The Dolphins have won five of their last 8 games, so they are feeling pretty good about themselves right now.  The Jets have lost two games in a row by a combined score of 74-33!  The Jets can still get into the playoffs with a win and some help.  This would be a cherry on top of a disappointing season if the Dolphins could knock the rival Jets out of the playoffs this Sunday.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Dolphins have the ball:  The Dolphins are going to come out feeding the ball to Reggie Bush against a Jets’ D that is giving up 113.0 yards rushing per game and 4.0 yards per carry so far this year.  If the Dolphins can get a good running game going, QB Matt Moore will have a much better chance against the stout secondary of the Jets.  WR Brandon Marshall will probably be locked up with CB Darrelle Revis.  This will likely cause Moore to attack the other side of the field and over the middle.  Davone Bess, Brian Hartline and Anthony Fasano will likely get a lot more passes thrown their ways than usual this Sunday.

When the Jets have the ball:  The Jets are likely going to come out trying to impose their will by running the ball with Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson against the Fins.  The Dolphins are only giving up 93.4 yards rushing per game and 3.6 yards per carry so far this year.  The Jets are likely to wind up throwing the ball more than they run it when it’s all said and done this Sunday.  Mark Sanchez will have to be aggressive with throws down the field to WRs Plaxico Burress, Santonio Holmes and TE Dustin Keller against a Fins’ D that is allowing 249.8 yards passing per game so far this year.

PREDICTION:  DOLPHINS 23, JETS 20

The Miami Dolphins won last weekend and they have now won 5 of their last 7 games.  The Patriots have won six games in a row now as they currently have the #1 seed in the AFC if the playoffs started today.  The Patriots beat the Dolphins 38-24 in Miami in the season opener, but the Dolphins are a vastly improved team since that game.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Dolphins have the ball:  The Dolphins are going to run the ball a lot tomorrow.  Reggie Bush is proving that he can handle a heavy workload and he will be coming after the Patriots’ D tomorrow as they are giving up 117.6 yards rushing per game and 4.6 yards per carry.  Matt Moore has to be licking his chops looking at game tape of the Patriots’ secondary that is giving up 296.7 yards passing per game this year.  They are ballhawks, but if Moore has time to throw the ball….he’s going to have a good game.  Brandon Marshall could give the Patriots fits in this game.

When the Patriots have the ball:  The Patriots are going to pass, pass and pass some more tomorrow against the Dolphins.  The Dolphins need to get after Brady, because if he has time to throw the ball……they are in big, big trouble.  Brady will be attacking the middle of the field tomorrow, so the Fins’ safeties are going to have to step up.  Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are going to give the Fins’ DBs fits all game long.  The Patriots only run for show.

PREDICTION:  PATRIOTS 34, DOLPHINS 26

The Dolphins got beat 26-10 last weekend at home against the Eagles and it cost head coach Tony Sparano his job.  Todd Bowles will be the head coach starting this weekend against the Bills.  The Dolphins have won 4 of their last 6 games, including a 35-8 whipping of the Bills just four weeks ago in Miami.  The Bills have lost six games in a row, getting blown out in four of them.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Dolphins have the ball:  The Dolphins will likely come out running the ball a lot with Reggie Bush being the main man.  Bush should be able to find a lot of running room against a Bills’ D that is giving up 130.7 yards rushing per game and 4.7 yards per carry so far this year.  The Dolphins have allowed 44 sacks already this year, but the Bills only have 19 of them this year…so something has to give.  If Matt Moore or J.P. Losman have time to throw the ball, they are going to be very successful.  Brandon Marshall is a huge mis-match for any corner on the Bills.  Davone Bess, Brian Hartline and Anthony Fasano will likely have good games catching balls over the middle of the field.

When the Bills have the ball:  The Bills are a pass first team, so the Dolphins are going to have to get after Ryan Fitzpatrick.  Fitzpatrick makes big time mistakes when he gets hit a lot.  He still has decent WRs in Steve Johnson and David Nelson, so the corners better come to play for the Dolphins.  C.J. Spiller is trying to make his mark for the Bills in his second year with the team, and he has gamebreaking type speed.  The Dolphins have been effective stopping the run though as they are only giving up 89.9 yards rushing per game and 3.5 yards per carry, so they should be up to the challenge of stopping C.J. Spiller.

