Setting the Stage for the Week 6 Dolphins-Vikings Matchup
The Miami Dolphins will look to improve to 4-2 on the season when they take on the Minnesota Vikings at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.
Here's all the pertinent info for this Week 6 Dolphins-Vikings matchup:
MIAMI DOLPHINS (3-2) vs. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (4-1)
DATE: Sunday, Oct. 16
TIME: 1 p.m. ET
SITE: Hard Rock Stadium; Miami Gardens, Fla.
TV: FOX
Announcers: Kenny Albert (play-by-play), Jonathan Vilma (color analyst), Shannon Spake (sidelines)
STREAMING: fuboTV (start your free trial)
SI Sportsbook betting line: Vikings by 3.5 (over/under 45.5)
Dolphins — QB Tua Tagovailoa (concussion protocol/ankle) is out; CB Kader Kohou (oblique) is doubtful; T Terron Armstead (toe), QB Teddy Bridgewater (concussion protocol/pectoral), DB Elijah Campbell (foot), RB Raheem Mostert (knee) and TE Durham Smythe (hamstring) are questionable.
Vikings — OLB D.J. Wonnum (illness) and RB Alexander Mattison (shoulder) are listed as questionable.
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FOR EVEN MORE COVERAGE ON THE MIAMI DOLPHINS, CHECK OUT SPORTS ILLUSTRATED'S MIAMI DOLPHINS PAGE ON SI.COM
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Regular season series history: The Dolphins lead 7-5
Last five meetings:
Dec. 16, 2018 at Minnesota — Vikings 41, Dolphins 17
Dec. 21, 2014 at Miami — Dolphins 37, Vikings 35
Sept. 19, 2010 at Minnesota — Dolphins 14, Vikings 10
Nov. 19, 2006 at Miami — Dolphins 24, Vikings 20
Dec. 21, 2002 at Minnesota — Vikings 20, Dolphins 17
Dolphins' largest margin of victory: 17 (1988 at Miami; Dolphins 24, Vikings 7)
Dolphins' largest margin of defeat: 24 (2018 at Minnesota; Vikings 41, Dolphins 17)
Highest-scoring matchup: 73 points (1994 at Minnesota; Vikings 38, Dolphins 45)
Lowest-scoring matchup: 20 points (2000 at Minnesota; Vikings 13, Dolphins 7)
Former Vikings players with the Dolphins:
QB Teddy Bridgewater, offensive assistant Aldrick Robinson
Former Vikings coaches with the Dolphins:
Quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell
Former Dolphins players with the Vikings:
OL Chris Reed, K Greg Joseph, head coach Kevin O'Connell (quarterback in training camp in 2011)
Former Dolphins coaches with the Vikings:
DB coach Daronte Jones, OL coach Chris Kuper
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VIKINGS SCOUTING REPORT
Like the Dolphins, the Vikings entered the 2022 season with a young first-year head coach, in their case former Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell. The Vikings, who are hoping to end a two-year playoff drought, began the season with a convincing victory against NFC Central power Green Bay and will come to Hard Rock Stadium with a 4-1 record after consecutive victories against the Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears. Minnesota is led by its offense, which features elite players like running back Dalvin Cook and wide receiver Justin Jefferson. The Vikings scored 28 or 29 points in each of their victories during their three-game winning streak.
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THE BIGGEST REASON THE DOLPHINS WILL WIN ...
While Minnesota is good on offense, its defense has been less than overwhelming so far this season, one example coming when the Vikings allowed 22 points to the offensively challenged Chicago Bears. The Dolphins will start rookie seventh-round pick Skylar Thompson at quarterback, but there's reason to think they'll be able to have success on offense because Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle could prove too much to handle for the Minnesota secondary. Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins isn't particularly mobile and he can run hot and cold, and this could be the game the Dolphins get their pass rush going.
THE BIGGEST REASON THE DOLPHINS WILL LOSE ...
While Hill and Xavien Howard will be back in the lineup, Terron Armstead remains a question mark and the pass protection wasn't very good after he left the game against the New York Jets. That could be a problem for Thompson, particularly with the Vikings employing a top-notch pass rusher in Danielle Hunter. The Dolphins defense hasn't been particularly impressive since the opener against New England — even if it did come up big at key times against Buffalo in Week 3 — and it could be a long afternoon against Cousins, Cook and Jefferson if there isn't a clear improvement.
FINAL DOLPHINS-VIKINGS PREDICTION
As we chronicled earlier this week, Skylar Thompson actually did a pretty respectable job under very difficult circumstances in his first NFL action against the Jets last Sunday and he'll greatly benefit from having taken all the first-team reps in preparation for this game. And it says here he's going to have a successful NFL starting debut. The defense will have some issues with the Minnesota offense, but we can see another game like the Buffalo game in Week 3 where it comes up at key moments, particularly since Cousins doesn't exactly have the reputation of somebody who comes up big in the clutch. Final score: Dolphins 27, Vikings 24.
