The Dolphins and Browns both won games last weekend with the Fins winning 33-17 at Oakland while the Browns beat the Panthers 24-23 in Cleveland.  The Dolphins are only 1-4 at home this season while the Browns are 1-4 on the road so something has to give.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Dolphins have the ball:  The Dolphins got back to the power running game last weekend and I look for them to try the same against a Browns’ D that is allowing 119.5 yards rushing per game and 4.1 yards per carry.  Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown will likely split the carries in this game.  The Browns have 23 sacks and 15 interceptions this season so Chad Henne is going to have to get rid of the ball quickly while still being careful.  Brandon Marshall is a little bit iffy for Sunday so the Fins will need Brian Hartline and Davone Bess to step up.

When the Browns have the ball:  The Dolphins have to go all out to stop Peyton Hillis because he’s the guy who makes the Browns offense go.  Hillis is the Browns’ leading rusher and he has also caught the most passes on the team.  The Fins must get pressure on Jake Delhomme because he takes too many risks which often results in pickoffs.

PREDICTION:  DOLPHINS 23, BROWNS 20

The Dolphins have travelled well on the road this year where they are 4-1 on the year and they will have Chad Henne back at QB.  They will likely be without Brandon Marshall though as his hamstring injury is really hurting him right now.  The Raiders came back to Earth last weekend as the Steelers beat them up 35-3 in Pittsburgh ending a three game winning streak.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Dolphins have the ball:  The Dolphins would be smart to get back to the running game this weekend with Ronnie Brown & Ricky Williams against a Raiders’ D that is allowing 128.5 yards rushing per game and 4.6 yards per carry.  The Raiders have a pretty solid pass rush so look for the Dolphins to run a lot of shorter passes to Davone Bess and Brian Hartline.  The Dolphins can make the Raiders pay for the blitzing though as opposing QBs have 19 TD passes and only 5 INTs against the Raiders this year.

When the Raiders have the ball:  Look for the Raiders to get back to running the ball against the Fins with Darren McFadden and Michael Bush.  The Raiders are averaging 152.1 yards rushing per game and 4.8 yards per carry so I look for them to be solid against a Fins’ D that is allowing 112.7 yards rushing per game.  Jason Campbell will get the start in this game but look for Coach Cable to have a quick hook if things don’t start out too good.

PREDICTION:  RAIDERS 20, DOLPHINS 17

The Dolphins didn’t have much of a chance tonight.  When you only have the ball for 22:09 it’s hard to win a football game but that’s how long the Fins had it.  Tyler Thigpen completed 17 of 29 passes for 187 yards with 0 TD passes and 1 INT.  He also carried the ball 6 times for 27 yards (4.5 ypc) in this game.  Ronnie Brown (3 carries for 10 yards and 3 catches for 19 yards) and Ricky Williams (3 carries for 1 yard and 1 catch for 12 yards) didn’t get the ball much last night.  WRs Brian Hartline (5 rec, 70 yards) and Brandon Marshall (3 rec, 41 yards) led the way for the Fins in the passing game.  The Dolphins finished up with 39 yards rushing on 13 carries (3.0 ypc) and they also completed 17 of 29 passes for 148 yards.

LB Karlos Dansby led the way for the Fins’ D in this game with 10 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 1 sack, 1 pass defensed and 1 QB hit.  OLB Cameron Wake was also solid with 6 tackles, 1 sack, 3 tackles for a loss and 1 QB hit.  CB Benny Sapp pitched in with 2 tackles, 1 pass defensed and 1 interception.  The Bears finished up with 135 yards rushing on 40 carries (3.4 ypc) and they also completed 16 of 25 passes for 133 yards.  The Dolphins are now 5-5 on the season.

The Dolphins have won 2 out of the last three games while the Bears have won 2 in a row.  This is a huge game for both teams as the Dolphins need the win to keep pace in the AFC East while the Bears need the win to keep pace with the Packers.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Dolphins have the ball:  The Dolphins will likely not try to change too much for tonight’s game.  They might roll Tyler Thigpen to the right on pass plays especially if LT Jake Long (dislocated shoulder) can’t play.  Thipen can buy time with his feet which will put a lot of pressure on the Bears’ secondary.  He will likely have 3 WR sets a lot in this game with Brandon Marshall, Brian Hartline and Davone Bess getting a lot of looks.  The Fins won’t forget to run the ball with Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams.  In fact, I see the Wildcat Formation being used more than usual in this game. 

