Dolphins prepare for Seattle for a Pacific Northwest showdown without Tua

Seattle, WA – When you have a week as bad as the Miami Dolphins this past week, things can only go up from here. However, that’s up for debate as the Dolphins head to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, September 22nd at 4:05 pm…without Tua.

The longest road trip in the NFL, the Dolphins will play in their first regular season without Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback since their Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills in the 2022-23 season.

Speaking of Buffalo, that’s who Miami got shellacked by last week on Thursday Night. While they had a few extra days to rest and recuperate, the team’s already battered and bruised just in time for their first road contest of 2024.

A Rough Film Watch

To make it short and simple, their loss to Buffalo was embarrassing and exposed their weaknesses on both offense and defense. The list of positives from that game consists of a solid performance from running back De’Von Achane, and that’s about it.

Tua had a bad game before getting injured, throwing three interceptions including a pick-six. Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill were nonfactors, with neither receiver recording more than 50 yards. Aside from Achane, no other running back got too involved. Both Skylar Thompson and Tua featured numerous pressures as the offensive line, while limiting the sacks to only two total, struggled.

Defensively, just about nothing went right. Josh Allen had an average game at best for Buffalo, and their offense still put together 24 points. Running back James Cook did a bit of everything. He had 78 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground, as well as 17 receiving yards and another touchdown in the air. That earned him AFC Offensive Player Of The Week Honors.

He stays cookin'!

James Cook is the AFC Offensive Player of the Week: https://t.co/QAPQjVQscM pic.twitter.com/P7BDn7m2SO

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) September 18, 2024

In a nutshell, this game was a nightmare from head to toe even without factoring in the Tua injury. The stereotype of the Dolphins being unable to beat good teams continues. Now, they have to find a way to make adjustments before they take on another good team in Seattle.

Not Writing Them Off

The Seattle Seahawks are currently undefeated after two close contests against Denver and New England. The latter came down to a field goal in overtime.

At the helm of their offense is none other than Geno Smith. Initially drafted by the New York Jets, Smith became known as a serviceable backup for teams like the New York Giants, the Denver Broncos, and Seattle. When the Seahawks traded Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos, it gave Smith an opening for the starting job role, which he earned. Since that happened in 2022, Smith has earned two Pro Bowl spots and the NFL Comeback Player Of The Year Award in 2022.

Nothing flukey about it. Geno Smith is one of the most advanced QBs in football pic.twitter.com/7UubG20aBf

— Nico (@elitetakes_) September 18, 2024

He leads an offense with weapons all around. Runningback Kenneth Walker III leads the backfield with 103 rushing yards. While not at the forefront of their offense, the running game is reliable nonetheless. The wide receiver trio of DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Tyler Lockett make up one of the best receiving cores in football. Combined with a fourth option in tight end Noah Fant, the Seahawks have one of the most underrated offenses in the NFL.

Seattle’s defense isn’t what it used to be in the Legion of Boom era, but they have solid playmakers. Safety Julian Love is an early Pro Bowl contender with 19 total tackles and an interception. Linebacker Boye Mafe has turned into their sack specialist with two so far. A newcomer to the unit and a name Dolphins fans should remember – Jerome Baker signed with Seattle this offseason and will look to bolster an already strong linebacker room.

Final Thoughts

Gotta be real here, I don’t feel confident in the Dolphins this week. While I think this team still has a boatload of talent on both sides of the ball, not having Tua in there in the longest road trip in the NFL is going to put a strain on their output.

While I won’t say I don’t have any faith in Skylar Thompson, I can’t see the offense putting solid numbers on the road in one of the loudest environments in the NFL. The defense will also be put to the test against one of the most explosive offenses in football. After their inability to slow down Buffalo, their odds to stop Seattle don’t look much better.

My prediction:

SEATTLE – 28

MIAMI – 13