South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Seahawks bring about problems
When the Dolphins run
Myles Gaskin, a seventh-round pick in his second season, has taken the reins of the Dolphins’ rushing attack. With 38 carries and152 yards, he has outpaced offseason acquisitions JordanHoward (16 carries, 12 yards) andMatt Brieda (15 carries, 63 yards) despiteHoward scoring a touchdown at the goal line in each game this season. Miami has been able to rush for an average of108 yards per game, helpingRyan Fitzpatrick pace the offense. Although Seattle’s defense has given up the most yards in the NFLthrough three games, they have allowed the second-fewest rushing yards. EDGE: Seahawks.
When the Seahawks run
Running backs Chris Carson (knee) and CarlosHyde (shoulder) were limited participants in practice thisweek, but are expected to play. Carson leads Seattle with157 yards rushing on 37 carries, but his ability to catch touchdowns out of the backfield (he’s got three already this season) will be a facet of Seattle’s attack that could give the Dolphins trouble. And don’t forget about RussellWilson’s scrambling ability. He has the elusiveness to giveMiami fits like CamNewton and Josh Allen did in the first twoweeks. EDGE: Seahawks.
When the Dolphins pass
Ryan Fitzpatrick hopes to pick up where he left off after a strong performance at Jacksonville lastweek. Fitzpatrick led Miami to scores on its first three drives against the Jaguars— an encouraging sign for an offense that had been struggling. Miami faces a Seahawks defense that has given up1,292 yards passing in the first three games— most in league history over that span since at least1950, according to ProFootballTalk.com. EDGE: Dolphins.
When the Seahawks pass
Itmay not matter howmany yards or points Seattle’s defense gives up. Russell Wilson is off to one of the best starts in his career. He has a139.0 rating and14 touchdowns, which leads the NFL, while completing 76.7 percent of his passes, which ranks second. Wilson also has thrown five touchdowns in each of his last two games. The Dolphins’ performance againstWilson could be reminiscent of their play against JoshAllen and the Bills inWeek 2, when they allowed more than 500 yards. EDGE: Seahawks.
Special teams
The Seahawks and Dolphins are ranked in the Top 5 among NFL special teams, according to metrics by FootballOutsiders.com. Seattle is ranked second, while Miami is fifth. One primary reason theDolphins don’t have the edge is teams are refusing to kick off to speedster Jakeem Grant, who has just two returns for 31yards. Seattle’s TravisHomer, the former MiamiHurricanes running back, is sixth in the NFL with149 kick return yards. Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders is one of five players who haven’t missed a field goal or extra-point kick. Seahawks punter Michael Dickson ranks third, averaging 51.6 yards per punt. EDGE: Seahawks.
Intangibles
Brian Flores, who is 6-13 as Dolphins coach, will face Pete Carroll, who has an 89-41-1 record in eight seasons as Seattle’s coach. Both coaches ironically face similar issues: their offenses are performing well, while their defenses have been shaky. Wilson is the ultimate x-factor. EDGE: Seahawks.
Prediction: Seahawks 38, Dolphins 28
— Safid Deen