The last time the Dolphins played the Bears in Chicago, they were coached by Nick Saban, linebacker/ defensive end Jason Taylor was at the peak of his career, and the team was winless at 0-6. What both Dolphins teams have in common at this point is that both coaches were under fire for their quarterback play Saban chose Daunte Culpepper and Philbin chose Ryan Tannehill. The Dolphins ended up winning this game 31-13 in dominant fashion behind the arm of Joey Harrington, who settled in as the backup plan after Culpepper re-injured his knee a loss versus the Steelers. That year, the Dolphins were favored for choosing Culpepper over Dree Brees, but that year, both the Bears and Saints faced each other in the NFC Championship as the Dolphins scrambled searching for a coach after Saban departed for the college ranks and Alabama.
This meeting pins the Dolphins offense against a Chicago Bears defense who has a penchant for takeaways, a Dolphins defense that must stop a Bears offense who can get the best of opposing defenses with wide receiver Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, and running back Matt Forté.
Dolphins offense:
At this point in time, the Dolphins offensively have been able to score touchdowns consistently in the 3rd and 4th quarters. However, the team led by quarterback Ryan Tannehill is responsible for getting the Dolphins off to a better start in the first quarter. The Dolphins have scored a combined 49 first half points versus their second half combined point total of 80 points. The Dolphins offensively, for all intents and purposes are a second half team and wildly inconsistent. That is, they fail to play for a full 60 minutes is several games this year.
The bright spot in the Dolphins offense is the running game where the Dolphins are ranked 6th. Led by Lamar Miller, the 3rd year running back has shown patience running, reading his blocks, and taken on linebackers and corners while pass blocking. Miller has continually shown that no game nor carrying the football in tough situations this season has been too much for him. The biggest concern that most Dolphins fans have about Lamar Miller are his 4 fumbles this season. However, in the past few games, Miller has played solid as he filled in for injured running back Knowshon Moreno. With Knowshon now out for the season due to an ACL injury sustained in last week’s game versus the Packers, Miller will be expected to fill the void of losing Moreno and lead the Dolphins on the ground.
Another bright spot that seems to have emerged in recent weeks is the play of wideout Jarvis Landry. Landry who has been a third down option for quarterback Ryan Tannehill, showed he can be more than that after earning his first start with Brandon Gibson out with a hamstring injury. Landry made a difficult over the shoulder grab on 3rd and 7 in the end zone to give the Dolphins their first touchdown and finished last Sunday’s game with 6 receptions for 75 yards. Landry, clearly showed some of the ball catching skill set that GM Dennis Hickey loved so much watching LSU game film and showed his ability to accelerate. It’s only a matter of time before Landry breaks one for big yardage or a long touchdown run. Right now in Miami, the Juice is loose!
Versus the Bears, the Dolphins will have a difficulty running on the vaunted Bears defense. With stalwart veterans such as Jared Allen on the defensive line, Lamarr Houston, and Lance Briggs, the Bears will pose a threat stopping the Dolphins running game. Conversely, when the Dolphins are passing, besides worrying about protecting Ryan Tannehill with an embattled offensive line, Tannehill will have to read the defense carefully and protect the football, making accurate passes to his receivers. The Bears boast one of the best young cover corners in football, first year cornerback Kyle Fuller who has hauled in three interceptions to date. In fact, Fuller recorded two of those interceptions in just one game versus the 49ers where the Bears stormed back to win in the second half.
Dolphins defense:
The Dolphins defense has been ravaged by injuries at the linebacker position especially. Just last week linebacker Koa Misi came back and recorded 9 combined total tackles. Without Misi, linebacker Jason Trusnik filled in admirably, but it’s clear that Misi was missed stopping the run. In addition, safety Reshad Jones will have his second game of the season after serving his suspension for PED use. Jones at times looked a bit out of position, but managed to earn 9 tackles providing much needed run support to the Dolphins defense. Coming back after serving a team imposed suspension will be defensive end Derrick Shelby. Shelby before being suspended for being arrested, had 4 tackles and 2.0 sacks. Shelby, has been strong playing nose tackle and defensive end. His play has helped pick up the slack on the pass rush. This season, the Dolphins have had 14 sacks. For the Dolphins defense, it takes a collective effort, it’s not just about veteran Cam Wake, however Wake has cooled off somewhat after earning 2 sacks and forced two fumbles. Wake currently has 3.5 sacks, but the leader of this defense in sacks is clearly Olivier Vernon with 3.5 sacks and 19 total tackles. Vernon, in his third year is pulling his own weight and picking up the slack by getting to the quarterback. Look for the Bears offensive line to double Cam Wake and force other Dolphins linebackers and defensive ends to beat them.
The Dolphins secondary is one of their weakest units forcing turnovers. Cornerback Brent Grimes was tested last week by barely being able to cover Jordy Nelson, one of the best receivers in the NFL. Sadly, his partner in the secondary, veteran Cortland Finnegan failed to tackle and cover effectively. Lastly, the match ups alone do not give the Dolphins much of a margin for error. The Dolphins must cover Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, and Martellus Bennett with two smaller in stature corners. This is where the expectation and reliance on the front seven of Miami to do their job will be vital to their success versus Chicago and limiting Jay Cutler.
The intangibles:
The Dolphins have a special teams unit that has been very close to dominant. Two blocked punts, a solid return game, and one missed field goal (Caleb Sturgis 9/10) have the Dolphins special teams units as one of the best. However, in week two, the Buffalo Bills exposed the unit with touchdown return.
Dolphins or Bears?
This game could easily go either way. The Bears, at home are favored by (-3). At home, the Bears are 0-2 surprisingly given the offensive numbers they usually post week in and week out. At home, the Bears have scored 37 total points and are 0-2. The Bears have losses to Dolphins rival, the Bills and Packers.
If the Bears win, it’s because they score at will versus a smaller athletic secondary for Miami. If the Dolphins win, it’s because they stick to their game plan, run the ball to keep the defense honest, and give Ryan Tannehill time to throw. Dolphins win if they limit the turnovers. Bears win if they force turnovers and give quarterback Jay Cutler a short field and make it hell on both Brent Grimes and Cortland Finnegan.
For the Dolphins fans, any win, any way will be a welcome sight after a long long week lamenting a heartbreaking loss to the Packers.
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