When the Bears have the ball:  The Bears are likely going to give the Fins a heavy dose of Matt Forte and Chester Taylor both in the ground and in the air.  The Bears also have been dinking and dunking a lot in the passing game because of the weak O-Line that they have.  When Jay Cutler decides to go down the field, Johnny Knox will be his top target.  Jay Cutler is prone to throwing into traffic so the DBs and LBs need to make some big plays.

PREDICTION:  BEARS 20, DOLPHINS 17

The Dolphins hope that a change in QBs will give the offense a needed jolt.  The Dolphins are 0-3 at home this year where they have been outscored 95-59!  The Titans will be starting Kerry Collins at QB for an injured Vince Young.  The Titans travel well as they are 3-1 on the road outscoring the competition 118-73.

When the Dolphins have the ball:  The Dolphins are likely going to try to get the running game going with Ronnie Brown & Ricky Williams.  If that works, Chad Pennington could be deadly off play action passes which have been his specialty.  The Titans have 26 sacks this year so Pennington will likely have to get rid of the ball quickly with Brandon Marshall, Brian Hartline and Davone Bess being heavily involved.

When the Titans have the ball:  The Titans are going to feed the ball to Chris Johnson so the D-Line and LBs of the Dolphins better be ready to step up.  The Fins have 21 sacks this year and OLB Cameron Wake (8.5 sacks) will be in the Titans’ backfield a lot tomorrow putting pressure on Kerry Collins.  Collins can make mistakes when pressured, but if he has time to throw the ball he’s going to make some plays to Randy Moss and Nate Washington.

PREDICTION:  TITANS 20, DOLPHINS 17

This is a really big game in the AFC this weekend.  The Dolphins and Ravens are both trying to improve their standing with a win this Sunday.  The Dolphins are 4-0 on the road this season as they have outscored their opponents 74-54.  The Ravens are 3-0 at home having outscored the opposition 92-68 this year.  So, something has to give.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Dolphins have the ball:  The Ravens’ D isn’t what it used to be so look for the Dolphins to play the way they always do.  I look for the Dolphins to throw a little more on first down then they have in the past to keep the Ravens’ LBs and safeties honest.  Chad Henne should have plenty of time to throw the ball as his O-Line is pretty solid at pass blocking.  Brandon Marshall, Brian Hartline and Davone Bess will likely all get a lot of action in this game.  Don’t think for a minute though that the Fins aren’t going to hand the ball off to Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams a lot in this game as the Ravens are giving up 109.3 yards rushing and 4.2 yards per carry so far this year.

When the Ravens have the ball:  The Dolphins will be sending OLB Cameron Wake after Joe Flacco all day long in this game.  Wake has 6.5 sacks this year but he lives in the opposing backfield.  Because if Flacco has time to throw the ball he’s going to have some success.  The Dolphins will likely double Anquan Boldin and dare Flacco to use his other guys.  The Ravens will try to be balanced on offense so look for Ray Rice & Willis McGahee to get a lot of work.

PREDICITON:  DOLPHINS 23, RAVENS 20

The Dolphins lost a tough one last weekend because of the refs.  They play well on the road though so they should be more than ready for the Bengals.  The Dolphins are 3-0 on the road as they have outscored the competition 52-40.  The Bengals have lost three games in a row including one at home to a team from Florida (the Buccaneers).  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Dolphins have the ball:  I look for the Dolphins to get back to the running game this weekend against a Bengals’ D that is allowing 118.0 yards rushing and 4.5 yards per carry so far this year.  Ronnie Brown & Ricky Williams will likely split the workload.  The Bengals only have six sacks this year so Chad Henne should have plenty of time to throw the ball.  Look for Brandon Marshall to have a big game against the Bengals as he will likely what to show up both Ocho Cinco & T.O.

When the Bengals have the ball:  The Bengals are likely going to come out throwing the ball.  The Fins are going to send OLB Cameron Wake after Carson Palmer all day long.  If Palmer has time to throw the ball the Fins are going to be in trouble because he has a lot of good weapons in Chad Ocho Cinco, Terrell Owens, Jordan Shipley and Jermaine Gresham.  Cedric Benson will also likely get 20-25 carries for the Bengals in this game.

