Is Week 4 too early for an elimination game? Not when the teams involved — the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans — are a combined 1-7.
So plenty will be on the line for both teams in front of a national audience Monday night.
Tennessee Titans-Miami Dolphins Game Preview
Last Time Out
Both the Titans and Dolphins desperately need a win. Tennessee (0-3) hasn’t won all year. Miami (1-2) hasn’t led all year.
(The Dolphins beat the Jaguars on a walk-off field goal after being tied or behind for the game’s first 59 minutes, 59 seconds.)
In Week 3, the Titans surrendered 378 yards (and 6.4 yards per play) in a 30-14 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Will Levis went 26 of 34 for 260 yards and two touchdowns but also turned the ball over three times.
A quarterback change might be coming for the Titans. It’s already happened and likely will again for the Dolphins.
Snoop Huntley seems in line to start after Skylar Thompson was terrible in the Dolphins’ 24-3 road loss to the Seahawks in Week 3. The Dolphins have trailed by double digits in all three games this year.
Key Injuries
Two Dolphins quarterbacks have gotten hurt in the last two weeks — first Tua Tagovailoa (concussion), then Thompson (chest). But Thompson likely would have been benched even if healthy.
Mike McDaniel makes clear all options at QB are on the table in Week 4 pic.twitter.com/9OQs5RHIX0
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) September 24, 2024
Both the Dolphins and Titans could be without their cornerbacks in Week 4.
The Titans will definitely be without starting cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, who will miss multiple games after suffering a groin injury in the Packers game. Expect rookie Jarvis Brownlee Jr. to again take over with Awuzie out.
For the Dolphins, Kendall Fuller is in the concussion protocol and seems unlikely to play. If he can’t, things get tricky for defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. Backup Storm Duck is also hurt, meaning the Dolphins could start Ethan Bonner, who has been a healthy scratch for the first three weeks of the season.
Dolphins left tackle Terron Armstead is also in the protocol after getting poked in the eye in Week 3. Kendall Lamm will play if Armstead cannot.
On defense, David Long Jr. is dealing with a hamstring injury.
Some good news for the Dolphins? They should get back RB Raheem Mostert (chest) and rookie WR Malik Washington (quadriceps).
Familiar Faces
The Dolphins could have four former Titans as starters, including two who joined as free agents this offseason: Center Aaron Brewer (2020-2023) and tight end Jonnu Smith (2017-2020).
Long spent his first four NFL seasons with the Titans before signing a two-year, $11 million contract with the Dolphins in the 2023 offseason. Lamm’s time with Tennessee lasted just 12 games.
The Titans have no former Dolphins players on their roster, but quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree and linebackers coach Frank Bush both were on Adam Gase’s staff last decade.
Series History
This is the 41st all-time meeting between the Dolphins and Titans. Miami holds the all-time series edge 21-19.
The Titans have won their last two matchups against Miami, including a 2023 Monday night thriller in which the Dolphins blew a two-touchdown home lead in the game’s final three minutes to lose 28-27.
Betting Lines
The Dolphins, as of Wednesday morning, were one-point home favorites in a game with a microscopic over/under of 36.5.
This game is on paper is as close as it could get, and the action reflects that. The Dolphins are a -112 moneyline bet. The Titans are -108.
Both of these teams have been disappointments for bettors this season.
Under Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins are just 2-8 against the spread in prime time (playoffs included), with five straight failures to cover. Unders are 8-2 in those games (5-1 in the past six such games).
For the second time in the past 20 years, the Titans are 0-3 ATS through three weeks (other instance: 2020, managed to finish 7-9 ATS).
