Dolphins vs Panthers NFL Pick: Miami Tries To Build on Its 1st Win (Oct 5)

• For NFL Week 5 Dolphins-Panthers, Miami hopes to build after getting its 1st win; the Panthers need to rebound from a blowout loss
• Both teams are 1-3, and their coaching situations are unstable, more so Miami than Carolina at the moment
• The teams last met nearly two years ago to the day, with the Dolphins winning 42-21
• The Dolphins are currently favored by 1, but the game is essentially a pick ’em

Miami’s 1st Win Gives Them Momentary Breathing Room

Would owner Stephen Ross have fired head coach Mike McDaniel had the Dolphins lost to the Jets on Monday night in Week 4?

Speculation is rampant that he would have, but we’ll never know.

Of course, if Miami loses in embarrassing fashion to another underwhelming opponent, the Panthers, that could cost McDaniel his job. For now, he’s still coaching the team and trying to get a win streak going.

They will be without wide receiver Tyreek Hill for the remainder of the season after he dislocated his knee.

Tua Tagovailoa had a solid game against a pretty good Jets’ pass defense, completing 17 of 25 passes for 177 yards and 2 TDs, including a brilliant pass and catch with tight end Darren Waller.

DeVon Achane ran for 99 yards on 20 carries.

On defense, they didn’t do a particularly good job of stopping the Jets, allowing Justin Fields to throw for 226 yards. But a win is a win is a win. They were fortunate in that they ran into a team that is struggling worse than they are.

Overall, the victory does not alter the reality that the Dolphins rank among the lower third of the NFL in every meaningful category, both offensively and defensively. They are 21st in takeaway differential at -2.

Panthers Lick Their Wounds After a Week 4 Beating

The Panthers looked to be on the right track after a spirited comeback in Week 3’s loss to the Cardinals and a 30-0 massacre of the Falcons. However, they traveled to New England and, after scoring first on a Bryce Young TD pass, surrendered 42 unanswered points, eventually losing 42-13.

Young threw for 150 yards on an 18 of 30 performance. Late in the game, Andy Dalton replaced him, likely because the game was so out of hand.

Drake Maye picked apart their defense and, on special teams, the Pats’ Marcus Jones returned a punt 87 yards for a touchdown.

The Panthers have ingrained problems that are unlikely to be fixed until they get better personnel. They have three solid running backs in Chuba Hubbard, Rico Dowdle, and Trevor Etienne, but are 26th in the league in rushing yards per game.

On defense, they’re ranked 12th against the pass and 23rd against the run.

Impetuous owner David Tepper has been quiet during the 1-3 start, but that might be worse than if he were doing his best imitation of 1970s and ’80s George Steinbrenner (pre-image refurbished baseball canonization) and screaming like a maniac with threats and missives.

If the Dolphins manhandle the Panthers, a Dave Canales watch could get underway.

Dolphins vs Panthers Pick

For Week 5 Dolphins-Panthers, this is a surprisingly important game for two 1-3 teams, given the coaching circumstances and that neither is realistically going to get into playoff contention.

The Panthers have the skill players to be competitive, but have not paid enough attention to the most important part of any team: the trenches.

The Dolphins should be in a better state of mind after getting their first win, but losing Hill put a damper on the positive vibes. The Dolphins are vulnerable to the run, and the Panthers must get their rushing attack going to have a chance to win.

Achane will get a lot of work with Hill out and Carolina being somewhat decent against the pass.

This will be a close game with Miami ultimately coming out on top.