Miami Dolphins vs. Carolina Panthers: Countdown to Kickoff

Hunter Leach

The Miami Dolphins are heading into Week 6 after another impressive win at home against the New York Giants (31-16). They host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Oct. 15 at 1 p.m. at Hard Rock Stadium.

The offense continues to produce through five games. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa completed 22-of-30 for 308 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in last week’s win over the Giants. Tagovailoa currently leads all quarterbacks in passing with 1,614 yards and the highest yards per attempt amongst starters (9.7).

Miami wide receiver Tyreek Hill leads all receivers across the league with 651 yards and is tied with Buffalo Bills Stefon Diggs and Chicago Bears DJ Moore for most receiving touchdowns with five.

Defensively, the Dolphins pressured the Giants, leading to seven sacks and 14 quarterback hits. Six Dolphins players recorded at least one sack, including Zach Sieler (2.0), Jerome Baker (1.5), Emmanuel Ogbah (1.5), Andrew Van Ginkel (1.0), Christian Wilkins (0.5) and Eli Apple (0.5).

The Dolphins are 4-1 for the first time since 2003 and currently claim the top spot in the AFC East.

The Carolina Panthers (0-5) are coming off a loss to the Detroit Lions and still searching for their first win of 2023.

From the start last week’s Panthers game, the Lions took control and never looked back. The Lions scored quick off a 42-yard touchdown run by running back David Montgomery and a four-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jared Goff to rookie tight end Sam LaPorta.

The Panthers answered with a touchdown of their own, a one-yard catch by tight end Tommy Tremble from quarterback Bryce Young. From there, the Lions offense continued their attack.

The Panthers rookie quarterback was under pressure throughout the game, leading to two interceptions and a fumble.

The contest ended with a 42-24 Panthers defeat.

Young posted the first multi-touchdown game of his career last week with three. Through his first four career games, the first overall pick has thrown for 750 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions.

Entering Week 6, the Dolphins seek to continue their impressive start and improve to 5-1 for the first time since 2002. So far this season, the Dolphins lead the league in both passing yards per attempt (10.0) and rushing yards per carry (6.9), and have a total of 24 total touchdowns (12 passing and 12 rushing).

The Panthers currently have the second best third-down defense in the league through Week 5, allowing just a 29.8 conversion percentage. Only the Cleveland Browns are better with a 22.6 conversion percentage allowed. The Panthers’ defense is ranked fifth in passing, allowing just 185 yards through the air. Only the Browns, Cowboys, Ravens, and Saints have allowed fewer passing yards per game.

The last time the Dolphins and Panthers met was back in 2021 in Miami Gardens, where the Dolphins came away with a 33-10 win. The Panthers are Miami’s least faced opponent in franchise history as this will be just the eighth meeting all-time.

Make sure to check out the Injury Report and see the status of the players ahead of gametime and check Miami Dolphins social 90 minutes before kickoff for inactives. Also, remember to test your knowledge in this week’s Dolphins Trivia.

Watch the game live on Sunday, October 15 at 1 p.m. on CBS, listen on the Dolphins Radio Network and view the Game Center for the latest coverage.