German Showdown

By Mike Rifkin

Two AFC powerhouses meet Sunday in Germany as the Miami Dolphins will play the Kansas City Chiefs. Both teams sit with a 6-2 record and are atop their respective divisions. Both teams are coming off divisional games, as the Dolphins defeated the Patriots and the Chiefs lost to the Broncos (yes, the same Broncos the Dolphins put 70 on) for the first time in the Mahomes era. This will also mark the first time Tyreek Hill plays against his former team. 

The Dolphins and Chiefs rank in the top five in the following categories: Yards per game, passing yards, and sacks. Tua Tagovailoa and Patrick Mahomes are in the top three in passing yards and touchdowns. Both quarterbacks have been near the top of the MVP conversation this season. Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, along with Eagles’ AJ Brown, are in the Offensive Player of the Year conversation. 

The Dolphins and Chiefs will play each other for the first time since 2020, a game the Chiefs won 33-27. Patrick Mahomes was 24-34 for 393 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. Tyreek Hill had 111 total yards and two touchdowns ( 1 rushing, one receiving). Travis Kelce had eight catches for 136 yards and a touchdown. Tua Tagovailoa was 28-48 for 316 yards, three touchdowns ( 2 passes and one rush), and an interception. To show where the Dolphins were in 2020, the leading receiver in that game was Lynn Bowden Jr., who had seven catches for 82 yards.

Last week against the Patriots, the Dolphins stars came to play. Tua threw for 345 yards and three touchdowns, Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill both went over 100 receiving yards. They had a touchdown, and significant offseason addition Jalen Ramsey made his season debut and had an interception. The Chiefs are coming off a 24-9 loss at the Broncos. Mahomes threw for 241 yards and two interceptions. Travis Kelve had six catches for 58 yards. The Chiefs, as a team, had five turnovers. 

Dolphins’ keys to the game 

1. Make someone not named Travis Kelce beat you. The Chiefs receivers have struggled mightily. If I were Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio, I might have Jalen Ramsey or Xavien Howard shadow Kelce and dare someone else to beat me.
2. Continue to Waddle- Steve Spagnuolo will put L’Jarius Sneed on Tyreek Hill, so if the Dolphins establish Jaylen Waddle early, it could free up Tyreek Hill.
3. Contain Chris Jones. He is in the conversation for the best Defensive Tackle in the league today. The Dolphins cannot let him wreck the game. 

The Dolphins can erase a lot of narratives about themselves on Sunday, from people criticizing who they beat ( which is a dumb narrative because, unlike College in the NFL, you don’t make the schedule). With a win on Sunday, the Dolphins could enter their bye week as the top seed in the AFC, but they need to beat the reigning champs first.