Are you ready for some football? The Washington Commanders take on the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday for an NFL preseason game.
The game will feature a Commanders team with a new setup, featuring Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels as quarterback, and a talented Dolphins team that is expected to play more consistently in the 2024-25 season. The opening kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET. The Dolphins are favored by 1.0 points and the total score for the game is 37.5 points.
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The managers boast youth and potential
Washington is hoping a change in head coach and quarterback will spark a new era of success for Commander football. The franchise drafted Louisiana State University phenom Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick and hired former Atlanta head coach Dan Quinn to lead the team during the offseason. The electric gunslinger and defensive-minded coach should revitalize both sides of the football and at the very least give fans something to dream about for the next few years.
Washington lost 20-17 to the Jets in Week 1 of the preseason. Daniels was impressive on the team's only drive (2-of-3 passes for 45 yards and one rushing score), while Sam Hartman (8-of-13 passes for 83 yards) and Jeff Driskel (7-of-15 passes for 87 yards) took the majority of the snaps. Michael Wiley (8 rushes for 34 yards) and Brian Robinson Jr. (5 rushes for 20 yards) led the Commanders' ground game. New offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is looking to energize his team by spreading the field and increasing the tempo.
The defense is expected to be strong even with the departures of Montez Sweat and Chase Young, led by Clelin Ferrell, Dante Fowler Jr., Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. Coach Quinn wants D.C. to be aggressive with blitz-heavy tactics to force turnovers. Linebackers Bobby Wagner and Frankie Louv and safety Jeremy Chinn are expected to be big contributors in 2024-25.
Injury report: QB Sam Hartman, LB Jordan McGee, OT Brandon Coleman, S Darrick Forrest.
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Will Miami rely on its rushing attack again?
Miami was eliminated early from the NFL postseason last season, losing in the first round. Despite winning four straight years, the Dolphins are looking for their first playoff win since the 2000 season. Perhaps avoiding an away game in the wild-card round, where they lost the past two seasons, will help them do that.
The Fins opened the 2024-25 preseason with a 20-13 win over the Falcons. Miami was led in the win on the ground, rushing 35 times for 144 yards. Signal caller Skylar Thompson (8-of-19, 1 touchdown, 1 interception) and Mike White (4-of-14, 26 yards) led the passing attack. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and receiver Tyreek Hill were two stars who did not play for the Dolphins, but still played well enough to earn a home win.
“We had some depth issues and some defensive players playing out of position,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said, “so it was good for our guys to get the win in front of our home fans.”
Injury report: S Jevon Holland, CB Jalen Ramsey, S Jordan Poyer, LB Jaylan Phillips, WR Braxton Berrios.
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Best bets for Washington Commanders vs Miami Dolphins
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Insider Status:
evaluation:
Washington will be coming off a win against Miami on Saturday in Week 2 of the preseason.
The main reason I'm confident the Commanders will win is their quarterback play. Dolphins playmakers White and Thompson were shaky in Week 1, completing just 12 of 33 passes for just over 100 yards. Hartman is unlikely to play, but Washington has a more reliable quarterback lineup in Daniels, Marcus Mariota and Driskel. I expect Kingsbury's offense to shine against the Dolphins' reserves.
Miami's four fumbles in the preseason opener are another red flag. The Commanders will try to take advantage of those opportunities, which is something Quinn's defense has done well in the past. If Washington can contain the Dolphins' ground game, it's a sure bet they'll win.
Prediction: Commanders ML
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Insider Status:
evaluation:
I think the point total is too high for this matchup given Miami's quarterback struggles, and I don't think Tua will play meaningful minutes.
Hartman's injury will also limit Washington's offense, as he played better than Driskel in Week 1. With Daniels and Mariota likely not playing much, Driskel will be leading the offense for the majority of Saturday's game. Given the success they had with running football in Week 1, both teams may end up relying on the ground game to move the chains.
With Washington's offense still not getting going and Miami's QB play limited, it's unlikely the two teams will score 38 points combined on Saturday. Bet on the under!
Prediction: 37.5 or less
Michael Briggs, “Michael Briggs”
