Miami’s big showdown in Germany: Can Tua top Mahomes?

Week 9 is providing us with a mouth watering match up between the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs live from Frankfurt, Germany.

This international game looks more and more likely to provide us with potentially one of the greatest international games ever. In one corner you have the reigning champions the Chiefs and across from them is a Miami team who have their eyes set on hoisting that Lombardi trophy in the very near future.

Today, I’m going to focus on the Dolphins and just how big this game is for them. Miami could well be the most electric and exciting team to watch in the league. They are the fastest, they put up so many points and they are only getting better and better under Mike McDaniel. He has put together one of the most explosive and creative offenses in recent memory. He has got Tua playing at an MVP calibre level and has allowed him to squash all of the doubts that have been thrown his way in his short career so far. Tua and McDaniel are on the same wavelength and their connection is maybe the most key part of the offense’s success.

Without that connection it would break down as there is so much going on during every play, but Tua is so intelligent that he can handle it with ease. His speed in his release is also a match made in heaven – getting the ball out quickly and keeping things ticking over, whilst also limiting his errors. When he processes the game quickly he is nothing short of great.

You then look at the record breaker (who came from none other than their opponents) on Sunday: Tyreek Hill. He is in the process of arguably the greatest WR season ever, already surpassing 1000 receiving yards and week in, week out, being a game changer. You add in Waddle, Mostert, Berrios…the list goes on, and you start to put together why this team puts up so many points.

Now the Dolphins are going to need their stars to have a day on Sunday because although they are sitting at 6-2, they are coming up short in the big games against the teams with solid winning records and that is where this game means so much to the Dolphins. If they lose on Sunday they will be hit with the tag of being a pretender, being really good but not good enough in the big moment. But what if they win? If Miami wins, you then get the reaction of okay, this team can win the big games and you let the two losses slide. It also puts down a marker, that they are here and that they are ready to be great.

This game will come down to the smaller details and what they need to do is focus on what their game and not worry about the Chiefs. No turnovers and they win, that’s my take on it. You have Ramsey now which changes the defense, it takes them up a level. Limit Kelce and force other players to step up, that’s an opportunity to capitalise on any errors. Go for broke, get the ball to Hill and let him show his former employers what they are missing. McDaniel has the stage to show off all the pregame motion in its full glory and to show us some of the creativity and magic he can conjure up.

This is a clash of two great teams, but for me, the pressure is on Miami. They have the potential for a season that’s remembered for an awfully long time and there would be no better place than Germany against the champions to go and cement their place as a real contender this year.

I’m sure there will be impressive individual performances, I’m sure the offense will show its class, but nothing other than a win matters. This game holds answers to some big questions that everyone has and to how the season might unfold.

This game can’t come quick enough and I’m watching closely to see how it plays out.