PREDICTION:  BENGALS 24, DOLPHINS 20

The Steelers have been great on the road this year as they have outscored the Titans & Buccaneers by a combined score of 57-24!  The Dolphins are 0-2 at home this year as they have been outscored 72-37!  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Dolphins have the ball:  The Dolphins prefer to run the ball but the Steelers are only allowing 63.8 yards rushing and 2.7 yards per carry this year.  So to loosen up the Steelers’ front seven I look for the Fins to throw the ball more than usual on first down.  If Chad Henne has time to throw the ball he should be effective as the Steelers are giving up 233.0 yards passing per game so far this year.  Brandon Marshall could be in line for a huge game on Sunday.  If the Fins loosen up the Steelers’ run D a bit with the passing game I expect Ronnie Brown & Ricky Williams to still do some damage.

When the Steelers have the ball:  The Steelers like to run and pass the ball.  I expect that they will try to run the ball first with Rashard Mendenhall in an attempt to soften up the D a tad.  The Dolphins are allowing 109.4 yards rushing and 4.1 yards per carry so Mendenhall should be able to find some running room.  The Dolphins will need OLB Cameron Wake and his buddies on defense getting after Ben Roethlisberger because he will be effective throwing the ball if he has time to survey the field.

PREDICTION:  STEELERS 23, DOLPHINS 20

The Dolphins and Packers are both playing awful football right now and need to get back on the right track.  The Dolphins have been outscored 72-37 in their last two games, both losses to the Patriots & Jets.  The Packers have been outplayed the last three weeks despite somehow winning one of those games (against the Lions).  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Dolphins have the ball:  The Dolphins are going to come out doing what they do best in this game and that’s running the football.  Look for Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams to get a ton of work in this game against a Packers’ D that is allowing 104.8 yards rushing per game and 4.7 yards per carry.  The Dolphins would be smart to keep the passing game of the short variety to give Chad Henne a chance to succeed as the Packers already have 21 sacks and six interceptions this year.  Brandon Marshall will probably be guarded most of the game by Charles Woodson so they need to be careful when throwing the ball his way.  Brian Hartline, Davone Bess and Anthony Fasano could get more targets than usual in this game.

When the Packers have the ball:  It all depends on whether Aaron Rodgers (concussion) or Matt Flynn is starting this game at QB.  If Rodgers starts I look for the Packers to be throwing the ball quite a bit.  If Flynn is the starter look for the Packers to mix in more running plays.  The Dolphins give up 117.8 yards rushing and 4.2 yards per carry this year so Brandon Jackson and John Kuhn should have some success running the ball.  With Jermichael Finley out, look for Jordy Nelson and James Jones to see increased roles in the offense starting this Sunday.

PREDICTION:  With Aaron Rodgers starting at QB:  PACKERS 24, DOLPHINS 20     With Matt Flynn starting at QB:  DOLPHINS 20, PACKERS 13

These two teams have identical records this year and they split last season’s series with the home team winning each game.  This is a big game in the division as these two teams are tied with the Jets atop the AFC East.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Dolphins have the ball:  While the Fins might be tempted to air it out in this game the smarter move would to be to come out running the ball.  Ronnie Brown & Ricky Williams will likely have a lot of success on the ground against a Patriots’ D that is allowing 119.0 yards rushing and 4.4 yards per carry so far this year.  Don’t think for a minute that QB Chad Henne isn’t going to get his yards though.  He completed 48 of 86 passes (55.8%) for 554 yards with 2 TD passes and 1 INT in the two games against the Patriots last year.  Brandon Marshall is going to have a HUGE game against the Patriots on Monday Night…..book it.

When the Patriots have the ball:  The Dolphins will have to dial up the pass rush against Tom Brady because if he has time in the pocket they are in big trouble.  TE Aaron Hernandez and WRs Randy Moss and Wes Welker will give the Fins’ secondary headaches in this game.  The Patriots ran the ball a lot more than usual last week in an attempt to keep their lousy D off the field and it worked against the Bills.

PREDICTION:  DOLPHINS 33, PATRIOTS 30