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It was known erstwhile the Miami Dolphins’ docket was released that Jan. 2 against the Tennessee Titans would transportation important meaning due to the fact that it was the first gathering against erstwhile Dolphins backmost Ryan Tannehill. It appeared, arsenic of the extremity of October, that would beryllium the lone meaning. Miami was 1-7 connected a seven-game losing streak, and it was inconceivable that these Dolphins could reinsert themselves into the playoff conversation.
But definite enough, consecutive 7 wins later, the Dolphins are 8-7, No. 7 successful the AFC standings and successful enactment for a playoff spot if they tin triumph their last 2 games. Beat the Titans, and Miami is successful a win-and-in script successful a location regular-season finale against the New England Patriots. Or, if they suffer Sunday’s 1 p.m. kickoff astatine Nissan Stadium successful Nashville, determination are scenarios with different league results that could destruct the Dolphins earlier adjacent weekend’s games.
The stakes, already precocious enough, are lone amplified by who it comes against. Tannehill — oregon astatine slightest his Titans (10-5) — volition either crush the Dolphins’ playoff hopes oregon the Dolphins volition bushed him to perchance widen their season.
The speech of Tannehill’s 7 years successful Miami was inevitable, but some sides are trying to determination on.
“That was a agelong clip ago,” Tannehill said Wednesday. “Ages ago. We person done immoderate bully things present and excited to hopefully physique connected that arsenic we decorativeness retired the season.”
Tannehill, whose genu wounded kept him from playing successful the 1 postseason helium helped the Dolphins scope successful 2016, has since played successful the playoffs doubly with Tennessee, including an AFC Championship Game appearance. He is apt connected his mode to a 3rd postseason.
The breakup with the Dolphins occurred successful 2019, soon aft Brian Flores took implicit arsenic manager and arsenic helium and wide manager Chris Grier broke down the roster from the Adam Gase epoch to commencement anew.
“2019 is not truly thing that is connected my caput close now,” Flores said connected Monday. “Ryan Tannehill is simply a precise bully player. He’s connected the Tennessee Titans, who we are seeing this week. This is simply a large situation for us. He tin run. He tin throw. He’s had a batch of occurrence with them.”
Tannehill is completing 66.7 percent of passes for 3,327 yards, 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions successful his 15 starts. In the 7 since prima moving backmost Derrick Henry went down with a ft injury, helium is 4-3 with 5 touchdown passes to 7 interceptions.
Tannehill is besides the NFL’s second-most sacked backmost (45), and the Dolphins defence leads the league successful sacks, besides with 45 connected the year.
“Got to enactment a small unit connected him,” said Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard, 1 of a fistful of Dolphins that stay from Tannehill’s clip successful Miami. “Just dealing with him arsenic a teammate, conscionable being here, conscionable knowing immoderate of the anemic things for him, truthful I consciousness similar that’s 1 of them that we’ve got to do.”
Howard’s antheral sum connected Titans standout receiver A.J. Brown could spell a agelong mode successful determining however overmuch Miami tin blitz Tannehill, but the Dolphins are apt to premix up coverages to incorporate the carnal walk catcher that leads Tennessee with 760 receiving yards successful 11 games.
The comparisons Sunday betwixt what the Dolphins had from 2012 done 2018 successful Tannehill and what they person present successful Tua Tagovailoa astatine backmost volition beryllium inevitable arsenic they are the franchise’s past 2 first-round quarterbacks. But Tagovailoa cannot interest himself with the backmost connected the different side fixed the task of executing against the Titans defence successful beforehand of him.
“Ryan’s not playing country oregon he’s not going to beryllium pressuring me, truthful I’m not going to beryllium watching movie connected Ryan,” Tagovailoa said Wednesday. “We’re focused connected what their defence tin bash to halt us.”
Tennessee has the NFL’s No. 2 tally defense, truthful Tagovailoa, who leads the league successful completion percent (70.1) volition person to beryllium businesslike to support the discourtesy moving. Titans antiaircraft lineman Jeffery Simmons and information Kevin Byard are immoderate of the champion astatine their positions.
Flores besides goes against Titans manager Mike Vrabel for the archetypal time. The 2 spent years unneurotic successful New England with Flores a young adjunct and Vrabel inactive astatine the extremity of his playing days arsenic a linebacker.
“I didn’t manager Vrabel. I would accidental helium astir apt much coached maine arsenic a young feline successful New England erstwhile helium was determination and helium was a player,” Flores said. “He was beauteous overmuch a manager connected the tract then. I surely didn’t manager him, but I person a batch of respect for him.”
The elements and tract conditions person entered the speech precocious this week. Game-time temperatures are expected to beryllium successful the little 40s oregon precocious 30s with a accidental of rainfall and adjacent snowfall connected Sunday afternoon, positive winds of 15 mph. Players successful assemblage football’s Music City Bowl betwixt Purdue and Tennessee connected Thursday nighttime were seen slipping and sliding connected the aforesaid Nissan Stadium turf the Dolphins volition play on.
The Dolphins person mostly avoided acold environments this season. They lone had 1 roadworthy crippled (at New York Jets) betwixt Halloween and Christmas, and their caller triumph implicit the Saints was played successful a dome successful New Orleans.
The Titans had 4 other days of remainder and mentation for Sunday’s matchup aft defeating the San Francisco 49ers successful a Thursday nighttime crippled past week connected Dec. 23, portion Miami conscionable played connected Monday night.
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