The Miami Dolphins will take on the Arizona Cardinals this week, and Tua and Kyler meet again, this time in the NFL.
In the previous matchup between these two QB’s, Tua and the Alabama Crimson Tide were victorious in the 2019 Orange Bowl between #4 Oklahoma and #1 Alabama 45-34. That year in the 2018 FBS season, Kyler Murray won the Heisman, with Tagavoiloa as the runner up.
Now, they’ll face off for much lower stakes than a CFB Playoff semifinal, but the Dolphins have a chance to really prove themselves as legit contenders. They had a great win last week against a solid Rams team, and if they can a win against a very good Cardinals team on the road, that’ll really prove that the Dolphins are legit.
The Dolphins come into this matchup at 4-3, after a poor 1-3 start. They had a humungous 43-17 over the 49ers, an expected win but still a victory against the Jets, and a win against the Rams that put them above .500. They come into this with flames of momentum, against a Cardinals team who also has their fair share of momentum, with a 37-34 win in over the Seahawks in Week 7, and will come into this matchup well rested after the Week 8 bye week at a very solid record of 5-2. Tua did not play all that good last week in his debut, (12/22 93 YDS 1 TD) and it was their defense that carried the weight against the Rams. Hopefully he will be able to play solid in his 2nd career start.
Dolphins RB Situation:
The Dolphins will not have their lead rusher Myles Gaskin for this matchup, as he is out for at least the next 3 games with a knee injury. Gaskin has 387 yards this year on 100 attempts as well as 2 TD’s. Gaskin has made a case this season to be the best AFC East back. The Dolphins may also be without their backup RB, Matt Breida. Breida is dealing with a hamstring injury that kept him out of practice the last few days. Jordan Howard may be the lead back if this injury prevents Breida from playing. Howard hasn’t played in the last few games (non-injury related), but is a great goal-line back. Patrick Laird may even get some reps as the Dolphins passing back against the Cardinals.
Most people are probably picking the Cardinals to win this one, but don’t be surprised if the Dolphins pull away with the victory to win their 3rd straight game.