The New York Giants (1-3) and Miami Dolphins (3-1) will square off on Sunday afternoon in a Week 5 matchup at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
The Giants opened the week as 10.5-point road underdogs but that spread has only gotten worse. They are +12.5 as of this writing.
Buy Giants TicketsWith this matchup on tap, Giants Wire took the opportunity to hold a Q&A with Dolphins Wire managing editor Mike Masala.
Tua Tagovailoa is playing at an MVP level. What's the biggest change you've seen in his game that's helped him raise his level of play?
Masala: Since Mike McDaniel took over last year, the Dolphins have done a great job providing his quarterback with weapons and a scheme that allows him to use his strengths — his accuracy and decision-making. Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and rookie De’Von Achane are three of the fastest players in the NFL, and they’re being moved all over the field, sometimes before the snap, to confuse defenses and get them into open space faster. This allows Tagovailoa to deliver his catchable passes in areas that allow his weapons to make defenders miss or just run away from them.
New England and Buffalo held the Dolphins' offense to 44 combined points. How did they do it?
In those two matchups, the opponents did a great job of limiting big plays, keeping Miami’s litany of weapons in front of them and executing their tackles soundly. On top of that, the Dolphins can be affected by strong pass rushers, especially if Liam Eichenberg is starting at center again for Connor Williams, who will likely be questionable for the matchup. Pressure can throw off Tagovailoa’s timing and make it much more difficult for him to be accurate.
Has ex-Giant Eli Apple started stirring the pot yet or are we still waiting for that to come?
Eli Apple hasn’t been a problem off of the field just yet. However, he appeared to be a healthy scratch against the Buffalo Bills after having no injury designation on the injury report. It also just so happened to be Miami’s first loss with second-year cornerback Kader Kohou getting beat up and down the field by Stefon Diggs. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Apple get back into action this week, but there’s a solid chance that pots may be stirred shortly.
If you had to pinpoint one advantage the Giants have over the Dolphins, what would it be?
It might not be exciting, but the Giants have the Dolphins beat in the kicking game. Graham Gano may have missed his first two attempts of this year, but he’s made the four since, including two from beyond 50 yards in the last two games. Miami’s Jason Sanders has been incredibly inconsistent in recent years. He hit 81% of his field goals last season, and Gano hasn’t hit less than 87% since 2016. They both may be 66.7% this year, but Gano has been more reliable for longer.
Let's hear your game prediction. Who wins, why is it Miami and how lopsided do you think it'll be?
The Dolphins should be coming out angry after the way they played against the Bills last week and all of the nonsense they’ve had to hear about it. They’re more talented than the Giants, but they do have some injuries that are concerning. Miami still wins by at least 10, but it probably won’t be another 50-point victory. Probably. Dolphins 38 Giants 23
