Setting the Stage for the Week 4 Dolphins-Titans Matchup

Breaking down all the details for the Miami Dolphins-Tennessee Titans at Hard Rock Stadium.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis (8) runs with the football as Miami Dolphins safety Brandon Jones (29) prepares to make a tackle during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium last December. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins will look to rebound when they face the Tennessee Titans at Hard Rock Stadium on Monday night.

Here's all the pertinent info for this Week 4 Dolphins-Titans matchup.

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MIAMI DOLPHINS (1-2) vs. TENNESSEE TITANS (0-3)

• Date: Monday, September 30, 2024
• Time:  7:30 PM EDT
• Site: Hard Rock Stadium; Miami Gardens, Fla.
• Weather.com Forecast: The temperature around Miami Gardens between 8:00 PM and midnight EST on Monday is expected to be 83-85 degrees (feel like 92) with mostly cloudy skies. No precipitation is predicted, and the winds are expected to be 5-7 mph.
• TV:  ESPN
• Announcers: Chris Fowler (play-by-play), Dan Orlovsky (color analyst), Louis Riddick (color analyst), Laura Rutledge (sidelines)

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FINAL INJURY REPORT

• Dolphins — T Terron Armstead (concussion) and CB Kendall Fuller (concussion) are out; LB David Long, Jr. (hamstring) is doubtful; RB Raheem Mostert (chest), QB Skylar Thompson (ribs) and WR Malik Washington (quadriceps) are questionable.
• Titans — DT Jeffery Simmons (elbow) is doubtful; S Amani Hooker (face) and CB L'Jarius Sneed (hamstring) are questionable.

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DOLPHINS-TITANS REGULAR SEASON HISTORY

• Regular Season Series History: Dolphins lead 21-18
• Last Five Meetings:

1. December 12, 2023 at Miami — Titans 28, Dolphins 27
2. January 2, 2022, at Tennessee — Titans 34, Dolphins 3
3. September 9, 2018, at Miami — Dolphins 27, Titans 20
4. October 8, 2017 at Miami — Dolphins 16, Titans 10
5. October 9, 2016 at Miami — Titans 30, Dolphins 17

• Dolphins' Largest Margin of Victory: 28 (2015 at Tennessee; Dolphins 38, Titans 10)
• Dolphins' Largest Margin of Defeat: 34 (2012 at Miami; Titans 37, Dolphins 3)
• Highest-Scoring Matchup: 65 points (1978 at Houston; Oilers 35, Dolphins 30)
• Lowest-Scoring Matchup: 15 points (1979 at Miami; Oilers 9, Dolphins 6)
• Former Titans Players with the Dolphins: TE Jonnu Smith (2017-20), LB David Long Jr. (2019-22), OL Aaron Brewer (2020-23), T Kendall Lamm (2021), DT Da'Shawn Hand (2021-22)
• Former Titans Coaches with the Dolphins: Senior offensive assistant Chandler Henley, OLB coach Ryan Crowe
• Former Dolphins Players with the Titans: None
• Former Dolphins Coaches with the Titans: QB coach Bo Hardegree, LB Frank Bush

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TITANS SCOUTING REPORT

For the second consecutive week, the Dolphins are facing a new team with a new head coach, but things have yet to get nearly as good a start for Brian Callahan as they have for Mike Macdonald in Seattle. Callahan replaced Mike Vrabel after the 2023 season in an apparent power struggle. The Titans were competitive in each of their first two games against the Chicago Bears and New York Jets, but mistakes have been a problem so far this season. Tennessee hopes to return to the playoffs after a two-year absence, but things will need to get turned around very quickly.

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THE BIGGEST REASON THE DOLPHINS WILL WIN

The answer here has to start and end with the defense's ability to create takeaways because quarterback Will Levis leads the NFL in that dubious category and because the Titans offensive line has had significant problems with pass protection, in particular right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere, whose starting spot is in question these days. Turnovers were the reason the Dolphins were in line to win the Monday night game against Tennessee last Monday night before their defensive collapse because they struggled offensively all game. Speaking of the offense, maybe new starting quarterback Tyler "Snoop" Huntley can provide a spark and even get Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle going.

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THE BIGGEST REASON THE DOLPHINS WILL LOSE

Who ever thought we'd be at this point with Mike McDaniel's offense? Is it so ridiculous to worry that the offense won't be able to get the job done against a mediocre opponent? Huntley has an intriguing skill set, but his career resume does not feature impressive statistics. Additionally, the offensive line will be without its best player, with Terron Armstead sidelined by his concussion. On the other side of the ball, while Levis is erratic, he also has excellent raw ability, and his wide receiver corps of DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley, and Tyler Boyd are among the best in the NFL. If the Dolphins don't make headway with their pass rush, this will be a challenge for the defense.

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FINAL DOLPHINS-TITANS PREDICTION

Yes, the Dolphins season is a definite crossroads. While the loss at Seattle can be explained by the fact that it came against a quality opponent at one of the most challenging venues in the NFL, there can be no excuse against one of the three winless teams in the league. That includes no excuses for injuries because while Miami will be without Tua Tagovailoa, Terron Armstead, and Kendall Fuller, the Titans are dealing with injuries to their two best defensive players, Jeffery Simmons and Tyreek Hill's nemesis L'Jarius Sneed. The Dolphins are not at a stage right now where they can be expected to blow out any team, no matter how bad that team is, and we certainly don't see that happening here. But we hope the pass rush will take advantage of the error-prone Tennessee offense and that Huntley does just enough to get the offense moving at least better than last week. ESPN play-by-play man Chris Fowler said during his call of the thrilling Georgia-Alamaba game Saturday night he wasn't expecting this kind of fireworks Monday night, and he's probably right. But at this point, all that matters is a Dolphins win.

Final Score: Dolphins 17, Titans 13