Charles Harris Jersey | Forum

MINNEAPOLIS 鈥?When Miami running back Kenyan Drake completed his sidewinding path through New England‘s prevent defense and crossed the goal line on the game’s final play last week Kenyan Drake Jersey , the Dolphins and their fans went wild with delight.Not only did they defeat those long-despised Patriots and prevent them from clinching the division title, but they did so with one of the most improbable touchdowns this unpredictable sport can produce. Now, after pulling off that pass-toss-toss-run sequence that covered 69 yards for a 34-33 victory in Miami, the Dolphins have to hit the road to Minnesota.More Vikings coverageMinnesota Vikings 2019 NFL draft capsulesVikings take fliers on CB Boyd, WR Mitchell, WR Johnson, LS Cutting in seventh roundVikings use sixth round to draft DT Watts, S Epps, OT UdohVikings draft USC linebacker Cameron Smith in fifth roundVikings trade up in fourth round, draft guard Dru SamiaThey’ll face a sputtering Vikings team trying to keep hold of a spot in the playoffs in one of the NFL’s most daunting stadiums for opponents. But their greatest challenge might actually be figuring out how to move past the euphoria of that astounding finish and rekindle anew the emotional energy they’ll need for another win.“Honestly, I’m just trying to turn the page and get ready for Minnesota,” said quarterback Ryan Tannehill, whose throw to Kenny Stills near midfield preceded a lateral to DeVante Parker and another one to Drake, who raced the remaining 52 yards for the score. “It was a pretty high high there, and a lot of hoopla around it, but at the end of the day, we still have a lot of work to do in this season.”The winning touchdown was quickly branded as the “Miami Miracle ,” which sure sounds familiar to Minnesota.The Vikings, of course, beat New Orleans in their divisional-round playoff game last season on a last-play, 61-yard touchdown pass from Case Keenum to Stefon Diggs made possible when Saints safety Marcus Williams whiffed on his tackle attempt to allow Diggs to pivot and speed away through the open field.The following week, with the prospect of playing the Super Bowl on home turf tantalizingly close Xavien Howard Jersey , the Vikings fell flat in the NFC championship game in Philadelphia. Months after the 38-7 loss to the Eagles, coach Mike Zimmer acknowledged he underestimated the emotional toll even in victory that the “Minneapolis Miracle” might have had on his players.Asked this week about the key to keeping a team grounded coming off such an exhilarating game, Zimmer said, “I’m not going to tell them that.”This time, it’s up to Dolphins coach Adam Gase to figure that out.“We really don’t have a choice. We’re in survival mode, as far as every game is big for us. We have to do everything we can to try to win this one,” Gase said. “We don’t have time to get caught up in last week.”Here are some other key angles to follow for the game:PLAYOFF PICTUREThe Dolphins (7-6), before the tiebreaking criteria comes into play, are even with Baltimore, Indianapolis and Tennessee for the AFC’s second wild-card spot. Though the Dolphins are still alive in the AFC East, the Patriots have a two-game lead with only three games left.The Vikings (6-6-1) still control the second wild-card spot in the NFC despite losing three of their last four games, ahead of three 6-7 teams: Carolina, Philadelphia and Washington. Chicago will clinch the NFC North title with one more win, or one more loss by the Vikings.7View Gallery Gallery:Upon Further Review: Vikings at SeahawksAP | The Tacoma News TribuneTANNEHILL TAKING OFFSince returning from a shoulder injury, Tannehill has posted a 100-plus passer rating in three consecutive games, the longest such streak of his career. His 105.7 rating for the season would be the second best in team history behind Dan Marino (108.9) in 1984 when the Dolphins reached the Super Bowl.“The goal is just to constantly improve,” Tannehill said. “Learning from your past mistakes, and with where I’m at in my career, I feel like I should be playing my best football. I think I’m playing solid football. Obviously I still have room for improvement and want to keep pushing myself to keep playing better.”The 30-year-old Tannehill’s salary cap hit in 2019 would be $26.6 million, leaving the franchise a decision whether to bring him back next year. He has a 12-4 record in his past 16 starts, but has had a series of injuries in his career.“They’re a different offense with him in there, without a doubt Laremy Tunsil Jersey ,” Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards said.WELCOME ADDITIONSRunning back Brandon Bolden and wide receiver Brice Butler, both unemployed at the end of training camp, have given Gase’s offense a needed boost.Bolden, fourth on the depth chart behind Drake, Frank Gore and Kalen Ballage, had touchdown runs of 54 yards and 6 yards in his only carries last week against his former team. Butler caught a 23-yard pass for his first score of the year. Both players were picked up by the Dolphins after being discarded elsewhere, Bolden by the Patriots and Butler by Dallas. They’ve helped stem the loss of multi-purpose threats Albert Wilson and Jakeem Grant to season-ending injuries.“It’s not easy to do,” Tannehill said, “but you have to give credit to coach Gase and his ‘evil genius’ mind of just figuring out ways to keep the advantage and keep moving guys around and use guys to the best of their ability.”SEEING DOUBLEAfter topping 100 receiving yards in each of the first eight games for the Vikings, Adam Thielen has reached that mark only once in the last five games with an increased presence by opposing safeties around both him and wide receiver Stefon Diggs.“Whether it’s one guy guarding us or two guys guarding us,” Thielen said, “we have to get open.”STILL SINGLEThe Vikings can only win a maximum of nine regular-season games this year, leaving them short of double digits for the 13th time in 18 seasons since coach Dennis Green was fired. They got there in 2017 (13-3) and 2015 (11-5) with Zimmer, in 2012 under coach Leslie Frazier (10-6), and in 2009 (12-4) and 2008 (10-6) under coach Brad Childress.7View Gallery Gallery:PHOTOS: Vikings at SeahawksAP | Copyright The Associated Press. All rights reserved.