The Carolina Panthers travel to Miami for a Week 12 matchup with the Dolphins. After falling to Washington last Sunday, the Panthers enter this week with a 5-6 record and sit in 3rd place in the NFC South. The 4-7 Dolphins come into this week’s matchup on a three-game winning streak after starting the season 1-7.
Carolina has played Miami just six previous times before this week – tied for the fewest number of games the Panthers have had against any NFL team in club history. Miami leads the overall series 4-2, however the Panthers have won each of the last two games.
The Numbers:
About Carolina:
- In his first start of the season last week, QB Cam Newton accounted for three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). The performance marked Newton’s 44th career game with at least one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown, the most such performances in NFL history.
- OLB Haason Reddick increased his season total to 10.5 sacks, becoming just the 9th player in Panthers history to notch a double-digit sack season. Reddick currently leads all NFC players in sacks and is tied for 3rd overall in the league. His 23.0 sacks since the start of the 2020 season are also tied for 3rd most.
- Last Sunday against Washington, RB Christian McCaffrey became the fastest player in NFL history to tally 3,000 career rushing yards and 3,000 receiving yards (57 games), topping the previous record by Alvin Kamara (66). McCaffrey also tallied 50+ rushing and 50+ receiving yards, his 22nd game with 50/50, an NFL record for a player in his first five seasons.
- On the first drive of the game, Carolina marched 75 yards in nine plays and scored the first touchdown of the game on a 10-yard pass from QB Cam Newton to WR DJ Moore. The drive marked the third time this season Carolina scored a touchdown on its first possession. Moore’s 751 receiving yards rank 12th in the league.
- Through 11 games this season, Carolina has started eight different lineups along the
offensive line. T Taylor Moton is the only Panthers offensive lineman to start all 11 games this season, 10 at RT and one at LT.
- Carolina has allowed just two sacks over the last four weeks (8-11), the fewest given up by any team over that span. The Panthers have tallied 315 rushing attempts through Week 11, tied for the 6th most in the NFL.
- Over the last four games (Weeks 8-11), the Panthers have recorded seven takeaways (four interceptions, three fumble recoveries), tied for 6th among all teams over that span.
- Carolina’s 30 sacks this year are the 3rd most in the NFL. The Panthers are allowing the fewest passing yards per game in the NFL (174.2). This marks the fewest passing yards allowed through the first 11 games in team history.
- Carolina totaled 111 rushing yards against Washington, the Panthers’ eighth game this season with 100+ yards on the ground. The Panthers averaged 6.1 yards per play on offense, a new single-game high this year (297 net yards on 47 plays).
About Miami:
- The Dolphins have the sixth-fewest penalty yards in the league (1,981) and have the seventh-fewest accepted penalties (241) during Brian Flores’ tenure as head coach.
- Miami has been one of the NFL’s fastest-starting teams the past two seasons. In the first quarter of games this season, the Dolphins have outscored opponents 62-36. The +23 point differential is seventh in the NFL this year.
- QB Tua Tagovailoa has been limited to just five full games in 2021 due to injury but has 138 completions this season for 1,471 yards and nine touchdowns.
- TE Mike Gesicki is the team’s second-leading receiver in both yardage and receptions this season, totaling 579 receiving yards on 49 receptions (11.8 avg.). His reception and yardage totals have increased in each of his first three NFL seasons and he is on pace to do that again in 2021.
- WR Jaylen Waddle has only played 11 career games but he’s already caught 68 passes. His 68 receptions are the second-most by a wide receiver in his first 11 career games in NFL history.
- The Dolphins lead the NFL in passes defensed (59) and in QB hits (79). Miami is tied for third in the NFL in fumble recoveries (9) and is tied for eighth in takeaways (16). The Dolphins are sixth in the league in first-down success rate as just 47.1 percent of opposing first-down snaps have gained 4+ yards.
- CB Xavien Howard entered the 2021 season leading the NFL in interceptions over the past three seasons and has a few more takeaways this year.
- DE Emmanuel Ogbah has been one of the league’s most productive pass rushers since he joined the Dolphins in 2020, and he also has a knack for batting down balls at the line of scrimmage.
- The Dolphins defense has ranked among the league’s best in the past month.
Connections:
- Panthers WR Robby Anderson is a native of Fort Lauderdale, FL and attended South Plantation HS.
- Panthers DE Brian Burns is a native of Fort Lauderdale, FL and attended American Heritage. Burns also played his collegiate years at Florida State from 2016-18.
- Panthers S Sam Franklin Jr. is a native of Crystal River, FL and attended Citrus HS.
- Panthers DE Marquis Haynes Jr. is a native of Jacksonville, FL and attended University Christian School.
- Panthers CB CJ Henderson is a native of Miami, FL and attended Columbus HS. Henderson also spent his collegiate years at Florida from 2017-19.
- Panthers G John Miller is a native of Miami, FL and attended Central HS.
- Panthers CB A.J. Bouye played his collegiate years at Central Florida from 2009-2012.
- Dolphins DT Christian Wilkins played his collegiate years at Clemson from 2015-18.
- Dolphins QB Jacoby Brissett played his collegiate years at NC State from 2013-15.
- Dolphins WR Mack Hollins played his collegiate years at North Carolina from 2013-16.
Carolina vs Miami:
All-Time Series: 6 total matchups | Miami leads the series 4-2
Last Regular Season Game: 11/13/17 | Miami 21 @ Carolina 45
Series Record at Venue: Carolina is 1-2 in road games at Miami
Series Streak: Carolina has won the last two matchups
Per Release