South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Redskins appear to be slightly better
When the Dolphins run
The Dolphins want to be a team that pounds the football on the ground, but they have not been able to do so this season. One of the major factors in Miami’s league-worst offense is its rushing attack, which has averaged just 51.8 yards per game during an 0-4 start. Kenyan Drake, Kalen Ballage and Mark Walton have struggled to move the ball behind a makeshift offensive line that likely will play its fifth different starting combination on Sunday. Maybe a game against the fifth-worst rushing defense in the league, which has given up 144.0 yards per game, could be a step in the right direction. Edge: Dolphins
When the Redskins run
Even with likely future Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson and former FSU product Chris Thompson in tow, Washington’s offense is rushing for fewer than 70 yards per game. Peterson has only 40 carries and 108 yards with a touchdown this season, averaging just 27 yards per game. Thompson has just 67 yards rushing, but has affected the passing game with 25 catches for 268 yards out of the backfield. Those numbers could change behind new interim coach Bill Callahan, who has a reputation as a run-advocating coach at the college and NFL levels, and against a Dolphins defense that has surrendered a league-worst 175.8 rushing yards per game to opponents. We’ll see what Miami’s defense is all about on Sunday. Edge: Redskins
When the Dolphins pass
Josh Rosen has shown some ability to move the football down the field for the Dolphins offense during his two starts. But overall, the offense has been abysmal this season, scoring only two touchdowns and averaging a leagueworst 6.5 points per game through four games this season. Rosen did help Miami get its first lead of the season in its last game against the Los Angeles Chargers, but he has completed just 51.2 percent of his passes for 482 yards with one touchdown, three interceptions and has been sacked 11 times. Going up against a Redskins defense, which ranks fifth-worst in the NFL, surrendering 407.8 yards could do the trick for him and Miami’s offense. Edge: Dolphins
When the Redskins pass
The Dolphins are preparing to face three Redskins quarterbacks, but Washington may believe Case Keenum will give them the best chance to win in Miami. Keenum has thrown seven touchdowns this season, completed 68.1 percent of his passes in four starts, and kept the Redskins competitive despite his 0-4 record as the starter. Keenum is likely to return from a one-game absence to start against the Dolphins, but Miami is aware former Texas standout Colt McCoy or rookie first-rounder Dwayne Haskins could see some action. The Redskins may be a bottom-five NFL offense, but the Dolphins defense hasn’t proved itself to be capable of stopping any team it has faced this season. Edge: Redskins
Special teams
The Dolphins and Redskins are 10th and 11th in average kick return yards, averaging 23.6 yards and 22.8 yards per return this season. No NFL team averages more than 15 yards per punt return, but the Dolphins average just 1.2 yards, which is second-to-last. The edge in the special teams game, however, goes to Washington, whose kicker Dustin Hopkins has successfully made 4 of 5 field goals this season while Dolphins second-year kicker Jason Sanders has made just 4 of his 7 kicks this season. In the end, the field goals will translate to points in this game. And Sanders has been shaky.
Edge: Redskins
Intangibles
Sunday’s matchup is considered a must-lose game for both teams in terms of positioning for next year’s NFL draft, and the Dolphins may just need it more because of the significant franchise overall they have undertaken since the end of last season. … Brian Flores is still in the hunt for his first win as the Dolphins coach. And he’ll be going against Callahan, who once led the Oakland Raiders to the Super Bowl in 2002. … Two more factors to consider: The Dolphins are coming off a bye week, and had two weeks to prepare for this team.
But this will be Washington’s first game since Jay Gruden was fired as coach, and that could lead to a concerted effort. Edge: Redskins