Packers vs. Dolphins 2014 preview: 2 teams looking for momentum
Now coming off their bye week, the 2-2 Dolphins will look to climb above the .500 mark when they host the Packers.
Packers vs. Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins have been one of the harder teams in the NFL to get a read on. After a convincing Week 1 win over the New England Patriots, Miami dropped its next two games against the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs. They rebounded with a blowout win over the Oakland Raiders in the annual London game in Week 4. Now coming off their bye week, the 2-2 Dolphins will look to climb above the .500 mark.
As for the 3-2 Green Bay Packers, they've won two straight after starting the year 1-2. Neither one of these teams has looked like a championship contender through the first five weeks, and they both need a win this week just to be above .500.
Miami enters the contest a game behind the Bills and Patriots in the AFC East, where three of the four teams have two losses (the last place Jets are in the cellar with a 1-4 record). Green Bay is tied atop the NFC North with the Detroit Lions, while the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears are both tied at 2-3 records.
Digits
Much of the blame for Green Bay’s slow start this season was on the offense, which averaged just 18 points per game over the first three contests. During their two-game winning streak, the Packers are averaging a whopping 40 points per game. It’s hard to see any team beating Green Bay when its offense is running that efficient.
The Dolphins have also been victimized by their anemic offense. In two losses, Miami has averaged 12.5 points per contest. In two wins, they’ve averaged 35.5 points per game. Needles to say, this game has the potential to be a shootout if both offenses are operating at their best.
This game will likely be decided on the ground, where Miami ranks fifth in the NFL in rushing offense (142.3 per game. On the other side, the Packers rank dead-last in rushing yards allowed per game (163 per game).
Who to watch
Aaron Rodgers -- Entering Week 6, Rodgers was tied for second in the NFL with 12 touchdown passes. He's also been sacked 12 times, tied for the sixth-most in the league. If Rodgers is kept upright and given time in the pocket, he'll slice and dice the Dolphins secondary while leading Green Bay to its third straight win. He's cracked the 300-yard passing mark in two of Green Bay's three wins. The one game he didn't was in a 42-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings that was effectively over at halftime.
Knowshon Moreno -- After missing the previous three games, Moreno is expected to return from his elbow injury on Sunday against the Packers. He is listed as "probable" on the team's final injury report. In the Week 1 win over New England, Moreno rushed for 134 yards and one score. He was leading the NFL in rushing heading into Week 2, but suffered an elbow injury in a loss to the Buffalo Bills.
How to watch
Where: Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.
When: Sunday, Oct. 12, 1:00 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Online Streaming: Verizon NFL Mobile, NFL Sunday Ticket
The Venue
The Dolphins play their home games at Sun Life stadium, which opened in 1987 as Joe Robbie Stadium. This venue holds 80,000 people, and has hosted four Super Bowls and five BCS National Championships. In 2010, the Dolphins signed a five-year deal with Sun Life Financial to rename Dolphin Stadium to Sun Life Stadium.
Odds
The Dolphins are 2.5-point underdogs at home, according to OddsShark. The over/under for the game is 49 points.
Preliminary judgment
Most experts are picking the Packers to win on the road, including five of seven here at SB Nation, six of the eight at CBS Sports and all three at Yahoo! Sports.
Further Reading
For more on the Packers, be sure to read Acme Packing Company. For everything Dolphins, check out The Phinsider .
