Tag: Miami Dolphins

Texans vs. Dolphins: Point spread, over/under for Week 9

Oddsmakers see the Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins Week 9 matchup going all the home team’s way.

The Houston Texans take on the Miami Dolphins in Week 9 in a battle between two 1-7 teams.

The Texans are in a rebuilding mode after the cascading failures to end the Bill O’Brien era. However, the Dolphins went 10-6 last year, but have truly regressed in the third year under coach Brian Flores.

The Dolphins weren’t able to get Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson at the trade deadline, and Miami will have to saddle up second-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa through the rest of the season.

Houston is still going with rookie quarterback Davis Mills as Tyrod Taylor’s hamstring strain lingers.

How do oddsmakers see the matchup going?

According to Tipico, the Texans are +6.5-point underdogs, tied with the Minnesota Vikings for the fifth-lowest odds of Week 9. Only the Jacksonville Jaguars (+14.5), Denver Broncos (+9.5), Green Bay Packers (+7.5), Tennessee Titans (+7.5) have lower odds in Week 9 than the Texans.

Oddsmakers see the Dolphins and Texans combining for about 45.5 points, which are the . Only the Bears-Steelers (39.5 points), Panthers-Patriots (40.5 points), Falcons-Saints (41.5 points), and Cardinals-49ers (44.5 points) have lower point totals than the Dolphins-Texans matchup.

The over/under for the game may be on target given that the Texans are hideous on the road under Mills, scoring 8.5 points per game as the away team.

For more information on the rest of the NFL and college football, please check out our sister site, the Sportsbook Wire.

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Brian Flores explains why he loves this team despite their record

He still has an affinity for this group.

With the Miami Dolphins falling to 1-7 midway through the season, things around the team seem to be at their lowest. Seven straight losses will do that.

However, Brian Flores and his guys are doing their best to keep the attitudes positive and focus on getting better. During his Wednesday media availability, Flores said that he liked this team, and he was asked why that was the case with all of the losing going on.

“I like the people in this building,” Flores said. “I love the people in this building. We have the right types of players. We have a talented group, a young group, a developing group, guys who give great effort, prepare the right way. I enjoy coaching this group. There are a lot of the right ingredients here.”

This opinion seems to indicate that talent is not the issue with this roster. The blame, then, would have to fall on coaching and preparation. We’ve seen that be part of the problem, and it’s been evident at points, including this past week against Buffalo.

It’s nice that Flores seems to care about the group, but that won’t lead to wins. They need to actually make the necessary adjustments to win games. If the talent is there, they shouldn’t be 1-7.

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Dolphins vs. Texans 2021 live stream: Time, TV schedule, and how to watch online

Here’s how to watch the game.

The Miami Dolphins (1-7) are ready to host their Week 9 matchup with the Houston Texans (1-7) on Sunday.

Houston is one of the only teams that can understand what the Dolphins are going through having lost their last seven games as well. The Texans lost their Week 8 matchup to one of the NFC favorites in the Rams 38-22. Los Angeles is a much more talented team, so the result wasn’t really a surprise.

Miami lost to an AFC favorite themselves in the Buffalo Bills, who beat them 26-11. The Dolphins did well holding Buffalo’s offense in the first half, but they were gashed in the second half and made no adjustments while their offense failed to produce.

This game between two of the conference’s worst may decide a lot of things going forward.

Here’s how to watch:

Miami Dolphins vs. Houston Texans

Sunday, Nov. 7, 1:00 p.m. ET

Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL

Live stream:

FuboTV (try it free).

Television channel(s):

FOX

Broadcasters:

Chris Myers (play-by-play)

Daryl Johnston (color commentary)

Jen Hale(sideline)

Radio:

AM 560 The Joe WQAM

KISS Country 99.9 FM

Betting odds (Per Tipico Sportsbook):

  • Moneyline: Dolphins -300 (bet $300 to win $100) Texans +230 (bet $100 to win $230)
  • Against the spread (ATS): Dolphins -6.5 (-112) Texans +6.5 (-108)
  • Over/Under (O/U): 45.5 (O: -115 U: -105)

Weather:

77 degrees with a slim chance of rain.

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Dolphins GM Chris Grier says the team still believes in Tua Tagovailoa

The Dolphins are trying to save face with their quarterback.

The 2021 trade deadline has come and gone, and there was no Deshaun Watson trade made by the Miami Dolphins. However, it was clear that they were in on the quarterback throughout the process.

