Five things the Miami Dolphins (7-7) need to do to push their winning streak to seven games, and beat the Saints in New Orleans (7-7) during Monday night’s nationally televised game in Week 16:
Force Saints QB Taysom Hill to rely on his arm
Make no mistake about it, Hill isn’t the type of quarterback who wants to prove he’s a pure passer. He’d rather run an option-style offense and run a linebacker over. He’s rushed for 1,120 yards and scored 16 touchdowns on the ground using his legs in 204 carries throughout his first four seasons. Since becoming New Orleans’ starting quarterback, he’s carried the ball 11 times per game, and is averaging 6.2 yards per attempt.
The Dolphins have done a good job containing scrambling quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson and Cam Newton this season, but Hill presents a threat because of the uniqueness of the offense. It would benefit the Dolphins to contained the edges and encouraged Hill, who is completing 55.7 percent of his passes, to throw the ball downfield to his receivers and tight ends.
Keep Saints RB Alvin Kamara from producing big plays
Despite missing four games because of injuries, Kamara has recorded 1,016 offensive yards and scored eight touchdowns in the 10 games he’s played. He averages 22 touches per game, so that means more than one-third of the Saints offense will go through their scatback, who has a knack for creating big plays by making defenders miss.
Miami’s linebackers — particularly Duke Riley, who has played a significant role in recent weeks — need to be on high alert for Kamara, especially when he’s coming out the backfield. The Dolphins can’t afford to tackle poorly like they did last week against the New York Jets.
Protect Tua Tagovailoa
Tagovailoa leads the NFL in completion percentage (69.9) heading into this week’s games, and since his return from injured reserve in Week 6 his 71.6 completion percentage leads the NFL. He’s drastically improved the team’s sacks-per-pass-play rate because of his knack for evading sacks and making quick decisions.
It also helps that the left side of Miami’s offensive line has begun to stabilize due to Liam Eichenberg’s improvement, and Austin Jackson gaining comfort playing left guard. Jordan Cameron and Marcus Davenport have combined for 12.5 sacks this season, and present a significant challenge to Miami’s tackles, particularly right tackle Jesse Davis, who has struggled against powerful defensive ends.
Score 21, or more points
The Dolphins offense erupted last week, scoring 31 points and recording 379 yards, which is the fourth-highest output of the season. And that happened despite committing two costly turnovers that gift-wrapped the Jets 10 points. Miami’s going to need that kind of scoring output to keep pace with the Saints, who have produced more than 300 yards 10 times this season.
The New Orleans defense ranks sixth in points allowed per game (20.4), and a major part of the Saints’ defensive success is credited to the third-down conversion rate (37.3) they are allowing. The Dolphins offense, which ranks ninth in the NFL on third-down conversions (41.9 percent) will have to be sharp on Monday.
Rush for at least 100 yards
Duke Johnson erupted against the Jets, gaining 107 rushing yards and scoring two touchdowns on his 22 carries. The Dolphins need to provide the former University of Miami standout an opportunity to prove he can carry the team’s rushing attack against the Saints, who limit opponents to 96 rushing yards per game and 3.8 yards per attempt.
The Dolphins are averaging 30 rushing attempts per game during Miami’s six-game winning streak so expect this matchup to feature plenty of carries for Miami’s backs. The Dolphins need to put an emphasis on getting to the second level of the Saints defense, and Phillip Lindsay’s outside-zone running style could benefit Miami’s offense.
Source: Berkshire mont
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