Meet Miami: How the Dolphins Can Win in KC with 'Transformative' Tyreek Hill
The Kansas City Chiefs will face off with the Miami Dolphins on Saturday night in Kansas City, Mo., where temperatures will be freezing as wide receiver Tyreek Hill makes his return to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. To prepare for the matchup, I asked AllDolphins.com editor Alain Poupart five questions about where the Dolphins stand now, how they can win in KC, and what Hill has meant to the organization.
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Joshua Brisco: Aside from the injury woes, how are the Dolphins different from when they faced the Chiefs in Germany?
Alain Poupart: That's pretty much it, really. The Dolphins were starting to really get into their groove defensively at that time and got even better, but then they proceeded to lose Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, Andrew Van Ginkel, Jerome Baker, Jevon Holland, Xavien Howard and it's tough to ask any team to absorb those kind of losses. Injuries have been an issue offensively as well, but not to that extent. Schematically, it's the same team it was in Week 9.
JB: Even with all the defensive injuries, Miami held Buffalo to 14 offensive points in Week 18. (Things didn't go as well in Baltimore in Week 17.) How could the Dolphins give KC problems while missing so many pieces?
AP: Yeah, that's a good question. I'd say it has to start up front with Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler, who combined for 19 sacks from the interior of the defensive line. And then it's as simple as coming up with takeaways, which is what the Dolphins did against Buffalo to negate the fact the Bills racked up close to 500 yards of offense.
JB: What's the energy around the team and fan base after losing their hold on the division down the stretch?
AP: I'd say a large part of the fan base is dejected and exasperated because we're talking about a team that hasn't won a division title since 2008 and hasn't won a playoff game since 2000 and it so seemed like this was the year, but now to many, it's same old Dolphins.
As for the players and the team, everybody is putting on a brave face, but there's no way there's no massive disappointment in going from being the No. 1 seed through Week 13 to being a 6 seed and having to go on the road, with the added pain of watching teammates lost for the season on a weekly basis lately (including three in the finale).
JB: What makes the Dolphins' running game so dangerous, and how have teams limited it this season?
AP: There are two keys to the running game and they work hand in hand. The first is motion and misdirection, where the offense tries to get the defense going the wrong way and then the speed of running backs De'Von Achane and Raheem Mostert allows them to exploit the holes that are created.
JB: With two full seasons in the books and a playoff game in his return to Arrowhead, how do you contextualize what Tyreek Hill has meant to this Dolphins team during his time in Miami?
AP: Put simply, Hill has been transformative for the Dolphins. It's not just what he's done for the offense with his speed — not only catching 119 passes each of his two seasons but also the space he creates for everybody else because opposing DCs are so scared of him — but also the attitude and belief he brought along. From the moment he arrived, Hill has been a borderline cheerleader for Tua and teamed with head coach Mike McDaniel to help raise his confidence level, something that absolutely has played a large role in Tua's emergence the past two seasons.
Now, Hill has been battling injuries most of the seasons, the worst being the ankle injury he sustained in a Monday night game against Tennessee and he's had drop issues in recent weeks, but this guy was a legit NFL MVP candidate for most of the season. He's the biggest reason, in my opinion, why the Dolphins led the league in total offense in 2023.
Alain asked me five questions about the Chiefs, through the eyes of what the Dolphins will expect to see on Saturday. To read the other half of our conversation, click here.
