5 Bold Predictions for Miami Dolphins' Week 2 Matchup

The Miami Dolphins have had back-to-back road games six times under head coach Joe Philbin, and they have won both road games three times. 

There's no reason to think they won't pull it off again. After beating the Washington Redskins 17-10 in Week 1, the Dolphins now travel to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars and look to move to 2-0 on the season.

The Carolina Panthers outclassed the Jaguars on their home turf in Week 1, and if the Dolphins play to their potential, they'll do the same thing. Here are five predictions on some steps they might take toward achieving that goal. 

Ryan Tannehill Will Throw 3 Touchdowns

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Three touchdowns may not sound like a lot on paper, but consider this: In 33 games with Gus Bradley as their head coach, the Jaguars have yielded three or more touchdowns just six times, which is right around the middle of the pack in the NFL in that time.

Likewise, in Ryan Tannehill's 49 games as the Dolphins quarterback, he has thrown three or more touchdowns just six times. For context, that's fewer than Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (seven) and just one more than Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford.

Tannehill is going to need to get an A-plus effort from all of the skill position players at his disposal if he wants to pull it off, but it would go a long way toward giving the Dolphins their second road win of the season. 

The Dolphins Defense Will Combine for 6 Sacks

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Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles was taken down five times in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers. Take nothing away from Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson or defensive tackle Kawann Short, but the overall talent of Carolina's front seven does not match that of Miami's.

The Dolphins were mostly stonewalled by the Redskins offensive line in Week 1; in fact, rookie defensive tackle Jordan Phillips was the only player to notch a sack of quarterback Kirk Cousins. Cameron Wake, Ndamukong Suh, Earl Mitchell and Olivier Vernon combined for just five quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

The Dolphins have the talent up front to take over games; it's just a matter of them putting it all together. What better time to do that than when faced with a weak offensive line?

Lamar Miller Will Finally Get 20 or More Carries

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How can something so trivial qualify as a bold prediction?

Maybe because it's been nearly two calendar years since the last time the Dolphins coaches gave Lamar Miller 20 or more carries. 

Miller finished Week 1 with just 13 carries for 53 yards and one catch for 22 yards. At some point this season, the Dolphins are going to need to make him a bigger part of the game plan to avoid becoming one-dimensional on offense. 

Why not against the Jacksonville Jaguars? Well, maybe because they feature a talented defensive line of Chris Clemons, Jared Odrick, Tyson Alualu and Roy Miller. But if nothing else, the Dolphins can use the running game to keep the Jaguars defensive line honest and prevent it from charging hard into the backfield every snap. 

Brent Grimes Will Grab 2 Interceptions

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Brent Grimes is one of the best ball hawks in the game right now. Since joining the Dolphins in 2013, the veteran cornerback has been elected to two Pro Bowls and has intercepted 10 passes—that's the third-most interceptions of any defender in the league in that time. 

But only twice in his nearly nine-year career has he intercepted two passes in a game. Since 2014, Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles has been the second-most intercepted quarterback in the NFL with 19 picks (San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers leads the NFL with 20).

If Grimes is ever going to notch another multi-interception performance, it should be this week against Bortles. Jaguars wide receivers Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson are both 6'3", but Grimes has proven before that size doesn't matter, and he could prove it again this week if given the opportunity.

The Dolphins Will Win by Double Digits

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Yes, I predicted the Dolphins would win by 14 points last week. Yes, I was wrong. 

But once again, the Dolphins look like the superior team on paper and should win by a big margin.

The betting line was originally set at 4.5 in favor of Miami, but it has since moved to 5.5, according to Odds Shark. That means most of America thinks the Dolphins can win by at least one possession. 

If the Dolphins defense can capitalize on one or two miscues from Blake Bortles, and if the offensive line can protect Ryan Tannehill long enough to allow him to dissect the secondary, the Dolphins could roll to a big victory in Jacksonville. 

Unless otherwise noted, all advanced stats obtained via Pro Football Focus.