The Dolphins trust their season on Jay Cutler, who may or may not be on a great cardiovascular shape, but if his preseason performance so far was any indication, it seems that there’s hope under center for Miami.
Cutler showed his readiness for the new chapter of his football career, when he passed for 105 yards and a touchdown on 5 of 8 completions, albeit in a 38-31 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last Thursday. It was the second-straight loss in the preseason for Miami. The Dolphins could lay Cutler off a bit in the preseason finale in favor of the backups, however. Among them is Matt Moore, who went 5 of 11 for 43 yards in the Philly game.
That being said, look out for the Dolphins’ running game to flourish against Minnesota, which owns one of the worst defense against the run this preseason, as the Vikings allow 123.7 rushing yards per game. It’s hard to ignore the potent passing game of Miami, though, especially after it racked up 228 yards against the Eagles. DaVante Parker showed further promise in that game, as he reeled in two catches on three targets for 78 yards.
The Vikings have one game left for their first team to score a touchdown this preseason. The group has been unsuccessful in finishing a touchdown drive in 13 possessions through three games, but they should be able to get plenty of looks this Thursday while facing Miami’s punching bag preseason defense that is allowing 362.3 total yards per contest to opponents.
Sam Bradford went 17 of 21 for 134 passing yards with zero touchdowns in the last game, a 32-31 win over the San Francisco Giants at home, and he’ll be trying to put finishing touches on his preparations for the upcoming regular season. Case Keenum, meanwhile, had a better night, going 10-for-12 for two touchdowns.
It’s not entirely Bradford’s fault why the first team wasn’t able to put up a TD score, as the offensive line didn’t do a good job of protecting him; Bradford was taken down three times for a loss of 22 yards by the 49ers’ defense. In three preseason games, the Vikings have allowed eight sacks.
Minnesota’s offense has been fine this preseason in terms of moving the chains downfield, as it is sixth overall with 241.7 total yards per contest.
Writer’s Prediction
Minnesota (+3) closes out its preseason campaign with a win, 28-21.