It was reported on Tuesday by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport that the Dolphins owner, Stephen Ross, had received permission to speak with Watson, but there was not enough time for things to come together.

Now, on Wednesday, Miami’s general manager Chris Grier is trying to save face with his current quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, who has played this season with rumors swirling about his potential replacement coming in.

“We’re very happy with Tua,” Grier said in his press conference. “I think he’s developing well. Brian [Flores] has been very consistent in his message, and we have been as well. He’s working hard. He’s shown a lot of improvement, and we think he’ll continue to develop and be the player we think he can be.”

Grier mentioned that his job with the team is to look into all players who the team could possibly bring in, so he was just doing his job by looking into acquiring Watson.

“It’s my job, as GM, to always investigate every avenue of player who may or may not be available,” Grier said.

Here’s the problem.

This trade was never getting done in time. With the stipulations that Ross put on the trade, being that the legal issues would be settled, there was no way that all 22 of Watson’s accusations would be gone by the deadline.

So, what the Dolphins accomplished was letting their quarterback know that they don’t believe in him as the long-term solution without having a legitimate plan in place to replace him. Saying that they believe in him rings hollow at this point.

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Bills turned away 258 fans at Dolphins game due to vaccine mandate

#Bills turned away 258 fans at #Dolphins game due to vaccine mandate:

The Buffalo Bills’ Halloween meeting against the Miami Dolphins was the first time fans trying to attend games at Highmark Stadium had to be fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.

Following the game, the Erie County Department of Health said 258 fans were refused entry to the venue.

The reasoning was because of a lack of acceptable documentation regarding their COVID vaccinations.

According to WIVB-TV, the Bills announced an attendance of 60,355 in Week 8 and1,128 fans were asked to provide a secondary review of their documentation.

That equates to only 1.6 percent of fans that were subjected to that. However, it’s important to note that these numbers do not include Bills game day staff that denied people entry, only numbers from the Erie County DOH personnel that denied fans.

Erie County reported no arrests were made at the game because of COVID vaccinations.

In addition to the Bills, the Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders also have vaccine mandates.

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One more time: Jordan Poyer seals Dolphins win for Bills with interception

One more time: Jordan Poyer seals Dolphins win for #Bills with interception:

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Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer slammed the door on the Miami Dolphins in Week 8.

Up 20-11 in the fourth quarter, the Bills (5-2) appeared to be cruising toward victory.

Poyer made sure that held true.

Four plays into the ensuing drive for  the Dolphins, the death nail came.

Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was picked off by Poyer, a play which sealed the win.

Before moving on from the latest Bills win, check out Poyer’s interception one time right here:

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Bills DT Ed Oliver gets ‘game ball’ in Week 8 vs. Dolphins

#Bills DT Ed Oliver gets ‘game ball’ in Week 8 vs. #Dolphins:

The Bills fought through four quarters for a hard-earned win in Week 8. The Dolphins were pesky, especially on defense, but came up short in the second and final matchup between the two teams this season.

While the Bills offense broke out for two passing touchdowns and one big running TD by QB Josh Allen, it was a defensive player who was given the game ball from Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott.

Defensive tackle Ed Oliver was a disrupter at the line of scrimmage all day during Sunday’s contest, making things consistently difficult for the Dolphins offense.

His 45 defensive snaps were the most among Buffalo’s defensive linemen, he brought three pressures while adding two tackles (one for loss) and was a big factor in the Bills run defense that limited Miami’s ground attack to only 3.0 yards per carry.

“I just felt free,” said Oliver after the game. “I was just out there just playing, just feeling free, playing, hitting the quarterback. When you’re having so much fun, it’s hard to tell how good you’re playing.”

Not all of how much Oliver brought to the game made it on the stat sheet,

He nearly recovered a loose fumble late in the game and had his first sack of the season in the fourth quarter as well, though it was negated due to an offsides call on DE Jerry Hughes.

“That’d have been number one,” added Oliver. “A long, long way coming. I’ve hit the quarterback so many times, I ain’t got no sacks. So, Jerry owes me something.”

Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier spoke on how, during the offseason, the Bills coaching staff has challenged Oliver to take the next step in developing his understanding of the game and mental approach.

“He’s such a gifted athlete, we wanted him to get to the point where he was becoming more of a thinking man’s player and being able to anticipate things by personnel on the field, by down and distance, looking at a guy’s stance, having an idea of what may be happening before the play actually begins.” Frazier said.

