The Miami Dolphins, with a new head coach, have the unenviable task of traveling to the Pacific Northwest in week 1. They face the Seattle Seahawks Sunday afternoon. The game kicks off from CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Washington at 4:05 pm ET. Television coverage is provided by CBS. Seattle, according to the Vegas odds, is currently a 10 point favorite with the over/under set at 44 points.
Miami is coming off a seventh straight season without the playoffs. The Dolphins finished 6-10 last season and the team hired Adam Gase as its new head coach. Seattle made the playoffs for the fourth straight season in 2015. The Seahawks were 10-6 and made the postseason as a wild card. Seattle beat the Vikings 10-9 in the wild card round before falling 31-24 to Carolina in the divisional round. This is the 12th meeting all-time between the teams. Miami has an 8-3 advantage, including a 24-21 win on November 25, 2012 in the last meeting between the teams.
Ryan Tannehill hit 363 of 586 passes for 4,208 yards with 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He was sacked 45 times, upping his total to 184 in four seasons in the NFL. The Dolphins hope first round pick Laremy Tunsil can help keep Tannehill upright. Lamar Miller led Miami with 194 carries for 872 yards and eight touchdowns but he went to Houston. The team’s leading returning rusher is Jay Ajayi, who had 187 yards plus a score. Former Texan Arian Foster hopes to be a contributor in the ground game if he can stay healthy. Miami scored just 11 rushing touchdowns last season. The Dolphins threw 588 passes while running only 344 times last year.
Jarvis Landry reeled in a team leading 110 passes for 1,157 yards plus four scores. Landry became the first Dolphins receiver to catch at least 100 passes in a season. Tight end Jordan Cameron caught 35 passes for 386 yards plus three scores. Kenny Stills (27 grabs, 440 yards, 3 TD) is a good deep threat when the Dolphins try to stretch the field. Second year receiver DeVante Parker, a first round pick a year ago, is expected to expand his role in the passing game. Andrew Franks was 33 of 36 on extra points and 13 of 16 on field goals with a long of 53 yards.
Russell Wilson was on fire in the second half of last season for the Seahawks. He completed 329 of 483 passing for 4,024 yards with 34 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Wilson was a force with his legs, running for 553 yards and a score. Thomas Rawls led the team with 147 carries for 830 yards and four scores but broke his ankle late last season. Marshawn Lynch had 111 carries for 417 yards and three scores. He retired in the offseason. Christine Michael may get the lion’s share of the work until Rawls is 100 percent.
Doug Baldwin caught a team leading 78 balls for 1,069 yards and 14 scores. Tyler Lockett impressed as a rookie with 51 grabs for 664 yards and six scores. Jermaine Kearse is a solid third receiver with 49 grabs for 685 yards and four scores. Jimmy Graham, who had 48 receptions for 605 yards and two scores, missed time with a knee injury. Like Rawls, Seattle also won’t rush him into full blown action. Luke Willson and Cooper Helfet need to step up and try to replace Graham’s production. Steven Hauschka was 40 of 44 on extra points and 29 of 31 on field goals last season with a long of 54 yards.
The Dolphins are trying to figure out pieces on the fly. Landry is the only true proven commodity in the passing game. The run game is hard to decipher since one can’t gauge how much Foster has left in the tank. For that matter, one doesn’t know how long he can stay healthy. Seattle has plenty of weapons and one of the league’s elite quarterbacks. Throw in a defense that can dominate teams and it’s a long day for Miami. The Seahawks win this one going away. Check us out for more free NFL week 1 picks!
Seattle is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 in September. Miami is 1-4 ATS in their last five on the road and 0-5 ATS in their last five on fieldturf.