The Miami Dolphins have surprised a lot of people by starting this year’s NFL season 2-0, but today’s matchup against the Atlanta Falcons will put that record to the test. The Dolphins currently share the AFC East’s top spot with the New England Patriots, but the 1-1 Falcons have “upset” on the mind as they go into Miami. The game in Miami starts at 4:05 Eastern / 1:05 Pacific, so you’ll want to make sure that if you can’t catch the game on FOX, that you watch Falcons vs Dolphins live online streaming to see whether the Dolphins can go 3-0, or if their record slips into a tie with the Falcons’.
The Dolphins last started 3-0 in 2002 — more than a decade ago, for those taking notes at home. What’s impressive about this year’s record is that today’s live online streaming NFL Sunday football game is Miami’s home opener. After hosting the Falcons, the Dolphins will hit the road again to play the New Orleans Saints before returning home — in Week 5 — to play only their second home game of the season against defending the NFL champion Baltimore Ravens.
It’s important, then, for the Dolphins to take care of business today at home before hitting the road for some tough games. Miami’s 2-0 record is somewhat surprising considering they have only the 21st-ranked offense in the NFL so far this year. For comparison, the Falcons have the 11th-ranked offense. The Dolphins this offseason put several players around QB Ryan Tannehill, but it hasn’t necessarily yet paid off. One of the biggest additions was wide receiver Mike Wallace, whom they added to act as the deep threat they’ve lacked. Still, though, the Dolphins have only managed the 11th-ranked passing game, while the Falcons have managed the 6th-ranked.
Interestingly, the story with the Falcons’ offense isn’t their highly rated passing game, but their struggling ground attack. The Falcons’ rushing game is ranked 26th in the NFL, only two spots ahead of the Dolphins. After signing Stephen Jackson, the Falcons expected to balance their offense and give QB Matt Ryan some additional room to work as defenses paid attention to the rush. Instead, Jackson has been hampered by injury, having carried the ball only 14 times this season, and he’s been ruled out today. Matt Ryan’s performed admirably, but you’ll have to watch Falcons vs Dolphins live online streaming to see if he can lead the limping Falcons to victory on the road.
The chances are surprisingly good, all things considered. The Falcons are coming off a big victory last week, saving their season from spiraling into an 0-2 debacle, and Matt Ryan’s performing well. If the Dolphins can’t keep pressure on the Falcons QB, it could be a very long day in Miami for the home team — and a productive one for Atlanta.
The trick may actually lie in the defensive performance of both teams. As noted by SB Nation, only three teams allowed more passing yards during the first two games than the Falcons, so Ryan Tannehill could have a heydey. However, Miami’s passing defense will be tested as much as the Falcons, since Atlanta has some solid wide receivers. The good news for the Dolphins is that cornerbacks Brent Grimes and Nolan Carroll are both playing well, with Grimes tied for the second-highest ranked corner and Carroll rated fourth.
If you can’t catch the 4:05 Eastern / 1:05 Pacific kickoff on FOX, make sure you watch Falcons vs Dolphins live online streaming. FOX doesn’t have a free online live streaming feed, so you’ll have to either subscribe to DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket package and upgrade to the Max package or check out gameday-live.com, which generally carries live online streaming NFL Sunday football.