“He’s really grown in that area with his film study and really having a better understanding of what our defense is asking him to do within a certain call. So, that growth alone I think has helped him to become a better player, a more all-around player. And we’re the beneficiaries of that.”

For the second time this season following a game against Miami a game ball went to a player on defense. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds took home the honors after a Bills win in Week 2.

Oliver was the Bills ninth-overall draft pick in 2019, and the step forward he has taken in his development this year has been noticed by his head coach as well.

“I thought he played really well,” head coach Sean McDermott said. “He’s really developing and he’s putting in a lot of time, so give him credit for it. He’s really starting to process what it looks like to play that position in a complete way, run and pass. So, real proud of what he’s done the last couple of weeks.”

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Bills’ Jordan Poyer on INT vs. Dolphins: ‘No way’

#Bills’ Jordan Poyer on INT vs. Dolphins: ‘No way’

The Buffalo Bills were up 20-11 on the Miami Dolphins in the fourth quarter. A solid lead against a team the Bills (5-2) should’ve probably been beating much worse.

Thanks to Jordan Poyer, exactly that ended up happening in the 26-11 final.

Trying to get a drive going late, Poyer jumped a pass from Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. After the game, Poyer gave insight into what he was thinking in that moment.

“No way,” Poyer said via video conference.

Thanks to preparation, Poyer said he knew what was happening. He saw the Dolphins run this play on film and he knew just what to do:

“We had great pressure, we forced him to make a throw he didn’t want to make,” Poyer said.

Poyer’s play was one of many better ones by the Bills in the second half against the Dolphins (1-7).

To start the game, the Bills weren’t very good in the first half. The game was tied, 3-3, at halftime.

But coming out of the half, Buffalo looked much better. Some kudos certainly goes to the Bills coaching staff for the adjustments made.

However, Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott said plenty of credit is owed to his players as well.

“[The play was] huge, man. At the end of the day, the players have to make the plays. The coaches don’t make the plays,” McDermott said.

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The Miami Dolphins didn’t make a trade at the deadline, so what’s next?

What should we expect going forward?

The 2021 trade deadline has come and gone without the Miami Dolphins making a move despite being in on Deshaun Watson for the last few months (and maybe still being in on him for the future).

Now, the Dolphins sit at 1-7 entering Week 9 with no hopes of quality reinforcements coming from outside their organization. Will Fuller and Michael Dieter may come back from injured reserve and help the offense, but there won’t be many significant changes made beyond that.

There are nine games left on Miami’s schedule for this campaign, and this is when they need to be in evaluation mode. They need to find out what they have in the players that are currently on their roster and the coaches that are in their offices.

Tua Tagovailoa is probably the most important question the team has at this point. He’s been up-and-down this year, but he’s still just 14 starts into his NFL career. In these next nine games, he needs to show his potential. If he passes the tests, Miami may stay clear from more Watson conversations in the offseason, but that’s a big if.

The Dolphins have 17 unrestricted free agents that they will have to either re-sign or let walk including Mike Gesicki, Emmanuel Ogbah, Elandon Roberts, Will Fuller, Jason McCourty, Durham Smythe, and more.

Gesicki and Ogbah are having really good seasons, so it would make sense that they are both back, but it wouldn’t be too surprising to see the rest of those names depart.

This is also a time to learn what you have in this coaching staff. Brian Flores has received a lot of criticism for his decision-making, attitude, and staff construction. Can he, defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, co-offensive coordinator George Godsey, and the rest of the coaches teach, motivate, and make adjustments that are beneficial for the future?

There hasn’t been a lot this year that leads to the belief that those things are possible, but there is time left in this season to turn it around. It took eight games for the feelings to completely flip on the coaches, they have nine to flip them back.

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Watson staying put for now

Deshaun Watson is staying put. At least for now. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, while the Dolphins and Texans had conversations about the former Clemson quarterback, it never materialized, and it was mainly Miami doing its due diligence. …

Deshaun Watson is staying put. At least for now.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, while the Dolphins and Texans had conversations about the former Clemson quarterback, it never materialized, and it was mainly Miami doing its due diligence.

Obviously, Watson’s legal situation certainly played a part in why he wasn’t traded with the NFL’s trade deadline coming and going Tuesday. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Watson not settling his legal situation resulted in him not getting traded.

Working out a trade for Watson was always going to be complex, of course, with his no-trade clause and the 22 active lawsuits against him regarding allegations of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior.

Watson will now stay put in Houston until the offseason.

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