The Five Biggest Storylines for the Dolphins-Chiefs Matchup
The Miami Dolphins begin the final stretch of the regular season when they face the Kansas City Chiefs at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.
The Dolphins are 8-4 and have won seven of their past eight games, including a 19-7 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13; the Chiefs are tied for best record in the NFL at 11-1 following their 22-16 victory against the Denver Broncos last Sunday night.
Here are the five biggest storylines for the game:
The Dolphins' performance this season is one of the most remarkable stories around the NFL, but there's still a question as to just how good they really are because they have played so far the easiest schedule of any team (based on opponents' combined winning percentage. For example, the last four teams the Dolphins have faced are a combined 9-38-1, which is two victories south of what the Chiefs have. So clearly this is a major step up in competition and the Dolphins will be looking to show when they compete with the elite teams.
The biggest challenge for any team facing the Chiefs is finding a way to slow down their explosive offense and that obviously start with keeping Patrick Mahomes in check. Considering he's thrown 31 touchdown passes against only two interceptions this season, that's clearly easier said than done. Oh, and having to do it without two starting linebackers (Kyle Van Noy, Elandon Roberts) isn't going to make things any easier.
3. Time for Tua?
Rookie Tua Tagovailoa has gotten off an impressive start in his NFL career, but he's gotten a lot of help from the defense and special teams and has managed the game as much as anything. The time will come when the offense will need to contribute in a large way, and that time very well might be this matchup against the Chiefs. This would be a big step in Tua's continuing development as the Dolphins franchise quarterback.
Of course, it would help Tagovailoa and the Dolphins offense tremendoulsy if they could get something out of their running game. If they do, it mostly will come from a pair of players who'll be facing their former team. With Myles Gaskin joining Matt Breida on the Reserve/COVID-19 list Saturday and Salvon Ahmed out with a shoulder injury, DeAndre Washington and practice squad elevation Elijah McGuire should get the bulk of the work in the running game. The Dolphins acquired Washington in a trade with the Chiefs on Nov. 3, while McGuire ended last season on the K.C. practice squad and spent training camp this summer with that team.
One thing that makes Mahomes so successful is the tremendous group of receivers at his disposal, and the two who really stand out are wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce. While Hill is almost uncoverable one-on-one because of his speed, it's entirely possible (if not likely) we'll see the Dolphins let safety Eric Rowe match up against Kelce mano a mano. Rowe's previous experience as an NFL cornerback has come in handy all season with the tremendous job he's done against other premier tight ends, including George Kittle, who he held to four catches for 44 yards on eight targets in early October — one week after Kittle had 15 catches for 183 yards against the Eagles.
