Will Tua Time finally be Winning Time for the Miami Dolphins?
Mike McDaniel certainly hopes so with Miami’s season hanging by a thread. A cross-country trip on a short week with a 10 a.m. PT start for the Arizona Cardinals might be exactly the cure for what ails the Dolphins, who should get back Tua Tagovailoa after a four-week stint on injured reserve.
Arizona Cardinals-Miami Dolphins Game Preview
Last Time Out
Cardinals kicker Chad Ryland boomed through a 32-yard field goal as time expired to lift Arizona past the Los Angeles Chargers 17-15 on Monday night. The Cardinals, who rushed for 181 yards on 29 carries, improved to 3-4 on the season and enter Week 8 as the NFC’s 11 seed.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, failed where the Cardinals succeeded late in the game. Jason Sanders clanked a 54-yard field-goal attempt that would have tied last Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts.
And then Tim Boyle, the backup to the backup’s backup, threw to no one on the last play of the game with the Dolphins needing a touchdown. The 16-10 loss dropped Miami to 2-4 and the 10th seed in the AFC.
Key Injuries
An already leaky Cardinals pass defense could be without cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, who left the Chargers game and did not return after aggravating a pre-existing neck injury.
Plus, it’ll be worth monitoring the seemingly minor hip injury QB Kyler Murray suffered during the game.
As for Miami, Tagovailoa’s return is certainly a huge lift. But the Dolphins have uncertainty behind him after Tyler Huntley left the Colts game with a shoulder injury.
On defense, safety Jevon Holland and EDGE Emmanuel Ogbah could return after missing the Colts game. Meanwhile, Miami will need a new kick returner after Braxton Berrios suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Series History
The Cardinals were a charter member of the NFL, and the Dolphins have been around since 1966. And yet, these teams are playing for just the 14th time.
Miami leads the all-time series 10-3, including wins in 2016 (26-23) and 2020 (34-31).
Betting Lines
Talk about the Tua Effect.
Despite losing four of their last five games, scoring no more than 15 points in any of them, the Dolphins open the week as three-point home favorites against the Cardinals.
The moneyline is Dolphins -148 (and Cardinals +124) with an over/under of 47.5.
But buyer beware: The Dolphins are just 1-5 against the spread this year, including 0-3 at home.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, are 2-1 against the spread on the road in 2024.
Cardinals vs. Dolphins Stats and Rankings
Offense
Cardinals
- Scoring: 21.4 (19th)
- Yards: 331.3 (15th)
- Yards per play: 6.8 (eighth)
- Rushing: 150.3 (sixth)
- Yards per carry: 5.5 (second)
- Passing: 181 (25th)
- Yards per pass: 6.5 (19th)
- Interception rate: 1.5% (ninth)
- Sacks per pass attempt: 5.6% (seventh)
- First downs: 19 (t-15th)
- Turnover margin: +1 (t-14th)
- EPA per play: .029 (t-13th)
- Success rate: 46% (10th)
- Dropback EPA: .113 (10th)
- Rush EPA: -.086 (18th)
Dolphins
- Scoring: 11.7 (32nd)
- Yards: 308.2 (22nd)
- Yards per play: 4.7 (27th)
- Rushing: 128.7 (11th)
- Yards per carry: 4.1 (23rd)
- Passing: 179.5 (27th)
- Yards per pass: 5.8 (26th)
- Interception rate: 2.1% (14th)
- Sacks per pass attempt: 9.6% (26th)
- First downs: 17.7 (26th)
- Turnover margin: -3 (t-21st)
- EPA per play: -.209 (32nd)
- Success rate: 38.3% (31st)
- Dropback EPA: -.142 (29th)
- Rush EPA: -.293 (31st)
Defense
Cardinals
- Scoring: 25.4 (24th)
- Yards: 376.4 (t-27th)
- Yards per play: 6 (t-29th)
- Rushing: 139.6 (26th)
- Yards per carry: 4.5 (14th)
- Passing: 236.9 (26th)
- Yards per pass: 7.9 (32nd)
- Interception rate: 2.4% (14th)
- Sacks per pass attempt: 6.7% (20th)
- First downs: 22.6 (31st)
- EPA per play: .107 (29th)
- Success rate: 50.7% (32nd)
- Dropback EPA: .222 (30th)
- Rush EPA: -.038 (22nd)
Dolphins
- Scoring: 21.5 (14th)
- Yards: 285.2 (fourth)
- Yards per play: 5.1 (seventh)
- Rushing: 130.7 (17th)
- Yards per carry: 4.6 (18th)
- Passing: 154.5 (first)
- Yards per pass: 6.1 (eighth)
- Interception rate: 2% (18th)
- Sacks per pass attempt: 5.9% (27th)
- First downs: 16.3 (t-third)
- EPA per play: -.067 (seventh)
- Success rate: 39.6% (fifth)
- Dropback EPA: -.021 (12th)
- Rush EPA: -.117 (11th)
Projected Cardinals vs. Dolphins Starting Lineups
Cardinals
- Quarterback: Kyler Murray
- Wide Receiver: Marvin Harrison Jr., Greg Dortch, Michael Wilson
- Running Back/Fullback: James Conner
- Tight End: Trey McBride
- Offensive Line (left to right): Paris Johnson Jr., Evan Brown, Hjalte Froholdt, Trystan Colon, Kelvin Beachum
- Defensive Line: Dante Stills, Roy Lopez, L.J. Collier
- Linebacker: Kyzir White, Mack Wilson Sr.
- Defensive Backs: Starling Thomas V, Sean Murphy-Bunting, Garrett Williams, Jalen Thompson, Budda Baker
Dolphins
- Quarterback: Tua Tagovailoa
- Wide Receiver: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle
- Running Back/Fullback: Raheem Mostert, Alec Ingold
- Tight End: Durham Smythe
- Offensive Line (left to right): Terron Armstead, Robert Jones, Aaron Brewer, Liam Eichenberg, Austin Jackson
- Defensive Line: Zach Sieler, Benito Jones, Calais Campbell
- Linebacker: David Long Jr., Jordyn Brooks, Emmanuel Ogbah, Chop Robinson
- Defensive Backs: Jalen Ramsey, Kendall Fuller, Jevon Holland, Marcus Maye
What They’re Saying
“I’ve been working my butt off as if I was getting ready to play every game for every week; looking over the gameplan, going out and working with the athletic staff to go stand in a spot and I throw it to them and continue to work the timing of my footwork and all that to stay in shape and just to get ready.
“I expect us to come out — whether we throw it deep or we don’t, expect us to come out and execute all of the plays that are given to us.” — Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa