The Patriots travel to Miami tonight to battle the Dolphins in a pivotal game in the AFC. With the a win, the Patriots clinch the AFC East and regain the top seed in the conference heading into next week’s mammoth showdown against the Steelers.

Tom Brady and company need to take care of business tonight however before they think about the Steelers. Miami has been Denver South for Brady and company through the years. It has been a tough place to win and tonight should be no different.

Here are five keys for the Patriots tonight.

1. Generate Pressure: The Patriots have to find a way to get consistent pressure on Jay Cutler. They will be without Trey Flowers so it will be tough to get to Cutler with a base four man pressure. Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia will need to take more chances tonight, especially on medium downs.

2. Use More Six and Seven Man Protections: Miami has one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. They will get consistent pressure on Brady so the Patriots need to use more six and seven man protections and check release their backs and tight ends.

3. How Will the Patriots Replace Gronk’s Production? With Rob Gronkowski suspended, the Patriots will need to find a way to replace his production. Dwayne Allen has been a bust so forget about him replacing Gronkowski’s targets. Look for the Patriots to target the returning Chris Hogan more and get the running backs more involved in the passing game.

4. Limit the Big Plays: The Dolphins skill group can make big plays. The Patriots got a first hand look at that two weeks ago. Matching up with Jarvis Landry, Kenny Stills and Devante Parker will be a tough task for the Patriots secondary. They have to keep these guys in front of them and they cannot jump routes early or they’ll get beat deep.

5. Weather the Storm: This game is the Dolphins Super Bowl. They are not going to make the playoffs. They would love nothing more than to cost the Patriots the number one seed in the AFC. Miami will get off to a fast start. The Patriots need to weather the storm early and get into a groove. The Dolphins are front runners. If they fall behind, they’ll go away.

Final Thoughts:  There is not much that needs to be said regarding the importance of this game. The Patriots need to win it to clinch the AFC East and stay in the running for the number one seed. It is that simple. The Patriots needs to take care of business and get out of this game healthy.