Oddsshark: "Opening Odds Analysis One would think that Miami would be getting a little bit more respect in this spot at home following the team’s third consecutive victory, but bettors are still not buying enough to make a difference with regard to the point spread. The line did move to -1 in favor of the home team briefly on Sunday before seeing Carolina go back up to -1 later that night. In other words, the Panthers are getting the early money so far while the total has gone down to 42 from the opener of 43.5 as well. These teams combined for 45 points a week ago against two of the worst defenses in the NFL, making that move understandable. Carolina News & Notes Has the second honeymoon with Cam Newton already ended for the Panthers? Newton’s former head coach, Ron Rivera, got the better of him last Sunday, and his average air yards per pass attempt was a paltry 5.56 against Washington. Maybe Rivera knew how to defend him, but the jury is still out on whether Newton is a legitimate starter in the league at this stage of his career. The former MVP remains a shell of his former self, and the Dolphins just contained a more recent MVP in Lamar Jackson two weeks ago. The key to the Carolina offense is running back Christian McCaffrey, not Newton. Each of them carried the ball 10 times vs Washington, and McCaffrey needs more touches. Miami News & Notes Miami has surprisingly turned around its season behind second-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who stepped in for backup Jacoby Brissett against the Baltimore Ravens in the Week 10 Thursday Night Football game and has not looked back. Tagovailoa was reportedly not healthy enough to start vs the Ravens but excelled when Brissett got hurt, and he has completed 35 of 46 passes for 431 yards with two touchdowns and one interception since then. In addition, he has continued to utilize rookie wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, who has been targeted an average of 9.5 times over the past six games. Waddle is not getting the same kind of hype as fellow rookie receiver Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals, but he ranks fifth in the NFL in catches (68) and eighth in targets (93). How Carolina Will Cover Again, McCaffrey must get the ball more in order for the Panthers to cover the spread. Newton is obviously not the same player he once was, and he needs to realize that and not try to do too much. They are 3-1 in 2021 when McCaffrey rushes more than 10 times. How Miami Will Cover While Tua has played well in his two games during the winning streak, it has been the Dolphins defense that has been the difference. If Miami can limit its opponent to 17 points or less for the fourth straight game, then a win and cover for the fourth time in a row is certainly possible." Panthers vs Dolphins Betting Odds, Preview & Pick | Odds Shark --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Round Up of Major Outlet Predictions via SI.com and Alain Poupart: Miami Dolphins-Carolina Panthers Week 12 Predictions Roundup - Sports Illustrated Miami Dolphins News, Analysis and More CBS Sports Analysis: "The Dolphins have righted things the past three weeks against some bad teams to keep their playoff hopes alive. Carolina had a bad loss to Washington last week. The Carolina defense let down in that game, but I think they will get back to playing their style here and limit Tua Tagovailoa. The Panthers win it." Prediction: Panthers 23, Dolphins 17 New York Times Analysis: "Cam Newton’s return for the Panthers (5-6) doesn’t fix that the team has no consistent playmaker other than running back Christian McCaffrey, that the run defense is mediocre and that Carolina leads the league in penalties (81). The Dolphins (4-7) have won their last three games behind their defense, which has created seven turnovers in that stretch. But there’s still reason to think that the Panthers are the better team. Miami’s pass defense is still the worst in the league, and the team has rushed for 100 yards only three times. If Carolina takes care of the ball and handle Miami’s aggressive blitzes, the Panthers should win." The Sporting News Analysis: "Cam Newton has fit well into the Panthers' offense playing off Christian McCaffrey. The Dolphins will have no answers for them running CMC often and facilitating Newton again in the red zone. Tua Tagovailoa will keep playing OK but he will get less support from his rushing attack and defense." Prediction: Panthers, 23, Dolphins 20 Pro Football Network Analysis: "The Cam Newton show rolls into Miami with both of these teams somewhat surprisingly still in the playoff race. Miami has surged back into the picture in the last three weeks with three victories thanks to their defense. Newton looked rusty in his first start this season, and the Panthers desperately need him at his best. The Dolphins’ defense will be the key to this matchup, and Miami has an incredible opportunity to go into their bye in Week 14 at 6-7 and still alive in the AFC playoff situation." Prediction: Dolphins 24, Panthers 20 Bleacher Report Analysis: "The Miami Dolphins are riding a three-game winning streak, while the Carolina Panthers are just 2-6 in their last eight games. But a slim majority of the panel is willing to lay two points with Carolina in Miami Sunday afternoon. Nearly three-quarters of the public is also on Carolina, but two members of our staff are fading that and this majority with Miami." Prediction: Panthers 24, Dolphins 20 Pro Football Talk Analysis: "Cam Newton should be able to withstand the Dolphins’ blitzes well enough to put points on the board, while Tua Tagovailoa struggles against the Panthers’ defense." Prediction: Panthers 24, Dolphins 14 NFL.com Analysis: "Call me old-fashioned, but the reality that the Dolphins have been outscored by 68 points this season matters more than their three-game winning streak. Tua Tagovailoa does a nice job making his offensive line look better than it is with quick throws, but Miami doesn't have the running game to hurt the Panthers' biggest weakness on defense. Cam Newton played well enough to win last week, and Christian McCaffrey looks ready to break some big runs." Prediction: Panthers 23, Dolphins 20 SI Fan Nation All Dolphins Analysis: "As the Dolphins began the "easy" stretch of their schedule, this was the game (behind the Thursday nighter against Baltimore) that looked like the toughest and it now stands in the way of the Dolphins realistically getting to 7-7 after their 1-7 start. The Panthers are by no means a great team, but they're also much better than the Texans, Jets and Giants — other teams the Dolphins have or will face during this six-game stretch. The Dolphins offense was able to produce just enough in the past three games to help the team win, but it's likely it will need to do more against Carolina because Newton and McCaffrey present more of a threat than Joe Flacco and Michael Carter. This is what you might call a crossroads game for Miami, one that will determine whether there will be any playoff discussion in December or whether all the focus will turn to 2022. The Dolphins did record a significant victory when they defeated the Ravens, but they had the advantage of playing at home on a short week and that won't be a factor here. It says here the Dolphins aren't going to be able to do much offensively against the Carolina defense and that will spell the end of the winning streak." Prediction: Panthers 19, Dolphins 13
They are well coached and have a spark now with Newton playing for his reputation. Oh yea, and that McCaffrey guy is really really good and we can't stop the run at all. We will have to be able to score some points today IMO. This is one of the harder games left on our schedule because I don't believe we match up well at all. If Tua's ending line looks something like 23/30 280 yds 3 TD's 0 INT....we win.
Struggling to find something definitive. They were eligible to return but neither one looked likely to return this week. So I don't think they'll be back this week. Maybe Deiter next week, although it will depend on practise.
I’m so over this offensive line. This is an embarrassment. Tuas got to be more aware too. That cost us 3 points
I thought it was a good challenge this early in the game who knows what these stupid referees see. BLOCK PUNT TD
Nah bro, that's Tua's fault that Eichenberg got smoked on that play. All Tua's fault. Herbert would have thrown the ball 90 yards downfield while going down and completed it to Keenan Allen for a score.
Ive legit never seen an oline not get a hand on a defender or play half the game on the ground. Its incredible how bad we’re this year.