The Miami Dolphins failed to win against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football and must now face the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Wildcard in the NFL Playoffs.
With a tougher road to glory than fans had hoped, here are the challenges Miami faces against the Kansas City Chiefs:
Can the Dolphins win?
Odds have Kansas City to edge out the Dolphins, given their experience in the playoffs and being the reigning NFL Super Bowl champs.
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The Dolphins already lost to the Chiefs in Frankfurt 21-14 with Patrick Mahomes throwing for two touchdowns, but they had a late second-half resurgence and proved they can score on anyone.
The Chiefs also haven't shown that they’re the powerhouse they once were, leading the NFL in dropped passes and are amongst the leaders in offensive penalties, losing 4 of their last 8 games.
Can Tyreek beat his former team?
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Tyreek hill is clearly still suffering from an injury to his left ankle, but if he's to finally beat his old team, he will need the help from Miami’s offense who has been struggling the last few weeks, including him.
The good thing is that Miami’s offense, even if at 80%, can explode at any given moment, leading the NFL in total offense yards and second in points scored.
How have injuries plagued the Dolphins?
The loss of Jaelan Phillips hit the ‘Fins’ hard, but it became even worse when Bradley Chubb went down.
Now with Chubb and Phillips hurt, Miami’s edge rushing is lacking depth with just Emmanuel Ogbah, Melvin Ingram and Andrew van Ginkel still healthy.
Don’t forget the injuries to linebacker and captain Jerome Baker, who despite his return against the Bills, suffered another setback.
The Dolphins will need to get creative in the cold weather to keep the athletic Mahomes in check.
How will the weather be a factor on Saturday?
Oh absolutely, history is not in favor of the Dolphins. The ‘Fins’ have played seven games in temperatures of 36 degrees or less since 2017 and they've lost all of them.
Temperatures in Kansas City are expected have a low of zero degrees with cloudy skies.
The good thing about the weather, cold is cold and the other team feels it too.
Where to watch Dolphins at Chiefs
The Miami Dolphins will face the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday January 13th at 8:00 PM ET and will be streaming on Peacock, but if you live in the Miami area, you will be able to watch it live on NBC6.
