Eagles-Dolphins scouting report

This matchup appears ideal for the Eagles' rushing offense. The Dolphins allow 142.1 rushing yards per game, second most in the NFL. They surrendered 266 rushing yards last week to Buffalo, including two 100-yard rushers. The Eagles could go for that feat with DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews, who have combined to give the Eagles a potent backfield in recent weeks. The Eagles have averaged 173.3 rushing yards over the last four games.

With left tackle Jason Peters questionable entering the game, the Eagles lineup on the offensive line is still undetermined. If Peters plays, Lane Johnson would start at right tackle. If Peters is absent, Johnson would play left tackle, and Dennis Kelly would start at right tackle. But the two offensive linemen to watch closely will be Jason Kelce and Matt Tobin. They likely will be tasked with double-teaming Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, one of the best linemen in the NFL. Their top linebacker is Koa Misi, who has 51 tackles.

After one of his best games of the season, quarterback Sam Bradford will have a chance to build on his performance against a pass defense that has allowed an average quarterback rating of 97.1. They don't give up many yards (242 per game), but they only have six interceptions. Their top cornerback is Northeast High School alum Brent Grimes. He could cover first-round pick Nelson Agholor if Agholor returns to the lineup. Agholor has missed the last three games with an ankle injury and is probable for the game. The potential mismatch is in the slot, where Jordan Matthews has a six-inch height advantage on Dolphins cornerback Brice McCain.

The Dolphins will miss the pass-rushing presence of Penn State product Cameron Wake, who is out for the season. He leads the team with seven sacks. Suh has the next-highest total, with three.

When the Eagles kick, they can be more confident in Caleb Sturgis. The former Dolphins kicker has made 11 of his last 12 field-goal attempts, including a 53-yarder last week.

The Eagles might recognize some of what the Dolphins do on offense. That's because the Dolphins' offensive coordinator is former Eagles quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor, who brought parts of Chip Kelly's offense to Miami. Those parts represent about 25 percent of Miami's offense, but the zone-read concepts and package plays will look familiar.

The Dolphins have hitched their future to quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who was a wide receiver at Texas A&M and is one of the more athletic quarterbacks the Eagles will play this season. He is completing 64.2 percent of passes and has 13 touchdowns, although he also has thrown nine interceptions. His top target is slot receiver Jarvis Landry, who has 53 catches for 535 yards and two touchdowns. Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins plays in the slot and struggled against Cole Beasley in Dallas last week while playing with a concussion. Jenkins has been cleared to play Sunday and knows the importance of the matchup against Landry. The Dolphins invested a first-round pick in wide receiver DeVante Parker, who has only four catches while dealing with an injury. He's questionable for Sunday's game.

But the key to the Dolphins offense is running back Lamar Miller. One of the most underrated rushers in the league, Miller averages 5.9 yards per carry and has five rushing touchdowns in the last four games. Miller is also a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield. The Eagles' run defense has allowed 169 yards per game in its last two games. The expected return of linebacker DeMeco Ryans could help that unit, although it doesn't have Jordan Hicks.

The Dolphins' offensive line is led by center Mike Pouncey, who is one of the top centers in the NFL. But it's missing right tackle Ja'Waun James and will turn to Jason Fox. Fox allowed a sack and four hurries last week, so Connor Barwin could be in line for a big game.

-30: That is the Eagles' point differential in the first quarter this season. The Eagles' slow starts have been a problem throughout the season. They've scored only 10 first-quarter points; opponents have scored 40. The Eagles make up for it in the third quarter, when they have a plus-40 point differential. They are outscoring opponents by 67-27 in the third quarter. This will be a good week to fix the slow starts. The Dolphins have allowed 56 first-quarter points and have a minus-22 point differential.

Zach Berman: Eagles 31, Dolphins 24

Jeff McLane: Eagles 34, Dolphins 23