Eagles-Dolphins 5 things: Slowing down Miami's slot WRs key

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Dolphins (3-5) at Eagles (4-4)
1 p.m. on CBS
Eagles favored by 6

With wins in three of the last four games, the Eagles look to capitalize on recent momentum and improve their record to above .500 for the first time in 2015. First, they must dispatch of the 3-5 Miami Dolphins still in search of their identity following a mid-season coaching change.

The Eagles are heavily favored and seem to have the edge on paper, but here are five areas that could swing the outcome in either direction:

1. Most valuable replacement?
There's a strong case to be made for Jordan Hicks as Eagles' Most Valuable Player in the first half of 2015. However, a season-ending injury means a new stabilizing force will have to emerge at interior linebacker, not to mention another defensive playmaker in general.

The good news is the rest of the ILB rotation is getting healthy. Mychal Kendricks returned before the bye week, Kiko Alonso came back last week and DeMeco Ryans is set to play against the Dolphins on Sunday. Seeing as that was the rotation originally anticipated entering this season, the defense should be OK.

Collectively, the trio has had an impact when it's been on the field. Kendricks, Alonso and Ryans have combined to post 2.0 sacks, two interceptions and a forced fumble in 14 combined games.

Then again, Kendrcks and Alonso have both looked rusty at times since returning. Alonso remained limited last week and who knows what to expect of Ryans on Sunday. With Hicks on the shelf, however, they'll be counted on for the spark the rookie so often provided in the first half.

2. Lazor-guided missile
The Dolphins may have fired Joe Philbin and promoted Dan Campbell to head coach, but the offense should still look familiar. That's because former Eagles quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor is still running the show. Lazor served only one season under Chip Kelly in Philadelphia, but clearly it was a significant influence.

"There really is a lot of the offense that Chip runs, and he took a lot of that with him," Eagles defensive coordinator Bill Davis said. "So we see a lot of familiar plays that we've seen over time and that we practice all offseason."

Davis believes that familiarity will prove helpful.

"When Chip and the Eagles' offense present us with something," he said, "we as coaches and players talk about these are the things we have to do to stop that. So now we haven't had those conversations in a little while, but now we come back and it's not like it's a brand-new thought for anybody, player or coach."

The Eagles should have a leg up on Miami, which could make for a rough day for Ryan Tannehill in particular. The fourth-year signal-caller may rank seventh in the NFL with 2,237 yards passing, but much of that production has come in garbage time. It's Tannehill's nine interceptions and 23 sacks for a league-leading 223 yards lost that jump off the stat sheet.

3. Miami slot machine
It was a little scary watching the likes of Dallas Cowboys wideout Cole Beasley shred the Eagles' nickel defense, specifically safety/slot corner Malcolm Jenkins. Beasley enjoyed his best game of the season last week, hauling in nine passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns — much of that production at Jenkins' expense.

It won't get a whole lot easier this week against Miami. Jarvis Landry is one of the most prolific slot receivers in the NFL. Only Jordan Matthews for the Eagles and Pro Bowler Randall Cobb have more catches out of the slot than Landry this season with 31, according to Pro Football Focus. He also ranks fourth with 362 yards receiving.

Landry isn't especially explosive or much of a downfield threat, averaging just 10.1 yards per reception. That being said, he's sure-handed, an excellent route runner and keeps the chains moving.

Jenkins has largely fared well in the slot this season, last week being the exception — and who knows whether a concussion played a role. Regardless, outside of running back Lamar Miller, Landry is the Dolphins' most important weapon. It's absolutely critical Jenkins or another member of the Eagles' secondary keeps him in check.

4. Happy to have Caleb
One man's garbage is another man's gold. The Dolphins used a fifth-round draft pick on Caleb Sturgis, but released the kicker after two wildly inconsistent seasons. That sure worked out well for the Eagles, who wound up in need of a new boot when Cody Parkey landed on season-ending injured reserve.

Sturgis struggled out of the gate, missing a field goal and an extra point in a three-point loss to Washington in his Eagles debut — we can all count, those points would've helped. However, since then, Sturgis has connected on 11 of 12 field goal tries and is 11 of 12 on extra points, as well.

Not only has he been accurate, but clutch as well. Sturgis nailed a 53-yard, fourth-quarter field goal against the Cowboys last week to ensure overtime.

Meanwhile, Miami's own kicking game hasn't exactly fared a whole lot better without Sturgis. The Dolphins only asked Andrew Franks to attempt eight field goals all season, and he's missed two, while also going 19 for 21 on extra points.

It's a swap the Eagles are happy for, and could be even more so after Sunday's game, where it appears they own a distinct special teams advantage.

5. Murray or Mathews?
The debate between whether DeMarco Murray or Ryan Mathews should be the Eagles' feature back rages on, but for at least one more week, it may not matter much. After all, why not just feed both the rock?

It's not like the Dolphins have had much luck stopping the run. No team in the NFL has faced more rushing attempts this season, largely because it's worked so well. Miami's defense ranks 31st in yards surrendered and 26th in yards allowed per carry.

Meanwhile, the Eagles' ground attack has really begun to find itself in recent weeks. The team hasn't run for less than 150 yards in a game in any of its last four, with both Murray and Mathews experiencing their share of success.

Is Mathews still outperforming Murray on the ground? On Sunday, it might be beside the point. Get both in the neighborhood of 15-plus carries, and take the pressure off of quarterback Sam Bradford to do anything but manage the game.

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