The Miami Dolphins will travel to Texas to take on the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday for their Week 3 matchup. The Dolphins are 0-2 while the Cowboys are 2-0.
Struggles Aplenty
Miami may be the most incomplete football team in the NFL this year. They did not have a solid roster going into the season, and they have since then they have traded young talented players like Laremy Tunsil and Minkah Fitzpatrick.
The Dolphins front office has made it clear that they plan to stockpile draft picks and rebuild their team from top to bottom. Over the offseason, they picked up quarterback Josh Rosen. Rosen has sat behind Ryan Fitzpatrick so far, and when he has got his chances, they have not worked out well at all.
So far this season, Fitzpatrick has 274 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions. Rosen has filled in each week and has totaled 102 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions.
According to ESPN’s Matchup Predictor, the Dolphins have a 6.3 percent chance to walk away with a win this week, but that may be a little steep for me. Not only are the Dolphins atrocious as a team but the Cowboys are looking the best they have since Dak Prescott was drafted.
The only bright spot on Miami’s offense to speak of so far has been wide receiver Preston Williams. The 22-year-old has tallied 87 yards and a touchdown in their first two games this season, and while these numbers don’t pop off the page, the Dolphins have had little to no success at all and Williams is their leading receiver.
Looking Dominant
The Cowboys are on the complete opposite side of the coin to start the season this year. Prescott has looked better than ever so far, and their defense has been just as stout as last year.
Prescott is 51 of 62 for 674 yards, seven touchdowns and just one interception. Ezekiel Elliott has gained 164 yards to go along with two touchdowns to kick off his season.
There is a reason powerhouse college football teams like to start their season against much weaker opponents, using a tune-up game or two to get your team to midseason form early is a recipe for success. This is essentially what the Cowboys were gifted with to start this season. Assuming they can beat the Dolphins in this game, their combined opponent record over the first two weeks and this game would be 0-7.
The only rust we have seen on the Cowboys so far was their slow start against the Washington Redskins in Week 2. The game was close in the beginning, and Prescott even threw his first interception of the year. Dallas overcame this quickly and ended up walking away with a 31-21 victory where Prescott ended with 269 yards and three touchdowns.
Not only is Dallas heavily favored in this matchup but they will also be at home where they should have no problem taking care of business. Their defense has been very solid with big-name players like Leighton Vander Esch and Demarcus Lawrence. I would not be surprised to see a shutout in this one unless Miami breaks one play open for a score or to get them in field-goal range.
What To Expect
Dallas will only have to avoid playing down to their opponent in this matchup. Even if Prescott does not play his best game, they have many other weapons to rely on that outmatch the Dolphins across the board. If the Dolphins play a perfect game, and the Cowboys completely self-destruct, Dallas would still probably win by 10. Bet on the Cowboys.
