For the Vikings' final road trip this season to Miami, we reached out to Chris Perkins, who covers the Dolphins for The Sun Sentinel, in this week's edition of "Behind Enemy Lines." Here are five questions we asked Perkins about the Week 16 matchup at Sun Life Stadium.

1. How would you evaluate the Dolphins' play in December?

CP: The Dolphins have been bad in December. There's no other way to tell the story. They're 1-2, which means they're struggling at the most important time of the season. In the last two games, losses to Baltimore and New England, they've been outscored, 48-3, in the second half. They've allowed 568 yards rushing in their last three games, produced three sacks, and only scored three touchdowns. The list goes on, but you get the idea.

2. What do you think will happen to head coach Joe Philbin at the end of the season?

CP: Philbin is probably done. You can't say for sure, but it appears he won't return. Philbin, in his third season, has a 22-24 record and will most likely miss the playoffs once again. It's tough to say you've seen progress. Miami was 7-9 in Philbin's first season, 8-8 last year, and might show one-game improvement this year. That's after getting arguably the top free agent on the market the last two years (wide receiver Mike Wallace in 2013, and left tackle Branden Albert in 2014), changing offensive coordinators, and revamping the offensive line. The Dolphins have probably performed to their talent level, but Philbin never made them better. That's a problem.

3. In what areas has quarterback Ryan Tannehill improved and regressed this season?

CP: Tannehill, now in his third season, has been better at decision-making, footwork and accuracy. But Tannehill, such as Philbin, never made anyone better. That's a problem. Tannehill has career bests in completion percent (66.3; 6th in NFL), passer rating (90.8; 15th in NFL) and rushing yards (316). But his 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions are on the border of the minimally-desired 2:1 ratio. He's near the bottom of the NFL in third-down passing (25th) and fourth-quarter passing (32nd), and he struggles with accuracy when throwing the deep ball so it's almost been eliminated from the offense, making his completions mostly on short and intermediate passes and turning the Dolphins' passing offense into a pedestrian way of moving the ball.

4. What's the reason for the Dolphins' success defensively?

CP: When the defense was successful it was because of the defensive line. But they've slumped severely in the last four games. So has the defense. Miami is seventh in total defense because of its early-season success. Defensive end Cameron Wake (9.5 sack) is a perfect metaphor. He has one sack in the last five games. In the last four games the Dolphins have allowed 121 points (30.3 per game). Granted, one touchdown came via a blocked field goal, but it's still a bad four-game performance. The defense is no longer disruptive. They used to stop the run, get sacks and force turnovers. Those skills have evaporated. Miami's defense isn't to be feared the way it was earlier in the season.

5. What will the Dolphins need to do to beat the Vikings?

CP: The Dolphins need to do anything and everything possible to beat the Vikings. Their formula for winning – strong defense, a good running game, a decent passing game – is out the window. They need to find a Vikings weakness and exploit the heck out of it. The Dolphins (7-7) haven't had a winning season since 2008. They badly need to win these final two games even though realistic playoff hopes are gone. Whatever it takes to win – special teams, interceptions, rushing, passing, good fortune – is what the Dolphins need.