Dolphins vs Cardinals Panic Meter

The Arizona Cardinals should be quite worried on what the Miami Dolphins bring to the table.

Sep 12, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) lines up prior to a play during the second half against the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images / Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The Arizona Cardinals look to start their first winning streak of the season Sunday in Miami against the Dolphins. Fresh off a Monday Night Football win, the Cardinals are feeling themselves as they enter the week just one game under .500 at 3-4.

On the reverse side of the game, the Dolphins have struggled this year and sit at 2-4. They've battled more than their fair share of injuries, including to Pro Bowl quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, which has undoubtedly hurt their ability to compete with the best of the best after consecutive playoff appearances.

Luckily for the Dolphins, Tagovailoa returns to the gridiron after passing concussion protocol and joins an offense with no shortage of speed and playmaking abilities. If he's ready to go, this spells trouble for Arizona.

Here, we get a heat check on the Cardinals' three toughest matchups against the Dolphins and how concerned they should be.

Tua Tagovailoa's Return From Injury

Sep 12, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) walks off the field after an apparent injury against the Buffalo Bills during the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Tagovailoa's return could be exactly what the Dolphins need to turn this disastrous season around. With that being said, there's little guarantee that he'll return to his usual self out the gate. Going in his favor, however, is a subpar Cardinals defense -- a defense that cannot take the ailing quarterback for granted.

Perhaps no other quarterback in the NFL has better weapons for their QB than Miami. Future Hall of Fame receiver Tyreek Hill leads a lightning fast crew alongside Jaylen Waddle and De'Von Achane. The ability for this trio to break off a big play sometimes feels inevitable on a down-to-down basis.

Tua may not be 100% in his return, but he still has the weapons to make defenses pay (we'll talk more about his favorite target shortly). The Cardinals would be best off respecting his ability to dominate a defense rather than to assume Tua will stumble back from injury. But the Cardinals' priority should be on one player specifically that should get a lion's share of volume...

Panic meter: 7/10

Tyreek Hill's Resurgence

Sep 8, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) runs in the end zone after scoring a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you one of the best weapons in NFL history, Tyreek Hill. Since arriving in Miami, Hill has become even more menacing and unstoppable than he was with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. A large portion of his success has been tied to Tagovailoa, so it's no surprise that he has been different without him.

But the extent of his drop off this season has been otherworldly in the worst way.

Now with Tua back, one would think that Hill is out for blood and is impatiently awaiting his chance to put the league on notice with many seemingly forgetting about the perennial All-pro.

Hill might be the most dangerous player in the league and he's dying to remind everyone of that. If the Cardinals aren't careful, the Cheetah might have a career day. And no, I am not exaggerating.

Panic meter: 10/10

Dolphins' elite secondary

Sep 8, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey (5) runs onto the field before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Jalen Ramsey and Kendall Fuller have been almost impossible to throw on this season. The steady play of Jordan Poyer behind them has kept the unit steady. And now, all-world safety Jevon Holland could make his return to the lineup and make this secondary even more terrifying than it already is... which feels impossible.

This isn't a Cardinals team that has been lighting up secondaries this season either, as Kyler Murray is averaging less than 200 passing yards per game. It's a mismatch at best.

However, this doesn't spell the end for the Cardinals. Thankfully, they have different ways of beating teams thanks to a run game powered by James Conner. With Murray's running prowess added to that, Arizona could sneak past this secondary by going run heavy.

If the Cardinals put the game in cruise control and run the ball then they don't need to stress about the secondary. But, if they are forced to throw then it's going to be a rough day, especially if Holland is back.

Panic meter: 8/10

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