Ed Oliver breakout game
To this point, Ed Oliver’s biggest game came on Thanksgiving of last year when he accounted for two sacks, four tackles, one tackle for loss, and one forced fumble against the Dallas Cowboys. It was a great game for sure, but this week could be bigger.
Lining up in front of him will be a rookie, fourth round guard in Solomon Kindley. The rookie will have some help from center Ted Karras, who was a sixth round pick by the New England Patriots in 2016 and joined the Dolphins as a free agent this offseason. This is a matchup that favors the up and coming second-year player.
Helping his case will be another rookie along the line that will hopefully take away some attention afforded to Oliver. Left tackle Austin Jackson could have his hands full with Pro Bowler Jerry Hughes that will require the line to shift some additional resources in that direction.
Dolphins offensive coordinator Chan Gailey loves utilizing the screen game which combines nicely with Trent Murphy‘s knack for knocking down passes. Murphy had a career-high three last season and always seems to be looking for those opportunities within this defense. Perhaps Oliver can be on the receiving end and haul one of those in for the interception.
This will be a breakout game for Ed Oliver and my prediction is that he will finish with 3.5 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, and 1 interception.
Given the Buffalo Bills’ success against the Dolphins combined with their own additions, everything is setting up for a big day from several of their top playmakers. If any of these predictions pan out then the scoreboard could be lopsided in the Bills favor.