Kickoff: The Patriots visit Miami to take on the Dolphins for the second time in five weeks. The Patriots lost the first match up Week 2 on Sunday Night Football, 24-17. New England’s struggles in Miami are well documented. The Patriots are 17-41 all-time on the road against the Dolphins.
Four Downs (Four keys to the game.)
1st Down- Get off to another good start: The Patriots need to get off to a good start offensively. They were a different team last week playing with the lead. They almost blew it of course but playing ahead put them in position to win the game. They need to score first in this game and force Miami to play from behind.
2nd Down- Be physical with their receivers: The Patriots need to be physical with the Dolphins receivers. Bill Belichick and the defensive staff did a good job of limiting Tyreek Hill (5 catches, 40 yards, 1 TD) and Jaylen Waddle’s (4 catches, 86 yards) impact in the first match-up by being physical, re-routing them and not giving them space to operate. They will need to do more of the same today if they want to win.
3rd Down- Run Fits: Raheem Mostert ran all over the Patriots in the first meeting (18 carries, 121 yards and 2 touchdowns). The Patriots front seven needs to do a better job with run fits and and the entire defense must do a better job of tackling Mostert in space.
4th Down- Keep pounding the rock: The Patriots need to stay patient with the running game today. Their patience with the ground game has been rewarded the past two weeks and it will be rewarded again today if they keep running the ball and controlling the clock. Playing some keep away helps against this Miami offense.
Extra Point: The two teams split the series in 2022, with the Patriots losing on opening day at Miami, 20-7, on Sept. 11, and then winning, 23-21 win at Gillette Stadium on Jan. 1.
The Patriots last win in Miami was a 43-0 victory on Sept. 15, 2019.
The Dolphins and Patriots met for the first time in 1966. The two have played three times in the postseason, with New England holding a 2-1 edge.
Final Drive: The Patriots need this one if they want to turn their season around and stay in playoff contention. A good start offensively and limiting the big plays defensively are two essential keys if the Patriots want to win today. Miami hasn’t been kind to the Patriots through the years but none of that means anything today. The Patriots need to focus on this game and doing whatever it takes to win it.