The Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers are set to meet this Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium in South Florida. The biggest storyline for this game will, undoubtedly, be the head-to-head matchup between quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert.
Tagovailoa was selected fifth overall by the Dolphins in the 2020 NFL Draft, while Herbert was taken one pick later by the Chargers. Now the two rookies will face off for the first time ever.
The stakes are getting higher now for the Dolphins as expectations start to rise. Phil Simms joined The Joe Rose Show on 560 The Joe on Friday and certainly echoed those high expectations for Miami.
“I said it last year and they hadn’t won a game, I said they play so hard," Simms said on those expectations. "This year, even after the switch with Tua, I think I told you, I think Miami is a playoff team. It won't shock me if they win the AFC East.”
The Dolphins currently sit at 5-3 in the AFC East ahead of their matchup with the Chargers. However, they currently sit a game-and-a-half back of the Buffalo Bills, who sit at the top of the division at 7-2. Buffalo is set to take on the Arizona Cardinals (5-3) this Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, where the Dolphins grabbed a 34-31 win last week.
Now that the table is set for this marquee matchup, Rose gives us some of the keys to a Dolphins victory:
1.) The defense needs to give Herbert his first real bad game, they need to get some takeaways.
2.) Tagovailoa is going to have to take on a bigger role offensively this week than last week. He needs more passing yards especially with a struggling running game that averages 3.6 yards per-carry which is last in the NFL.
3.) DeVante Parker is due for a big game, and especially with Preston Williams out, he will need to play a bigger role. He had some monster games last year, and he will need one of those on Sunday.
4.) Look for Jakeem Grant to play a bigger role Sunday. He’s been on fire on special teams. Look for him to step up as the Dolphins' third receiver.
You can listen to the entire show below:
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