Miami Dolphins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Game Preview, Odds, and Prediction
By Peter Smith
The Miami Dolphins look to get back over .500 as they go on the road against the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers; a game on national television and in primetime that could have more focus off of the field than on it. Both teams are facing significant off field issues and making the Jacksonville Jaguars look like the best organization in the state of Florida. The Bucs’ issues with MRSA, with Greg Schiano and Josh Freeman may get to take a backseat with everything that is going on with Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito.
On the field, the Dolphins managed to get back in the win column last week after losing four straight but have a chance to get back into the AFC East race if they can win a few games in short order and the Bucs present them a great get well game opportunity. The Bucs, on the other hand, have a good defense but are always looking for more offense. This past week, they got out to a 21-0 lead before the Seattle Seahawks came back, tied the game and forced overtime before they were ultimately able to win the football game.
The Bucs continue to see what they have in quarterback Mike Glennon and if they have any hope if he can be a long term answer at the position, likely for the next head coach for the Bucs. Meanwhile, the Dolphins have a quarterback who has made plays, struggled with turnovers and needs to find consistency. The running game has been extremely unreliable and Tannehill has had to carry the offense behind an offensive line currently down two starters over this mess in their locker room.
Both defenses have shown to be talented and could be effective, so this looks like a low scoring game that could come down to a matter of field goals, assuming that the off field incidents do not prove to be a distraction.
Miami -3
Over/Under: 41
Prediction: On talent, the Dolphins should win as their defense is solid and their offense is enough to create points, but the mess in Miami could really have a big impact on what is going to happen. The Dolphins offensive line was weak to begin with and they are losing their second best member of it with Incognito out and while Martin was not great, he was starting. This seems like a golden opportunity to finish what they fell short in doing in Seattle last week and their defense will make it incredibly difficult for the Dolphins to move the football.