Coming off a big home win last Thursday night, the Miami Dolphins will have their work cut out for them this week. They are taking on a struggling Denver Broncos. Despite their struggles, this will be no easy game for Miami. They are expecting the best of the Broncos and the best of Peyton Manning. Still, with a fierce defense and a red-hot offense, Miami can be a major threat to the reeling Broncos.
It is no secret that the offensive line of the Denver Broncos have struggled as of late. Quarterback Peyton Manning as seen an increased amount of pressure, resulting in more bad decisions than we’re used to seeing. Over the course of the last few weeks, the Denver Broncos have made numerous changes to their line. They even worked out former Dolphins guard and head man of “bully-gate” Richie Incognito.
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Their issues up front have raised a serious cause for concern in Denver. The biggest problem it has caused, however, seems to be the transformation of Manning. For the first time since their Super Bowl loss, Manning looks human on the field. Sure, he threw for five touchdowns two weeks ago, but that was against a winless Oakland Raiders squad. Even against Oakland, Manning threw two interceptions, one of them coming on the second play of the game.
Outside of their win against Oakland it hasn’t been pretty for Denver. Losers of two of three, including losses at New England and at St. Louis. The offense has not looked the same, scoring a combined 28 points. Manning has also thrown 2 interceptions in three straight games. The last time that happened to Manning was in 2010 when he threw eleven interceptions in three straight losses.
Cue the Miami Dolphins pass rush. There aren’t too many teams in the NFL that get to the opposing quarterback quite like Miami. Led by All-Pro pass rusher Cameron Wake, the Dolphins are in a tie for third most sacks with 30. Wake leads the team with 8.5 sacks, but it’s not just him applying pressure. Miami has an array of weapons when it comes to getting to the quarterback. Third year defensive lineman Olivier Vernon has continued to progress into a premiere number two pass rusher, while defensive tackles Randy Starks and Earl Mitchell provide big bodies to clear space for the others. Rotational players Jared Odrick and Derrick Shelby have also contributed to success of the pass rush.
That’s Miami’s key to victory: pass rush. It will certainly be no easy task for Miami to travel to Denver, a place where few teams leave victorious. In order for Miami to win their fifth game out of six, they must dial-up the pressure early on.
When under pressure, we have seen great quarterbacks make mistakes. It happens to Tom Brady and yes, it does happen to Manning as well. His six interceptions in three weeks shows he is susceptible to turning the ball over. That bodes well for Miami, as they are a top ten unit in forcing interceptions. Pro Bowl corner back Brent Grimes has five interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.
Miami’s defense is one of the best units in the league. There is talent scattered throughout which will give them an excellent opportunity to shock the league. Many have taken Miami lightly this season. They’ve had ten days to prepare and with a win in Denver, the narrative on Miami will surely change .