Dolphins host winless Titans
MIAMI - The Miami Dolphins are hosting the winless Tennessee Titans on Monday night.
This will be a matchup of two teams desperate for a win. The Dolphins were blown out for the second straight game in a 24-3 loss at Seattle in Week 3.
Tennessee lost to Green Bay 30-14. Miami faces uncertainty at quarterback after backup Skylar Thompson went down with what coach Mike McDaniel described as a painful rib injury against the Seahawks, while Tua Tagovailoa remains out with a concussion.
The Dolphins are hoping to get star playmakers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle more involved after a quiet past two weeks.
Will Levis, the second-year quarterback will be making his 13th NFL start back at the stadium where he had his biggest clutch moment, rallying the Titans to 15 points in 51 seconds for a comeback victory.
That was his lone 300-yard passing game in the NFL. Levis has had to learn a second offense with Brian Callahan getting used to being both a first-time head coach and play-caller.
Levis already has one more interception than he had in nine starts as a rookie with with five, including a pair of pick-6s. He also has three fumbles, two off strip-sacks.
Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle
The NFL's leading receiving duo from 2023 has had a quiet start to the season.
Hill caught an 80-yard touchdown pass to go with 130 receiving yards in the season opener, but he has not had more than 50 receiving yards in a game since. Waddle hasn't had more than 41 receiving yards since going for 101 in the opener. The duo combined for just seven catches and 66 yards in Week 3.
Waddle said teams employ a lot of two-deep safety coverages to take the two star receivers out of games early, but he added that it's up to him to get separation in one-on-one matchups to make it easier for the quarterback to get him the ball.
Titans run game vs. Dolphins run defense
Miami defensive tackle Calais Campbell said the team's rushing defense so far this season "is not our standard" after the Dolphins gave up 112 rushing yards per game and 4.5 yards per carry in the first three weeks. Miami has also been burned for huge plays on the ground. Buffalo's James Cook had a 49-yard touchdown run against the Dolphins in Week 2. Travis Etienne had a 26-yard carry against them in Week 1. Campbell said the Titans could be the best rushing team they've faced so far because of Will Levis' scrambling ability and the production of Tony Pollard, who has 158 yards on 39 carries. The Titans also are looking to get backup Tyjae Spears more involved. Spears had 118 yards from scrimmage with his pass-catching skills out of the backfield in Miami last December.
Dolphins
Skylar Thompson is day to day with a rib injury suffered against Seattle. LT Terron Armstead and CB Kendall Fuller will miss the game still in the concussion protocol. RB Raheem Mostert was limited in practice with a chest injury.
Titans
Veteran CB Chidobe Awuzie's groin injury put him on injured reserve. Two-time Pro Bowl DL Jeffery Simmons (elbow) is doubtful after not practicing all week. CB L'Jarius Sneed (hamstring) and S Amani Hooker (face) both are questionable. Rookie Jarvis Brownlee Jr., who grew up minutes from Hard Rock Stadium, is expected to get more playing time.
Nine of the past 12 Titans-Dolphins meetings in the regular season have been played at Hard Rock Stadium, most recently on Monday night Dec. 11, 2023. The Titans scored 15 points 51 seconds in the fourth quarter of that game to overcome a 14-point deficit and win.
The home team has won three of the past four meetings. Before their 2023 meeting, the previous time the teams met in Miami Gardens was on Sept. 9, 2018, when a weather delay turned the matchup into a 7-hour, 8-minute game — the longest in NFL history. Then-Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill led a 27-20 win.
