We will finally see the Dolphins face a real rival in the Titans

By Sebastián Vallejo. Follow your project on @HolyRollerNFL

The Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans will meet in Week 17 at Nissan Stadium in a matchup that will have serious playoff implications for both teams.

The Titans enter this game after a win over the 49ers and with the opportunity not only to secure the AFC South title, but to return to the No. 1 in the conference heading into Week 18 (more on that shortly).

The Dolphins, who beat the New Orleans Saints in Week 16, have won seven straight games, erasing a 1-7 start and are third in the AFC East. While they still have a shot in the division, Miami’s best bet to make the playoffs is via the Wild Card path, where they currently hold the No. 7 spot.

The Titans and the Dolphins will meet for the 39th time (including the playoffs) this Sunday. Miami beats the Tennessee with a 21-17 record, including the last two games and three of the last five. The last meeting was in 2018 in Miami, when the game was delayed by lightning several times and lasted a total of seven hours and eight minutes, making it the longest in NFL history.

Are the Dolphins the dark horse of the AFC?

As already mentioned, the Dolphins are on a seven-game winning streak, which comes on the heels of the team losing seven straight games and starting the season 1-7. With their seven win-loss streak, the Dolphins became the first team in NFL history to have both in a single season.

The Dolphins’ current 7-game winning streak is the franchise’s longest winning streak since 1985 when Don Shula and Dan Marino took them to the AFC Championship Game.@MiamiDolphins pic.twitter.com/pco4KuAwSS

– NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 28, 2021

Florida’s are clinging to the final AFC playoff spot. A loss in Week 17 would likely knock them out of that spot in the final week of the 2021 season.

Both teams sport a talented pass-rush, but the Dolphins have been better at reaching the opposing quarterback than the Titans. In fact, Miami has the best pass rush in the NFL, he has hit 45 sacks, the most in the league. This unit is completely covering the shortcomings of an offense that will finally face its greatest test in that span of victories.

Right now, the Dolphins have arguably the worst offensive line in the league. In fact, they ranked last in blocking win rate on passing plays getting into the action this weekend. Lack of time contributes to the inability to run longer development paths on your wide receivers. Also, Tua Tagovailoa’s inconsistencies as a deep passing quarterback only contribute to the inefficiency of this passing attack.

However, WR Jalen Waddle is emerging as the star of this unit and continues to produce with 6 or more receptions in 9 of 14 games despite being paralyzed, to some extent. By way of comparison, when Tagovailoa has Waddle on the field, his ERA climbs past 70% and without him plummets to 55-60%. At this point, we cannot believe the Miami offense as a superpower, because it does not have a totally clear identity.

Tannehill reunites with the Dolphins

The Titans have a chance to clinch AFC South in Week 17 with a win or loss for the Indianapolis Colts against the Raiders. Even if they fail to clinch the division, they have other means of securing a playoff spot. Tennessee can also return to the No. 1 seed entering Week 18 with a win and loss by the Kansas City Chiefs to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Protecting the quarterback has been a big deal for the Titans this season, and that doesn’t seem to get any easier in Week 17. The good news is that the Titans will get two of their starters back, with left tackle Taylor Lewan and left guard. Rodger Saffold.

For the first time since the Dolphins traded him to the Titans in 2019, QB Ryan Tannehill will face his former teammates. On Wednesday, Tannehill made it clear that he has no ill will toward his former team and said he was “grateful” for his time in Miami. With a win, Tannehill would not only burn down his old team by damaging their playoff chances, but he would also help his current organization secure their division.

A big reason for the Titans’ success this season has been the defense, which has routinely kept Tennessee in games when the offense struggles. Tennessee’s unit has been particularly good the past three games, giving up just 12 points each, including a Week 15 shutout to the Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s no wonder the Titans have won two games in that span.

The recent return of the LB Bud Dupree has also given a boost to a passrush which includes LB Harold Landry and defensive linemen Denico Autry and Jeffery Simmons. Dupree has two sacks in his last two games, but was placed on the COVID-19 list on Tuesday.

Plus, if the Titans can win back the NFL’s rushing kingpin, RB Derrick Henry, there’s a chance their offense will return to 2019 and 2020 levels, and there’s also a better chance to make a run to the Super Bowl. .

It is also a special game for head coaches

Dolphins head coach Brian Flores has several current Titans connections from his days with the New England Patriots. Flores and his Titans counterpart Mike Vrabel were together with the franchise in 2008, when Vrabel was still a player and Flores was a special teams assistant. That was Vrabel’s last year in New England.

Even though he’s technically Vrabel’s coach, Flores says that Vrabel actually trained him more than Vrabel. He also noted how he has worked with current Titans General Manager Jon Robinson, Director of Player Personnel Monti Ossenfort, and Vice President of Player Personnel Ryan Cowden in the past.

With all the past and current connections between the Dolphins and Titans, as well as what they both put on the line, what do you expect from this Week 17 match? We read you in the comments under this article and on our social networks.