Miami: The Dolphins head to Seattle looking for a fourth consecutive season-opening win but the bigger issue is for the team to find a way back to the postseason. Miami enters 2016 on an eight-year postseason drought, as well as having made just one playoff appearance (2008) over the last 15 years. QB Ryan Tannehill is hoping that first-year head coach Adam Gase's influence will provide just the jolt he needs to rebound after a disappointing season in 2015. Tannehill owns a 61.9% completion percentage in his four-year career and it's hard to be too critical of his 87-54 TD-to-INT ratio. Also, after throwing for just under 3300 yards as a rookie, he's averaged just over 4000 yards passing his last three seasons. However, no QB has been sacked more during the last four years than he has. That's partly the fault of the OL's inconsistent play but Tannehill's "escape ability" leaves much to be desired. Miami's defense allowed 376.2 YPG (eighth-worst in NFL), including 126.2 on the ground, fifth-worst in the NFL. The team is hoping the FA acquisition of Mario Williams will be a huge help but it's hard to regard the signing of Ndamukong Suh as anything but a major disappointment.

Seattle: The Seahawks' 2015 season turned around when OC Darrell Bevell moved Russell Wilson out from under center primarily, allowing him to see the pass rush coming at him and distribute the ball to an array of playmakers. There was not a better QB in the NFL last year over the season's final seven games, as Wilson owned a 24-to-1 TD-to-INT ratio. He finished the year by leading the NFL with a 110.1 QB rating, while becoming the first QB in league history with at least 4,000 passing yards (4,024), 30 TD passes (34) and 500-plus rushing yards (553) in the same season. Seattle is hoping that Thomas Rawls (team-leading 830 rushing yards) and Christine Michael will take over the ground attack in the wake of Marshawn Lynch's retirement but a shaky OL may have something to say about that. However, there is nothing shaky about Seattle's defense, which allowed the fewest points in the league for the FOURTH straight year. Seattle finished No. 2 overall in total D (291.8 YPG) and No. 1 in rush defense (81.5 YPG / 3.6 YPC).

The pick: There's is never a good time to visit Seattle these days, as the Seahawks are 27-5 SU in the regular season with Wilson as their starting QB. Wilson owns a 54-15 TD-to-INT ratio in his home games and comes off a career season. Check this out. Seattle is 7-0 SU & ATS in its last seven home openers, winning the past four (under Russell) by a combined margin of 118-26! The Dolphins haven't made this trip to the Pacific Northwest in 12 years and by Sunday evening, will have wished they hadn't made this one. Seattle is a 10* play.