Five reasons the Dolphins will win in Denver

By Hugo Guzman  |   Wednesday, October 29, 2008  |  Comments( 8 )

Miami Dolphins
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On Sunday, the Miami Dolphins will attempt to even their record at 4-4, but they will have their work cut out for them as they travel to Denver to face a 4-3 Broncos squad that’s coming off a bye week and is chomping at the bit to break a two-game losing streak. Still, there are plenty of reasons to believe that Miami can walk away with a victory.

Here’s this writer’s top five:

1) Two’s the trend - The Dolphins have been riding a roller coaster all season long, opening with two consecutive losses to the Jets and Cardinals, then bouncing back with two consecutive wins against the Patriots and Chargers, only to drop their next two against the Texans and Ravens. Notice a pattern here? Miami is coming off a home victory against the Bills and will continue its two-game trend with a win over the Broncos.

2) History is on Miami’s side - The Dolphins have defeated the Broncos in 10 of the teams' 13 meetings. The last time these two teams faced off, Miami blasted its mile-high opponent 34-10 at home, with Ronnie Brown driving the final nail in Denver’s coffin by injuring Champ Bailey with one of his trademark headfirst finishes at the end of a run. Don’t be surprised to see more of the same Sunday.

3) No Baileys - Speaking of Champ Bailey, he’s nursing a groin injury and will not suit up Sunday. His brother, linebacker Boss Bailey, is also out, further weakening what was already one of the worst defenses in the NFL. Chad Pennington, Ted Ginn and the rest of the Miami offense must be salivating at the prospect.

4) Broncos’ butter defense - Even with the Bailey brothers, Denver’s defense was extremely soft. The Broncos have allowed 30 points or more in four of their seven outings and are giving up ridiculous numbers against both the pass and run. How ridiculous? Try 240 passing yards per game, 12 aerial touchdowns and just two interceptions to go along with 155 rushing yards a contest and nine ground scores. That’s bad news against a Dolphins offense that has a two-headed rushing attack, one of the league’s most efficient and productive quarterbacks and a tricky "Wildcat" formation to boot.

5) Chink in Cutler’s armor - Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler started the year on fire, but he and monstrous No. 1 wideout Brandon Marshall have cooled off in recent weeks. More importantly, the Patriots exposed Denver’s offensive line a bit in Week 7, pressuring Cutler early and often while sacking him twice, forcing an ugly 168-yard, one-touchdown and two-interception performance. That’s worthy of note because the Broncos had allowed just two sacks in their first six games; and as everyone knows, the NFL is a copycat league. Don’t be surprised to see the Dolphins let Joey Porter and the rest of the defense run wild in the Broncos’ backfield.

Of course, the reality is that in the NFL, any team can win on any week; therefore, it’s nearly impossible to guarantee victory regardless of the matchup. Still, as mentioned, there are plenty of reasons to believe that this is Miami’s game to win despite the road venue.
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About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
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