Tennessee Titans vs. Miami Dolphins Stats and Rankings
Offense
Titans
- Scoring: 16 (28th)
- Yards: 260.3 (29th)
- Yards per play: 4.2 (30th)
- Rushing: 101 (20th)
- Yards per carry: 4.7 (12th)
- Passing: 159.3 (28th)
- Yards per pass: 5.1 (28th)
- Interception rate: 5.3% (31st)
- Sacks per pass attempt: 16% (32nd)
- First downs: 18 (t-17th)
- Turnover differential: -7 (32nd)
- EPA per play: -.216 (31st)
- Success rate: 40.2% (21st)
- Dropback EPA: -.289 (32nd)
- Rush EPA: -.070 (17th)
Dolphins
- Scoring: 11 (32nd)
- Yards: 318.7 (16th)
- Yards per play: 4.9 (23rd)
- Rushing: 95 (25th)
- Yards per carry: 3.7 (27th)
- Passing: 223.7 (11th)
- Yards per pass: 6.2 (23rd)
- Interception rate: 2.8% (21st)
- Sacks per pass attempt: 10.2% (20th)
- Turnover differential: 0 (13th)
- First downs: 17 (26th)
- EPA per play: -.215 (30th)
- Success rate: 39.4% (24th)
- Dropback EPA: -.181 (29th)
- Rush EPA: -.274 (31st)
Defense
Titans
- Scoring: 26 (24th)
- Yards: 263.7 (fifth)
- Yards per play: 4.7 (seventh)
- Rushing: 124.3 (20th)
- Yards per carry: 4.5 (18th)
- Passing: 139.3 (third)
- Yards per pass: 5.4 (fourth)
- Interception rate: 0% (t-28th)
- Sacks per pass attempt: 9% (15th)
- First downs: 14.3 (third)
- EPA per play: -.039 (11th)
- Success rate: 39% (seventh)
- Dropback EPA: .001 (12th)
- Rush EPA: -.088 (-15th)
Dolphins
- Scoring: 24 (22nd)
- Yards: 294.7 (11th)
- Yards per play: 5.7 (25th)
- Rushing: 112 (12th)
- Yards per carry: 4.5 (17th)
- Passing: 182.7 (12th)
- Yards per pass: 7.4 (26th)
- Interception rate: 2.7% (12th)
- Sacks per pass attempt: 8.1% (19th)
- First downs: 17 (t-eighth)
- EPA per play: .010 (17th)
- Success rate: 42% (16th)
- Dropback EPA: .185 (28th)
- Rush EPA: -.197 (seventh)
Projected Titans vs. Dolphins Starting Lineups
Titans
- Quarterback: Will Levis
- Wide receiver: Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd, DeAndre Hopkins
- Running back/fullback: Tony Pollard
- Tight end: Chig Okonkwo
- Offensive line (left to right): JC Latham, Peter Skoronski, Lloyd Cushenberry III, Dillon Radunz, Nicholas Petit-Frere
- Defensive line: Sebastian Joseph-Day, T’Vondre Sweat, Jeffery Simmons
- Linebacker: Arden Key, Kenneth Murray Jr., Ernest Jones IV, Harold Landry III
- Defensive backs: Jarvis Brownlee Jr., L’Jarius Sneed, Amani Hooker, Quandre Diggs
Dolphins
- Quarterback: Snoop Huntley
- Wide receiver: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle
- Running back/fullback: De’Von Achane, Alec Ingold
- Tight end: Durham Smythe
- Offensive line (left to right): Kendall Lamm, Robert Jones, Aaron Brewer, Liam Eichenberg, Austin Jackson
- Defensive line: Zach Sieler, Benito Jones, Calais Campbell
- Linebacker: David Long Jr., Jordyn Brooks, Emmanuel Ogbah, Jaelan Phillips
- Defensive backs: Jalen Ramsey, Kendall Fuller, Jevon Holland, Jordan Poyer
What They’re Saying
Dolphins Defensive Tackle Calais Campbell
“I think our biggest issue is that we all want to make plays, right? And when you chase plays, sometimes you kind of leave your job left not to the standard we want it to be. So the message has been just let the plays come to you; do your job at an elite level and just make the plays you’re supposed to make.”