This is it. The Dolphins season, and playoff hopes come down to these last two games. If the Fins wish to get anywhere near the playoffs this year, they will need to win this game against the Houston Texans, the same team that the Dolphins have continually failed to beat over the course of their existance. This time playoff hopes are riding on this game, and both teams will be equally motivated to capture the win to keep their playoff dreams alive.

Contain The Beast:

The Beast is codename for Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson, you know, the guy that has singlehandedly defeated the Dolphins the past couple of meetings.

The Dolphins defense has usually let Johnson do as he pleased in years past, but this year looks to be different. Rookie corners Sean Smith and Vontae Davis have performed well so far this year and while both have been burned for big plays, some spectacular, and some very, very odd, nevertheless, the rookie corner duo is primed for the home stretch. While Smith has the size to cover Johnson, Davis will most likely get the job due to the coaching staffs insistence that the rookie corners rarely switch which sides their assignments are on.

Davis has performed admirably so far this year, matching up against some of the NFL’s best talent, but he is also not happy with what he has allowed some of the opposing players to achieve. While Davis has registered 4 interceptions, leading the team, he has also let up numerous touchdowns, some when he has air tight coverage. Davis specializes in psyching out his opponent, and overmatching the opposing receiver with his physical play.

While Davis is the talker of the bunch, fellow rookie Sean Smith is the shutdown corner of the two.

Smith has rarely had the ball thrown his way, but when it is, it seems that Smith ends up involved in one of the weirdest plays of the year. Everytime Smith is targeted downfield, the play results in a big play because Smith just cannot come up with the ball. Part of this can be attributed to Smith being a rookie, and even mistiming his jumps, but the end result is the same, and it usually is a big play for the opposing team.

Smith and Davis both have amazing potential, but I’m looking for the long road of bumps and bruises to end this week, against the Texans high-powered offense, if the Dolphins are to have any hope to win the game and sneak into the playoffs.

Part of their job will be to stop Johnson, but part of it will also to just shut down the air game altogether. Matt Schaub will be looking to get some points through the air, but if Smith and Davis are on the Texans receivers like blankets, Schaub will have to check down to his other options, which is better than just giving the ball to Johnson.

Johnson can do so many things for a team whether it is going up to get the ball, or running through would-be tacklers, or throwing in a stiff arm here and there. This guy may be the best receiver in the game, and if the Dolphins can stop Johnson, they will put themselves in prime position to win this game.

Run, Ricky, Run:

Texans linebacker Brian Cushing is listed as questionable, which gives the Dolphins the chance to capitalize through the ground when they are on offense. To win this game, the Dolphins will of course need to outscore the Texans, and with the combination of Chad Henne’s arm, and the ground game, the Dolphins should be able to keep up with the Texans high-string aerial attack.

Ricky will have to break loose, and get over 100 yards this week, and even get into the endzone for the Dolphins to keep up in this one. The Dolphins cannot become one dimensional in this one, because when they rely on Henne’s arm too much, that is when he tends to throw a high amount of interceptions. Last week Henne made the second worst pass defense look like champs, so if the Dolphins can look to run the ball like they were earlier in the season, there should be no reason for the Dolphins to end up turning the ball over at high rates as they were the past few weeks.

Final Score:

27-24 Dolphins