If you’re wondering how Sunday’s showdown between Miami and Philadelphia will be won, you’ll get a good idea by looking at the big guys up front, meaning the offensive and defensive lines.
The key line matchup will be when the Eagles are on defense and the Dolphins are on offense. The Eagles have one of the best defensive lines in the league, and they’re hoping it can short-circuit Miami’s electric offense.
“All of them have got the same intangibles,” left guard Isaiah Wynn said of the Eagles’ defensive line, mentioning their size and quickness. “They’re the ideal type of defensive linemen that you want.”
But the Dolphins’ offensive line has worked so well together that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has only been sacked six times, and they power the league’s leading rushing game.
“We’re not there all the way, but we’ve been doing a pretty good job so far,” Wynn said. “We’ve just got to keep it rolling.”
When the Dolphins have the ball, the crucial matchups start at center where starter Connor Williams is questionable due to a groin injury. If he doesn’t play, it’ll be up to Liam Eichenberg to be the lead man in handling Philadelphia’s tough interior front that includes tackles Fletcher Cox, Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter (3.5 sacks, tied for second on the team). They can clog run lanes and create a pass rush, and they’re a major reason the Eagles’ defensive line is rated No. 1 in run defense in the league by Pro Football Focus.
Offensive coordinator Frank Smith spoke of the Eagles’ front seven in
“A very good group that knows who they are,” he said. “They play together very well. They’ve had a lot of success there. They have their style of play and the way they want to attack an offense.”
Tagovailoa was brief, but he was just as impressed.
“The front seven is tough,” he said.
On the other side, however, Miami’s offensive line is rated No. 6 in pass blocking by PFF, and that’s with left tackle Kendall Lamm playing all but two games for Pro Bowl left tackle Terron Armstead and Eichenberg playing two games for Williams. With Wynn, right guard Robert Hunt and right tackle Austin Jackson filling out the starting five, the Dolphins’ offensive line has exceeded expectations.
The discouraging news is Miami is rated No. 21 by PFF in run blocking. That’s a matchup to watch, especially if the Dolphins don’t get their usual big plays. If the Dolphins become a one-dimensional passing offense, the Eagles will have opportunities to tee off on Tagovailoa.
When the Eagles have the ball, the Dolphins’ defensive tackles Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler and Raekwon Davis are at the head of the line when it comes to run defense. But linebackers David Long Jr. (team-best 47 tackles) and Jerome Baker (34 tackles) need to be active, too.
Philadelphia’s offensive line, led by All-Pro center Jason Kelce and All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson, ranks among the league’s best.
“They have size, experience, continuity,” defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. “Four of the five starters have been four of the five starters for two, three, four years now. They do a great job.”
The Dolphins rank 20th at 114.5 yards per game in run defense while the Eagles rank No. 2 in rushing offense at 150 yards per game. Eagles running back DeAndre Swift is No. 6 in the league in rushing at 452 yards (5.3 yards per carry) and has three runs of 20 or more yards, which is tied for fourth in the league.
Philadelphia, the Super Bowl runner-up, is generally credited with regularly controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.
If the Dolphins can win one of those battles it’ll greatly enhance their chances of winning Sunday night.
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