By Charles Jay
Week 1 NFL Betting Preview
In the Week 1 NFL betting odds that have been posted on this game by the folks at BetAnySports, the Dolphins lay some points on the road:
Miami Dolphins -3
Washington Redskins +3
Over 44 points -110
Under 44 points -110
Well, there is lots of drama around the nation’s capital these days, and only part of it has to do with the upcoming presidential campaign. Not only is there an ongoing war over whether the Washington Redskins should even be able to keep their nickname (it is actually blocking the prospective construction of a new stadium in DC), but there may still be a little strain left over from last year’s cold relationship between Robert Griffin III and head coach Jay Gruden. And some BetAnySports customers might be surprised that both of them returned for this season. The Redskins begin their 2015 campaign at home against the Miami Dolphins, as football betting action gets underway at 1 PM ET on Sunday, September 13 at FedEx Field in Landover, MD.
Both of these teams were disappointments last year. The Dolphins continued to be middle-of-the-road under head coach Joe Philbin, and their 8-8 finish had led to some speculation that he might be fired. But he still on the payroll, and looking for even more improvement from Ryan Tannehill, who progressed very well in his second season at quarterback. The Redskins had all kinds of problems behind center, as Griffin was not able to adapt quickly to the West Coast principles Gruden had brought into the offense. He also got hurt, and Washington used other alternatives at quarterback in the process of finishing 4-12.
Griffin is not, by nature, someone used to short dropbacks and timing patterns. He is an improviser who made a lot of waves during his rookie season with his ability to run with the football and make the Washington offense unpredictable. That’s how he got them to the playoffs, before he got injured. And injuries have been a big part of his story. Can he stay healthy enough? If he can’t, the responsibility may again fall into the hands of Colt McCoy. But whatever happens, the Redskins need to run the football. And that means a healthy dose of Alfred Morris, who tallied 1074 yards last season.
Clearly some moves on the defensive side were in order, and we will see if the Redskins can improve on some lackluster numbers last season, which included a #24 ranking in pass defense.
BetAnySports patrons may have liked what they saw out of Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill last season, as he threw 27 touchdown passes and was intercepted only 12 times, in the process of topping the 4000-yard mark. And he did that without great pass protection or major playmakers at wide receiver. Mike Wallace, the explosive wideout who just didn’t seem to click with Tannehill, is gone now, and the team has brought in Greg Jennings and Kenny Stills, as well as tight end Jordan Cameron. This may create a more balanced Dolphin receiving corps.
But by far the guy who is expected to have the most impact is Ndamukong Suh, who signed the richest contract ever for defensive lineman and is expected to make Miami’s seven-man front one of the best in the league. There is most definitely that possibility, and when you consider that the secondary ranked sixth in the league in pass defense (allowing only 222 yards per game), there is no reason expectations on Philbin should not be high this year. Certainly they can throw a few curve balls at Griffin, who may still have some trouble catching on to the Gruden scheme.
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