PREDICTION:  DOLPHINS 23, BILLS 20

The Dolphins have won four of their last five games as they are red hot right now.  The Eagles have lost four of their last five games as they are at the other end of the spectrum as they are ice cold.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Dolphins have the ball:  The Dolphins have been really balanced offensive lately and it has helped them on the scoreboard.  Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas will be taking aim at an Eagles’ D that is giving up 115.6 yards rushing per game and 4.4 yards per carry.  The Eagles are a heavy blitzing team as they have 33 sacks already this year, but, if they don’t get to Matt Moore…he will make plays against a vastly overrated secondary.  WRs Brandon Marshall, Brian Hartline, Davone Bess and TE Anthony Fasano will likely be thrown short passes and have to make yards after the catch.

When the Eagles have the ball:  Michael Vick is returning this weekend but I don’t think he’s going to be running the ball much due to his injured ribs.  The Dolphins need to get after him and pop him a few times to force him to get rid of the ball quicker.  The Dolphins will also need to slow down Lesean McCoy (1,134 rushing yards) and force Vick to beat them with his left arm.  The Dolphins are only giving up 93.2 yards rushing per game and 3.7 yards per carry, so they should be up to the challenge.  The Eagles are very dinged up at WR, so the Fins’ safeties might need to give more attention to TE Brent Celek.

PREDICTION:  DOLPHINS 23, EAGLES 21

The Dolphins are playing good football right now as they have won 3 of their last four games.  The Raiders are hot right now too as they have won three games in a row.  The Raiders save their best football for the road, where they are 4-1 on the season.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Dolphins have the ball:  The Dolphins want to have a balanced offense this Sunday against the Raiders.  Reggie Bush and Donald Thomas will likely share the workload in this game against a Raiders’ D that is giving up 135.3 yards rushing per game and 5.3 yards per carry so far this year.  The Raiders have 32 sacks already this year, so they are going to be coming after Matt Moore.  Moore will probably keep the passing game short and hope that Brandon Marshall, Brian Hartline, Davone Bess and Anthony Fasano will be able to make plays after the catch.

When the Raiders have the ball:  The Raiders are a run first team as they are averaging 149.2 yards rushing per game and 4.7 yards per carry, so the first thing the Dolphins are going to need to do this Sunday is stop RB Michael Bush.  The Dolphins are going to have to get after Carson Palmer as he loves to throw the ball down the field.  The Raiders have more speed at WR than any other team in the NFL, so the Dolphins’ safeties are going to have to be ready to help out the corners deep.

PREDICTION:  DOLPHINS 21, RAIDERS 20

The Dolphins and Cowboys are both red hot right now, so this should be quite a battle later today in Texas.  The Dolphins have won three games in a row by a combined score of 86-20!  The Cowboys in the meantime have also won three games in a row by a combined score of 94-44, so something has to give.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Dolphins have the ball:  The Dolphins have been really balanced on offense lately and that is the reason for the success.  They will try to continue that today against the Cowboys.  With that in mind, look for Reggie Bush and Donald Thomas to have a heavy workload against a Cowboys’ D that is giving up 101.4 yards rushing per game and 4.3 yards per carry so far this year.  Running the ball early in the game will slow the pass rush a little bit and buy Matt Moore time to throw the ball.  The O-Line will have to keep OLB DeMarcus Ware (14 sacks) away from Moore, but that will be easier said than done.  Moore might have to get rid of the ball quick and let Brandon Marshall, Brian Hartline, Davone Bess and Anthony Fasano make plays after the catch.

When the Cowboys have the ball:  The Dolphins are going to have to make a concerted effort to stop rookie RB DeMarco Murray, who has been excellent for the Cowboys this year as he is averaging a stunning 6.0 yards per carry so far.  The Dolphins are also going to have to get after Tony Romo.  If Romo has time to throw the ball, the Dolphins are in some trouble.  Jason Witten, Laurent Robinson and Dez Bryant are an impressive trio of receivers for the Cowboys.

PREDICTION:  COWBOYS 23, DOLPHINS 20

The Miami Dolphins have won two games in a row by a combined score of 51-12!  The Bills have lost their last two games by a combined score of 71-18!  Something has to give this weekend and here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Dolphins have the ball:  The Dolphins have become a run first team as of late.  Look for them to feed the ball to Reggie Bush and Donald Thomas early in the game.  Matt Moore will benefit if the Dolphins run the ball well, as it will slow the already weak pass rush of the Bills.  Brandon Marshall, Davone Bess and Brian Hartline are all likely go have solid games this weekend for the Dolphins.  Maybe even TE Anthony Fasano against a Bills’ D that is allowing 261.4 yards passing per game so far this year.

