The Dolphins will be traveling to New England to take on the AFC leading Patriots in a must win game, if the Dolphins want to have any chance of keeping their playoff hopes alive. Not only are they playing the best team in the AFC, but they are doing it with a few less starters on defense. Can Miami pull a rabbit out of their ass and beat the Patriots for a third consecutive time?
For starters the Dolphins must find a way to stop the run. They have been decimated on the ground over the last 3 games, and you can bet your last dollar that Belichick will make it a top priority to attack this Miami weakness. If Miami can not figure out how to stop the Patriots’ running attack, then the Dolphins will be in for a long day, because not only will the Patriots rack up the yards on the ground, but this will also open up the passing game for the always dangerous Tom Brady.
The other thing Miami must do on defense is put pressure on Brady. Whenever Miami has won against Tom Brady and the Patriots it was because they were able to pressure him and sack him. Brady does not like to get ruffled when he drops back to pass, and if Wake and Vernon can get constant and steady pressure on him then the Dolphins will have a better chance of getting the Patriots’ offense off the field and keeping points off the scoreboard.
This is becoming annoying to keep repeating myself, but Miami must commit more to the run. They have a decent rushing attack, but they need to stop abandoning it in the second half, and make it a priority to give Miller the ball 20 to 25 times this game. This will chew up the clock and keep Brady off the field, and this will slow down the Patriots’ pass rush, and in turn give Tannehill more time to throw on passing plays.
The best sportsbooks in the world have the Dolphins as a +7 ½ point underdog. The action is coming in heavy on the favored Patriots. If your a betting man, the Dolphins getting the points could be a sneaky pick, considering they usually play the Pats tight, however hoping the Dolphins win outright might be going a bit too far.