—MIAMI (7-6) at MINNESOTA (6-6-1)Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBSOPENING LINE 鈥?Vikings by 8RECORD VS. SPREAD 鈥?Miami 8-5, Minnesota 6-6-1SERIES RECORD 鈥擠olphins lead 8-4LAST MEETING 鈥?Dolphins beat Vikings 37-35, Dec. 21, 2014LAST WEEK 鈥?Dolphins beat Patriots 34-33; Vikings lost to Seahawks 21-7AP PRO32 RANKING 鈥?Dolphins No. 15, Vikings No. 13DOLPHINS OFFENSE 鈥?OVERALL (29), RUSH (18) Cordrea Tankersley Jersey , PASS (27)DOLPHINS DEFENSE 鈥?OVERALL (29), RUSH (29T), PASS (25)VIKINGS OFFENSE 鈥?OVERALL (17), RUSH (30), PASS (8)VIKINGS DEFENSE 鈥?OVERALL (5), RUSH (13), PASS (5)STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES 鈥?Dolphins have won three straight against Vikings, whose last win in series was 20-17 on Dec. 21, 2002, on Gary Anderson’s 53-yard field goal at Metrodome with 17 seconds left. … Ryan Tannehill’s 105.7 passer rating would be second best in Dolphins history behind Dan Marino’s 108.9 in 1984. Tannehill has posted 100-plus rating in past three games, longest such streak of his career. Dolphins are 12-4 in past 16 games Tannehill has played. … Dolphins lead NFL with a 20-6 record (76.9 percent) in one-score games since 2016. … Dolphins allowing points on 79.2 percent of opponent red-zone opportunities, second best among inside-20 defenses in league. … Dolphins are second in NFL with 19 interceptions and tied for third with 25 takeaways. … Dolphins averaged 9.2 yards per play last week, second best in team history. … Kenyan Drake’s winning score on final snap against Patriots last week was his fifth TD reception this year 鈥?it came after two laterals 鈥?to tie team RB record. That play, covering 69 yards, was longest from scrimmage to win game with no time remaining since 1970 AFL/NFL merger. … Vikings play first game under interim offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski, replacing John DeFilippo. In last three losses, all on road, Vikings have averaged just 274 yards and 12 points per game. … Over last four games, Vikings have total of 21 first-half points. … Vikings QB Kirk Cousins, in last four games, has three of his five sub-90 passer ratings of season. … Vikings WR Adam Thielen Raekwon McMillan Jersey , who leads league with 103 catches, has 50 receptions for 580 yards and four TDs in six home games this year. … Vikings’ defense held Seahawks QB Russell Wilson last week to lowest passer rating of seven-year career, 37.9. … Vikings DE Danielle Hunter, tied for third in NFL with 12陆 sacks, has matched career high. … Fantasy tip: Vikings RB Dalvin Cook had 83 total yards and TD catch at Seahawks last week. In six career home games, Cook has 660 total yards and three TDs. In last five road games, Dolphins have allowed 628 total yards and five TDs to opponent’s lead RB (Marlon Mack, Aaron Jones, Lamar Miller, Joe Mixon, Sony Michel). MIAMI (AP) — First-year coach Brian Flores has been saying it since March and said it again Sunday: The Miami Dolphins are not tanking in 2019.The claim sounded less convincing after Miami parted with three veterans in deals that netted mostly draft picks.Even before the Dolphins swung the two weekend trades, they were widely expected to be among the NFL’s worst teams. The departures of left tackle Laremy Tunsil, receiver Kenny Stills and linebacker Kiko Alonso, who made a combined 137 starts in 2016-18 for the Dolphins, increase the likelihood they’ll bring up the rear this year.The deals also make it more probable the Dolphins will go first in the 2020 draft, which fits neatly with the need for a franchise quarterback as part of the rebuilding project ordered in January by owner Stephen Ross.So are they tanking?“No, we’re not,” Flores said. “We’re going to try to win every game. It’s disheartening to hear people even say that. For a guy who respects the game, as much as the game has done for me, when people say that — they shouldn’t say it.”To explain the roster purge, the Dolphins made Flores available rather than general manager Chris Grier. Ross has said little publicly in recent months about his team, but Flores said the owner is on board with the direction.“He has been very supportive Charles Harris Jersey ,” Flores said. “This entire organization is on the same page.”That includes the players, the coach said, even if they’re dismayed that three longtime teammates have been traded.“I understand there are relationships that are built,” Flores said. “But the guys in the locker room, I think they’re going to band together and play together.”Miami completed the trade Sunday that sent Tunsil, Stills, a 2020 fourth-round pick and a 2021 sixth-round pick to the Texans for 2020 and 2021 first-round picks, a 2021 second-round pick, tackle Julién Davenport and cornerback Johnson Bademosi.“This was something we couldn’t turn down,” Flores said.He said the departure of Stills was about football and not politics. Stills recently criticized Ross’ support of President Donald Trump, and he has been kneeling during the national anthem for the past four seasons to protest racial inequality and police brutality.Alonso was traded to the Saints for linebacker Vince Biegel, who has yet to start an NFL game.The deals leave the Dolphins with a passel of draft picks in the next two years, and a salary cap situation that will be the envy of the NFL. But that won’t help in 2019.They are likely to enter the season with the NFL’s youngest team thanks to more than two dozen players under the age of 25. That includes five undrafted rookie free agents heading into the opener next Sunday against Baltimore.In the wake of the recent roster shake-up, Flores and his staff must quickly decide on a replacement for Tunsil, one of the league’s best left tackles. The front-runner is Davenport, who started 15 games for the Texans last year and allowed 12 sacks, the second most by a tackle.“He’s a good young player,” Flores said. “His best football is ahead of him.”