The New York Giants and Miami Dolphins are both 5-7. The Dolphins got off to a 1-3 start which led to the firing of head coach, Joe Philbin. Dan Campbell took charge and has put some life back into the Miami waters. The Dolphins still are struggling though. Let’s examine the matchup by the numbers.
The Dolphins ate coming off a 15-13 win over the Baltimore Ravens but they have gone 2-4 in their last six contests. Miami struggles to score, five times this season they have been held to under 20 points. The Dolphins have the 27th ranked offense and the 24th ranked defense.
The Dolphins 23rd ranked rushing attack is misleading. As a team they average 4.7 yards per carry which is a healthy number. The Dolphins select passing plays just over 70 percent of the time. Lamar Miller and Jonas Gray are both capable rushers.
This game will boil down to three major factors: Pass Protection, Pass Defense and Turnovers. The Giants are just as pass happy as the Dolphins. Offensive coordinator, Ben McAdoo calls just enough runs to keep defenses honest. This game may or may not be a shootout but there will be a ton of passing attempts to be seen.
Ryan Tannehill has been sacked 34 times this year. The Dolphins offensive line has clearly had some let downs this season, though the Giants defense has pedestrian numbers in the pass rushing department. The defense has only delivered 15 quarterback sacks this season. Eli Manning has been sacked 21 times this season. The Giants pass protection has been somewhat adequate but in the team’s worst moments the offensive line has been atrocious.The Dolphins have 26 sacks. The Dolphins struggle more in pass protection, but the Giants struggle to get to the passer.
Ryan Tannehill has struggled at times this season but he is capable of having big games. The Dolphins are hoping to get their passing game going against the worst pass defense of the Giants. Meanwhile Eli Manning knows he can shred apart this defense. Manning leads the 7th best passing attack in the NFL. The Dolphins pass defense ranks 22nd.
The Giants are plus ten in the turnover ratio. The Dolphins are minus three. The Giants defense is certainly more opportunistic than the Dolphins. If the Giants give Manning some protection and the defense does okay the Giants should win this game. If they don’t win, the Giants don’t deserve the playoffs any way.