Member » Last week the Miami Dolphins resorted to eight-m

an pass protection Jordan Phillips Jersey , so desperate were they to slow an onslaught against quarterback Ryan Tannehill.And now they have to block Khalil Mack.That will be a daunting task when Miami faces the Chicago Bears on Sunday in a matchup of first-place teams headed in opposite directions.The Dolphins (3-2) are trying to patch up an injury-depleted offensive line and rebound from consecutive ugly losses. The Bears (3-1) are well-rested after a bye, riding a three-game winning streak and alone atop the NFC North for the first time since 2013.Newcomer Mack has led the Bears into first place by dominating on defense. The two-time All-Pro end has five sacks and is tied for the NFL lead with four forced fumbles. He has at least one sack and forced fumble in each game. And the Dolphins might have to confront him without left tackle Laremy Tunsil, sidelined last week by a concussion.Here are things to know about the first meeting between the teams since 2014:CONTAINING KHALILNo team this season has been able to keep Mack off the quarterback.“He’s just playing at a different level than anybody that I’ve seen,” Miami coach Adam Gase said.Now Mack faces a team staggered by season-ending injuries to two starters in the offensive line, followed by the loss of Tunsil. He was badly missed last week, when Tannehill was hit 11 times in the second half as the Dolphins blew a 17-point lead at Cincinnati. The Bengals’ pass rush was so overwhelming Miami had almost everyone on offense blocking, and even that didn’t work.Mack is well aware a harried Tannehill committed two turnovers that were returned for touchdowns.“You watch the film,” Mack said. “You also know that he’s a good athlete and he makes a lot of plays.”But in each of the past two games, the Dolphins’ offense has scored only one touchdown and Tannehill has thrown for less than 200 yards.“He’s getting hit too much,” Gase said. “I’ve got to find a way to get the ball out of his hands, get guys open quicker, or figure something else out.”RIDING HIGHThe Bears’ most recent game http://www.thedolphinslockerroom.com/authentic-jesse-davis-jersey , a 48-10 win over Tampa Bay, was their most lopsided victory in six years. A win over Miami would give Chicago its longest win streak since a six-game run in 2012.“I just know our work’s not done,” linebacker Danny Trevathan said. “I’ve been in the situation. It’s good when you win. You want that feeling, but you want it to keep going. We were talking early, some of the older guys, about not getting complacent. You know, it’s been a long time since it’s been like this around here and we want it to stay this way.”BUILDING BLOCKComing off a breakout game, the challenge for Chicago quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is to show it was no fluke.Trubisky threw for six touchdowns 鈥?one shy of the NFL record held by Bears Hall of Famer Sid Luckman and seven others. It was the sort of performance the Bears envisioned when they traded up a spot to grab him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 draft.Trubisky had never previously thrown for more than two touchdowns.OVERSHADOWED DEFENSELost in the Dolphins’ collapse at Cincinnati was a solid performance by the defense, including young linebackers Raekwon McMillan and Jerome Baker.“We’re definitely moving in the right direction,” Baker said. “It’s exciting to see all of us making plays and playing well as a defense. You just have to constantly improve and the rest will handle itself.”TUTELAGEWhen Gase was the Bears’ offensive coordinator in 2015, among those who helped him prepare to become a head coach was Vic Fangio, who is still Chicago’s defensive coordinator.“The amount of conversations we had in the year that I was there Womens Cordrea Tankersley Jersey , it helped me grow a lot as to how I looked at things from an offensive perspective,” Gase said. “I really appreciated the amount of time that he would spend if I asked him a question about what he thought. He’s tough to go against.”___AP Sports Writer Andrew Seligman contributed to this report.___ The Dolphins are back in the win column! To keep playoff aspirations with a reasonable grasp, Miami will have to put up a good fight against the team’s divisional overlord from the north. New England has routinely smacked the Dolphins left and right but has had trouble racking up the W’s in Hard Rock Stadium. The Dolphins will hope to keep that home-field momentum going this weekend, but must stymie New England’s vaunted pass catching corps in order to do so.Each week of the 2018 season, I’m highlighting one player on the opposing team that Dolphins fans should be watching out for. This week, that player is New England Patriots wide receiver Josh GordonFact CheckPosition: WRExperience: 5th seasonAge: 27Height/Weight: 6’3”, 225 lbsCollege: UtahStat ReviewSince being traded to New England from the Cleveland Browns at the start of the season, Gordon has been one of Tom Brady’s top weapons in the Patriots’ aerial attack. In nine games, Gordon has corralled 34 receptions for 605 yards and three touchdowns, providing Bill Belichick with a big-bodied deep threat on the perimeter who can both stretch the defense and beat opposing defenders at the point of attack.Gordon’s 17.8 yards per catch ranks fifth in the league, showing that he is one of the most dangerous big-play pass catchers in the game. Given Miami’s propensity for giving up big gains this season, as exemplified in the team’s games against the Chicago Bears William Hayes Jersey , Houston Texans, and Indianapolis Colts, keeping Gordon for making any splash plays will be a must for Miami’s defense.Key MatchupsPicking the matchup to watch out for here is easy. Gordon is New England’s #1 wide receiver. Xavien Howard is Miami’s #1 cornerback. In his third season, Howard has quickly developed into one of the league’s premier defenders. He sits alone atop the league in interceptions with seven and snagged four in the last two games (two apiece against Andrew Luck and Josh Allen). He’s also cut down on giving up back-breaking plays down the field, something he struggled with earlier in the season. Howard picked Tom Brady off twice when the two teams met at Hard Rock Stadium last season and helped lead Miami to an upset victory.Belichick had a lot to say this week when asked about going up against Howard. “He does a very good job, really, in all areas of pass defense,” Belichick explained. “He’s good at the line of scrimmage. He’s disruptive. He does a good job of getting his hands on the receivers and making it hard for them to get into the route cleanly. He’s got good length. He’s good down the field. He has quickness to match routes and has good vision.” The future Hall of Fame coach did not stop there. “He’s been able to make some plays this year where he’s gotten a real good break on the ball, or in some cases even come off the man that he was guarding when the ball was in the air to get to somebody else. He’s got real good ball skills. He’s had a couple of outstanding interceptions this year where he’s either seen the ball late or had to make an acrobatic catch to intercept it. It’s usually the kind of plays you see from a receiver more than a defensive back.”Josh Gordon v Xavien Howard will be one of the most intriguing matchups across Week 14’s slate of games. Get your popcorn ready. This one should be good.UPDATE: Xavien Howard is questionable for Sunday’s game with a knee injury.