When the Bills have the ball:  The Bills are likely going to come out with a balanced offense.  Fred Jackson is a great runner and receiver, so the front seven of the Dolphins are going to be under heavy pressure in dealing with him.  Ryan Fitzpatrick started this season like a ball of fire, but ever since he signed his big contract extension, he has been lousy.  Still, WRs Steve Johnson, David Nelson and TE Scott Chandler are decent weapons.

PREDICTION:  DOLPHINS 21, BILLS 17

The Dolphins have played much better the last three weeks as they have outscored their opponents by a combined score of 63-41!  The Redskins are in a bad rut right now as they have lost four games in a row by a combined score of 95-44!  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Dolphins have the ball:  The Dolphins are running more of a ball control offense lately.  So expect Reggie Bush and Donald Thomas to get a lot of work against a Redskins’ D that is giving up 122.6 yards rushing per game and 4.5 yards per carry.  If the Dolphins establish a running game early this Sunday, it’s going to make things a lot easier for QB Matt Moore.  Moore will spread the ball around in this game to Brandon Marshall, Davone Bess, Brian Hartline, Anthony Fasano and Reggie Bush to keep everyone happy.

When the Redskins have the ball:  The Dolphins are going to try to stop rookie RB Roy Helu and force John Beck to beat them with his arm.  The Dolphins know that Beck sucks from his time with them, so they know his limitations pretty well.  TE Fred Davis, WR Jabar Gaffney and RB Roy Helu are Beck’s top three targets in the passing game and they don’t scare the Dolphins much.

PREDICTION:  DOLPHINS 24, REDSKINS 13

The Dolphins are getting closer to breaking the seal and getting their first win of the season.  They have played pretty well against the Giants and Broncos the last two weeks, losing by a field goal in each game.  The Chiefs are suddenly hot as they come into this game on a 4-game winning streak.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Dolphins have the ball:  The Dolphins ran the ball well last weekend against the Giants last weekend.  Look for them to try to do the same this Sunday with Donald Thomas and Reggie Bush against a Chiefs’ D that is allowing 122.1 yards rushing per game and 4.1 yards per carry.  Dolphins’ QBs have been sacked 27 times this year, but the Chiefs only have 9 sacks this year, so maybe this is the game that Matt Moore will have some time to throw the ball.  If he does, he should be able to make some plays down the field to Brandon Marshall, Davone Bess and Brian Hartline.  Moore needs to be careful with the ball though as the Chiefs already have 13 interceptions so far this year.

When the Chiefs have the ball:  The Chiefs have turned into a run first team lately.  That means the Dolphins’ front seven will have to be ready to deal with Jackie Battle, Dexter McCluster and Thomas Jones.  The Dolphins hope that the Chiefs run the ball, as their secondary sucks.  If Matt Cassel has time to throw the ball, the Dolphins are in big trouble.  WRs Dwayne Bowe, Steve Breaston and Jonathan Baldwin give the Chiefs a trio of solid targets down the field.

PREDICTION:  CHIEFS 24, DOLPHINS 13

The Miami Dolphins seemed to hit rock bottom last weekend in losing a 15-point lead in less than three minutes and then losing in O.T. at home to the Broncos!  They will need to play hard the whole game long in order to keep this game close.  The Giants have had two weeks to get ready for the Fins.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Dolphins have the ball:  The Dolphins will want to run the ball against the Giants this weekend with Daniel Thomas and Reggie Bush splitting the carries.  The Giants have given up 127.7 yards rushing per game and 4.5 yards per carry, so the Fins likely have a solid plan.  The Giants already have 21 sacks this year and the Dolphins O-Line has already given up 22 of them this year.  That means that Matt Moore is going to have to keep the passing game of the shorter variety.  Brandon Marshall, Brian Hartline, Davone Bess, Reggie Bush and Anthony Fasano are plenty capable of catching short passes.

When the Giants have the ball:  The Giants are likely to remain pretty balanced this Sunday with Ahmad Bradshaw running the ball and Eli Manning chucking it down the field.  The Dolphins are giving up 119.5 yards rushing per game and 4.1 yards per carry so far this year, so Bradshaw should be able to post another solid game this Sunday.  The Dolphins better hope that OLB Cameron Wake can get after Eli Manning, because if he has time to throw the ball…..they are in trouble.  Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham are each more than capable of having a big game against the Dolphins this Sunday.

PREDICTION:  GIANTS 30, DOLPHINS 17