Dolphins travel to Arrowhead to face abysmal Chiefs

After a win in their final home game of the season this past Sunday against the 49ers, the Dolphins take their playoff hopes on the road to Arrowhead Stadium to play the Chiefs. Kansas City has struggled immensely for the second straight year under head coach Herm Edwards, whose job is in jeopardy after two horrific seasons. While the Chief’s record is an abysmal 2-12, they have played close games with quality opponents such as the Broncos, Bucs, and Jets. However, the Chiefs typically substantial home field edge at Arrowhead will likely be mitigated this Sunday, as it is unlikely many fans wills how up to support a 2-12 team in frigid temperatures towards the end of December.

When Miami Has the Ball

On offense, the Dolphins will look to establish the running combination of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. The two headed ground attack could have one of its best games of the season against a Kansas City defense that has struggled to defend the run all season long. Sadly for the Chiefs, their pass defense may be even worse. Kanas City has only recorded 9 sacks all season long. Dolphins outside linebacker Joey Porter has almost twice that total by himself. Chad Pennington should have plenty of time to find receivers and tight ends underneath on drag routes and crossing patterns. Also, look for the Dolphins to get again target the deep middle this week, possibly with tight ends Anthony Fasano and David Martin, or even with wide receiver Davone Bess from the slot. It will be essential for Miami to control the clock against a Chiefs defense that yields just under 400 yards of offense a game, placing them dead last in the NFL.

When Kansas City Has the Ball

Kansas City’s offense could give the Dolphins some trouble. Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe and tight end Tony Gonzalez are both big targets who can get down the field. The Dolphins have had difficulty defending big physical receivers all season. The Chiefs also feature running back Larry Johnson, who has averaged 4.4 yards per carry this season. The Dolphins will likely key on Johnson in an attempt to force quarterback Tyler Thigpen into third and long situations. The Chiefs best strategy against a Dolphin defense that has not allowed a touchdown in the past three games would be to attack Miami down the field on first down and take advantage of Bowe’s matchup with the secondary. However, it is unlikely the conservative Herm Edwards will employ such an aggressive attack.

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Prediction

Miami has played to the level of their competition all year, so this game could go down to the wire once again. However, the Dolphins should be able to control the clock with ease against the Chiefs defense. The offense must do a much better job of converting on third down, especially in passing situations. If not, the Dolphins hopes of playing for the division title next week in New York against the Jets could be prematurely crushed.

Miami 27 Kansas City 20

By Glenn Katzman
ProFootball-fans.com Miami Dolphins Correspondent