Setting the Stage for the Dolphins-Panthers Week 12 Matchup
The Miami Dolphins will look to extend their winning streak to four games when they face the Carolina Panthers at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Here's all the pertinent info for this Week 12 Dolphins-Panthers matchup:
MIAMI DOLPHINS (4-7) vs. CAROLINA PANTHERS (5-6)
DATE: Sunday, Nov. 28
TIME: 1 p.m. ET
SITE: Hard Rock Stadium; Miami Gardens, Fla.
WEATHER FORECAST: The temperature between 1 and 4 p.m. ET in Miami Gardens will be between 76 and 78 degrees, according to AccuWeather.com, with mostly sunny skies and zero chance of precipitation. The wind is expected to be 5-6 mph with gusts up to 7 mph.
TV: FOX
Announcers: Chris Myers (play-by-play), Daryl Johnston (color analyst), Jen Hale (sidelines)
STREAMING: fuboTV
SI Sportsbook betting line: Panthers by 2.5 (over/under 41.5)
Dolphins — DB Elijah Campbell (toe/knee), TE Adam Shaheen (knee) and CB Trill Williams (hamstring) are out; S Brandon Jones (ankle/elbow) is questionable.
Panthers — G John Miller (ankle) is doubtful.
Regular season series history: The Dolphins lead 4-2
Last five meetings:
Nov. 13, 2017 at Carolina; Panthers 45, Dolphins 21
Nov. 24, 2013 at Miami; Panthers 20, Dolphins 16
Nov. 19, 2009 at Carolina; Dolphins 24, Panthers 17
Sept. 25, 2005 at Miami; Dolphins 27, Panthers 24
Nov. 4, 2001 at Miami; Dolphins 23, Panthers 6
Dolphins' largest margin of victory: 17 (2001 at Miami; Dolphins 23 Panthers 16)
Panthers' largest margin of victory: 24 (2017 at Carolina; Panthers 45, Dolphins 21)
Highest-scoring matchup: 66 points (2017 at Carolina; Panthers 45, Dolphins 21)
Lowest-scoring matchup: 22 points (1998 at Carolina; Dolphins 13, Panthers 9)
Former Panthers players with the Dolphins:
P Michael Palardy (2016-20), DB coach Gerald Alexander (played with Carolina in 2010)
Former Panthers coaches with the Dolphins:
Special teams coordinator Danny Crossman, WR coach Josh Grizzard
Former Dolphins players with the Panthers:
None
Former Dolphins coaches with the Panthers:
Assistant QB coach Matt Lombardi, senior offensive assistant/RB coach Jeff Nixon, assistant OL coach Tony Sparano Jr.
Other connections
Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki played at Penn State with Panthers DE Yetur Gross-Matos ... Dolphins defensive lineman Adam Butler played with Panthers QB Cam Newton with the New England Patriots in 2020.
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PANTHERS SCOUTING REPORT
The Panthers started off the 2021 season as one of the biggest surprises in the NFL under second-year coach Matt Rhule when they began 3-0, but it's been a struggle since then, due in large part to erratic play at quarterback and the absence of star running back Christian McCaffrey with an injury. The Panthers hoped they solved their QB issue when they brought back veteran Cam Newton, though he lost his first start last Sunday at home against Washington, even though he had McCaffrey in the lineup. The Panthers' strength is on defense, where the team is ranked second in total yards allowed per game and second in sacks per pass attempt.
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THE BIGGEST REASON THE DOLPHINS WILL WIN ...
During their current 2-6 slide, the Panthers committed three turnovers three different times, and it's pretty obvious that getting takeaways has been a key for success for the Dolphins the past two years. That clearly is the clearest path to a Dolphins victory, as is shutting down Newton. In two games last years, the Dolphins held the Newton-led New England offense to a total of 33 points and they completely shut him down in the game at Hard Rock Stadium in December. The Dolphins really don't look like a team that could rush for 190 yards to beat Carolina the way Washington did last week, so it figures to take a strong defensive effort to win this game.
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THE BIGGEST REASON THE DOLPHINS WILL LOSE ...
When Carolina lost at home against Washington, it did so without committing a turnover, so there's no guarantees those will be coming Sunday. The biggest concern, though, obviously is the matchup between the Panthers defense and the Dolphins offense, particularly the line's ability to handle Carolina's edge rushers, Hassan Reddick and Brian Burns. While the Dolphins had some success offensively against the Jets last week, this is a much bigger challenge they're about to face.
FINAL DOLPHINS-PANTHERS PREDICTION
As the Dolphins began the "easy" stretch of their schedule, this was the game (behind the Thursday nighter against Baltimore) that looked like the toughest and it now stands in the way of the Dolphins realistically getting to 7-7 after their 1-7 start. The Panthers are by no means a great team, but they're also much better than the Texans, Jets and Giants — other teams the Dolphins have or will face during this six-game stretch. The Dolphins offense was able to produce just enough in the past three games to help the team win, but it's likely it will need to do more against Carolina because Newton and McCaffrey present more of a threat than Joe Flacco and Michael Carter. This is what you might call a crossroads game for Miami, one that will determine whether there will be any playoff discussion in December or whether all the focus will turn to 2022. The Dolphins did record a significant victory when they defeated the Ravens, but they had the advantage of playing at home on a short week and that won't be a factor here. It says here the Dolphins aren't going to be able to do much offensively against the Carolina defense and that will spell the end of the winning streak. Panthers 19, Dolphins 13
