game streak totaling over 300 yards with multiple touchdowns and no turnovers. His streak of seven consecutive games where he completed at least 70 percent of his passes is one shy of the NFL record held by Joe Montana. What makes Tagovailoa’s completion percentage and lack of turnovers even more impressive is the high volume of passes, with at least 40 attempts in each of the last three games.
Fans can probably expect Tagovailoa to have the same level of volume of passes thrown with the season on the line for the rest. The passing game has proven to be the driving force behind this Dolphins offense.
Anthony Weaver will coach against the team he played and coached for
Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver returns to Houston to face a franchise he knows very well. Weaver played seven seasons in the NFL as a defensive lineman, spending his final three with the Texans from 2006 to 2008.
It didn’t take long for Weaver to jump straight into coaching after his playing days, starting as a defensive graduate assistant for the University of Florida in 2010. He first appeared in the NFL as a Assistant defensive line coach for the New York Jets.
After short stints in Buffalo and Cleveland, Weaver joined the Texans staff in 2016 as defensive line coach, a position he held until 2019. In 2020, he was promoted to defensive coordinator. Weaver then joined the staff of the Baltimore Ravens as defensive line coach and running game coordinator where he spent the next three seasons.
Last year, Weaver and the Ravens defense faced the Texans twice and, surprisingly, did not allow an offensive touchdown in either contest, including a 34-10 blowout in the playoffs. Houston’s only touchdown came on a punt return.
The Dolphins have not beaten a team this season that scored more than 26 points. If Weaver can take some of what Baltimore’s defense did successfully last year against Houston and apply it to Sunday’s game, the Dolphins could be on their way to another victory.
This article was originally published on Dolphins Wire: 5 biggest pregame storylines for the Dolphins vs. Texans in Week 15
