Setting the Stage for the Week 3 Dolphins-Seahawks Matchup

Breaking down all the details for the Miami Dolphins — Seattle Seahawks matchup at Lumen Field.

Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love (20) celebrates after making a tackle against the Denver Broncos during the third quarter at Lumen Field. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins will look to rebound when they face the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on Sunday.

Here's all the pertinent info for this Week 3 Dolphins-Seahawks matchup.

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MIAMI DOLPHINS (1-1) vs. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (2-0)

• Date: Sunday, September 22, 2024
• Time: 4:05 PM EDT
• Site: Lumen Field; Seattle, Washington
• Weather.com Forecast: The temperature around Seattle between 4 and 8 PM ET on Sunday is expected to be 65-68 degrees with cloudy and mostly cloudy skies. No precipitation is predicted, and the winds are expected to be 4-5 mph.
• TV: CBS
• Announcers: Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Trent Green (color analyst), Melanie Collins (sidelines)

Dolphins — WR Grant DuBose (shoulder) is out; RB Raheem Mostert (chest) and WR Malik Washington (quadriceps) are doubtful.

Seahawks — T George Fant (knee) and LB Uchenna Nwuso (knee) are out; LB Jerome Baker (hamstring) and RB Kenneth Walker III (oblique) are doubtful; TE Pharaoh Brown (foot), LB Derick Hall (hip), LB Boye Mafe (knee), WR Laviska Shenault (foot) and S K'Von Wallace (shoulder) are questionable.

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DOLPHINS-SEAHAWKS REGULAR SEASON HISTORY

Regular Season Series History: Dolphins lead 8-5

Last Five Meetings:

1. October 4, 2020 at Miami — Seahawks 31, Dolphins 23
2. September 11, 2016, at Seattle — Seahawks 12, Dolphins 10
3. November 25, 2012, at Miami — Dolphins 24, Seahawks 21
4. November 9, 2008 at Miami — Dolphins 21, Seahawks 19
5. November 21, 2004, at Seattle — Seahawks 24, Dolphins 17

Dolphins' Largest Margin of Victory: 23 (2000 at Miami; Dolphins 23, Seahawks 0)

Dolphins' Largest Margin of Defeat: 8 (2020 at Miami; Seahawks 31, Dolphins 23)

Highest-Scoring Matchup: 54 points (2020 at Miami; Seahawks 31, Dolphins 23)

Lowest-Scoring Matchup: 22 points (2016 at Seattle; Seahawks 12, Dolphins 10)

Former Seahawks Players with the Dolphins: LB Jordyn Brooks (2020-23), WR Dee Eskridge (2021-23)

Former Seahawks Coaches with the Dolphins: Pass Game Coordinator/QB Coach Darrell Bevell was the Seahawks' offensive coordinator from 2011 to 17; assistant OL Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre was an offensive lineman for the Seahawks from 2011 to 15 and was an offensive assistant in 2017; and assistant DB Coach DeShawn Shead played DB for Seattle from 2012 to 17 and was assistant DB coach from 2021 to 23.

Former Dolphins Players with the Seahawks: C Connor Williams, LB Jerome Baker

Former Dolphins Coaches with the Seahawks: None

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SEAHAWKS SCOUTING REPORT

The post-Pete Carroll era in Seattle is off to a good start, with the Seahawks winning their first two games under new head coach Mike Macdonald, the former defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens and colleague of new Dophins DC Anthony Weaver. The question with the Seahawks is whether they can make a run in the NFC West or their strong start is more the result of their schedule, namely facing a rookie and a journeyman at quarterback in their first two games. The core of the Seahawks roster still revolves around maybe the best wide receiver trio in the NFL with DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jackson Smith-Njigba, and quarterback Geno Smith, the former New York Jets starter from the Miami suburb of Miramar. While it's not quite the "Legion of Boom," the secondary is the strength of the defense, particularly cornerbacks Riq Woolen and 2023 first-round pick Devon Witherspoon, as well as safety Julian Love.

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THE BIGGEST REASON THE DOLPHINS WILL WIN

The Dolphins have vowed to be a more resilient team in 2024 and not crumble under adversity, as new safety Jordan Poyer suggested this summer. This is the perfect time for the Dolphins to prove they can do it. While the Dolphins will be without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, they still have enough playmakers to score points against a defense that hasn't been tested yet, and maybe Skylar Thompson can rise to the occasion. The defense has yet to have a breakout game, and this could be the right time with the Seahawks operating behind an average offensive line and without running back Kenneth Walker III.

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THE BIGGEST REASON THE DOLPHINS WILL LOSE

We don't know what to expect from Skylar Thompson because he has yet to play in a meaningful game since the 2022 playoffs, but it will be hard for Miami to win if the preseason or the end of the Buffalo game in Week 2 serves as a preview. An even more significant concern for the Miami offense is an excellent Seattle pass rush that could take advantage of a Dolphins offensive line that struggled to keep Buffalo defenders off Tagovailoa and Thompson. Defensively, the Dolphins must be concerned about any wide receivers busting out for a big game.

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FINAL DOLPHINS-SEAHAWKS PREDICTION

This is a massive game for the Dolphins, beyond the obvious of avoiding below .500 — that's never happened under head coach Mike McDaniel — because the next four games could set the Dolphins for a successful season or derail it. The reflex move would seem to be to go with the Seahawks in this spot because the Dolphins will be playing with a backup quarterback, but we've said all along that the Dolphins' offensive success wasn't merely about the starting QB — certainly not to the extent of the Kansas City Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes or the Buffalo Bills with Josh Allen. Seattle appears to be a solid team, but we're not necessarily buying the notion of them being a powerhouse just yet. So it says here that Thompson will perform much better than some skeptics anticipate and that the defense will make the key plays.

Final Score: Dolphins 24, Seahawks 21