NFL Week 16 Preview: Dolphins at Chiefs

The Miami Dolphins visit the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 16 of the 2017 NFL season. PFF previews the top player matchups of the game.

Coverage by: Cyrus Geller

WR Jarvis Landry vs. CB Steven Nelson – Landry has had a very nice season, ranking 13th out of 115 qualified receivers with an overall grade of 83.0. He has been particularly effective in the slot, as he has the third-most slot receptions with 57, and the seventh-most yards with 532. He will see a lot of Steven Nelson in the slot, who has struggled this year, ranking 48th out of 54 qualified slot corners by allowing 1.60 yards per coverage snap in the slot. His overall grade of 48.2 ranks 96th out of 119 qualified cornerbacks.

Jarvis Landry, wide receiver, Miami Dolphins

T Sam Young vs. Edge Justin Houston – Houston has been great once again in 2017, ranking 12th out of 115 qualified edge defenders with an overall grade of 88.2. He has 48 total pressures from the left side, which is the third-most among 49 qualified 3-4 outside linebackers. He will go up against Sam Young, who is coming off a phenomenal performance against Buffalo, allowing only one hurry in 55 pass-blocking snaps for an overall game grade of 82.0.
WR DeVante Parker vs. CB Terrance Mitchell – Parker is coming off a rough outing against the Bills, as he was targeted 12 times by Jay Cutler, who threw a pick and had a passer rating of 39.9 when throwing his way. For the season quarterbacks have a passer rating of 52.5 when targeting Parker, which is 84th out of 85 qualified receivers. He may have a chance to bounce back a bit this week, as he will see a lot of Terrance Mitchell, who is allowing 1.87 yards per coverage snap, which is tied for 117th out of 120 qualified cornerbacks. Mitchell’s overall grade for the season is 57.7, which ranks 86th out of 119 qualified corners.

Coverage by: Mike Guerrelli

WR Tyreek Hill vs. CB Xavien Howard – Hill is a matchup problem for defenses with his ability to create big plays downfield. He has eleven receptions with no drops on deep passes (targets 20-plus yards downfield), and is second with 543 yards receiving and six touchdowns on deep passes. Hill ranks first among receivers with 65 or more total targets this year with a 129.9 passer rating when targeted. Howard is the 83rd ranked cornerback this season with a 61.6 overall grade. However, he has dramatically improved his play recently, with two tremendous games graded above 90.0 in Weeks 13 and 14. In coverage, Howard ranks 16th among cornerbacks allowing 0.82 yards per cover snap, and is 13th allowing a passer rating of 64.3 when targeted.

G Laurent Duvernay-Tardif vs. DI Ndamukong Suh – This battle inside will go a long way in determining which team controls the line of scrimmage in this game. Duvernay-Tardif has compiled a 76.4 overall grade this year, and is the 19th-ranked guard through Week 15. He has only allowed one sack in 338 pass-block snaps, and is 10th in pass-blocking efficiency. Suh has been his usual dominant self this season. He ranks third among interior defenders with a 91.4 overall grade, and second with a 92.3 run-defense grade. Suh's 40 total pressures and five sacks are both the tenth-most among interior defenders.
RB Kareem Hunt vs. LB Kiko Alonso – Hunt has been a key to the Chiefs resurgence in recent weeks. The rookie is the third-ranked running back with an 89.7 overall grade, and has the highest rushing grade for the season at 88.4. Hunt leads all backs with 71 missed tackles forced, and is ninth with 3.05 yards after contact per attempt. He is also a threat in the passing game, ranking eighth among running backs with 2.83 yards per route run. Alonso ranks 77th at linebacker with a 39.1 overall grade. He has struggled in coverage, allowing 720 yards receiving, the most of any linebacker. Alonso is allowing 1.59 yards per cover snap, which ranks 79th of 82 qualifying linebackers.

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