A surprising loss by the Pats in Week 1 helps the Dolphins season
Even though the Miami Dolphins didn’t get to kickoff the 2017 Regular Season this past Sunday–like 30 other teams in the league, the Fins were able to get a small edge with losses by the Jets and Pats.
While it’s only one game, and nothing is definitive, there were some surprising and positive developments in the losses of division rivals.
For starters, the unbeatable juggernaut that’s the New England Patriots suffered an unthinkable second-half collapse at home against the Kansas City Chiefs. Before this game, the Patriots were 82-0 at home after leading at halftime–which is a record that may never be broke.
The Pats fell apart in the 4th quarter and were outscored 21-0 in that pivotal quarter. In addition, Brady went without a touchdown for the entire game. And the Patriots foundation of excellent defense from last year looked anything but that in their first game.
While the Pats lost–which is always nice, we must remember that there’s plenty of time to go in the season, and they have along history of rebounding.
Let’s not get crazy about the Patriots Week 1 loss, but it was nice
Don’t get me wrong, their defeat is terrific news, but the Patsies aren’t the type of team that’s gonna’ fold like a cheap lawn chair after just one loss.
Pay per head software still back the Pats as the favorite to win the Super Bowl at +550, which is slightly higher than their +300 before the start of the season. And they’re still the odds on favorite to win the AFC conference at +220.
However, the fact is the Champs were banged up pretty bad in Week 1 and definitely showed vulnerability that other teams may be able to take advantage of, if Bill Belichick can’t get it cleaned up.
Next up for the Patriots is a road trip to take on Drew Brees and the Saints. This could be another rough game for the Patriot defense, due the Saints ability to pass the ball… But the Saints laid an egg against the Vikes and looked like a team in disarray. Adrian Petersen even had words with coach Sean Payton, and that’s never a good sign of a team in harmony
The other teams in the division battled each other in Week 1, ending in a victory for the Buffalo Bills.
It’s hard to say if the Bills dominated the New York Jets, or if the Jest are really bad this year.
Dolphins Opening Day starts in Week 2
Personally, I think the Jets are going to be lucky to even win a couple of games… maybe that’s been the plan all along. Their offense looks like it’s on pace to be historically bad this year. The Bills on the other hand have a semi-dangerous QB in Tyrod Taylor who always gives Miami issues. Their defense also looks competent, so Buffalo could be one of these middle-of-the-pack teams that Miami will have to beat out for a potential playoff spot.
It all starts this week for the Dolphins. Miami will begin a gauntlet of 16 games without a bye. And first up is the Chargers. While the score in the Chargers game was a bit misleading, they do have the ability to attack secondaries through the air and have a stout defense. So this game will present challenges for the Dolphins, but a win is crucial… if they want to return to the Playoffs.
What are the rest of the Miami Dolphins News fans thoughts about this opening weekend of the 2017 season and what this might mean for the Dolphins chances of a return trip to the playoffs?