Miami must get this win under their belt to keep the season alive!
When the Miami Dolphins were 2-6, they had a 7% chance to make the playoffs, but after two straight victories, those odds have begun to creep up to now a 26% chance. Sure, it’s still a long shot, but they still have a shot. Basically, the remaining 7 games are like playoff games themselves, so Miami is walking a tightrope since even going 9-8 may not be enough to make the postseason.
So, it’s one game at a time and our hated division rivals, New England Patriots, are next.
Patriots are getting better with Maye at QB
The Phins have had the Patriots number over the last couple of years with Miami winning 7 out of the last 8 games against New England. While the Patriots have a rookie coach and quarterback playing and are clearly in a rebuild, division games are always tough. We all know the Patriots are not going to go down without a fight but go down they must!
The various pay per head sites opened the line with the Dolphins as a 7-point home favorite and the line has stayed steady there. The action is coming in pretty split so far on the spread with 54% on the Dolphins and 46% on the Patriots. This is actually a good sign that it’s not lopsided on the favorite, since usually lopsided betting tends to be a good pick on the other side. So, the odds appear to really be favoring Miami this week.
If Miami wants to make these odds come true, they they must take care of business by continuing to finish drives with touchdowns and keeping the opposing team out of the endzone. These trend reversals are the biggest reasons for the last two victories.
Offense AND Defense must support each other
On offense Miami must keep getting the ball in the hands of their playmakers in the air and on the ground. Achane has been our clear number one running back and has also been productive in the passing game. Hill and Waddle still haven’t really gone off for big games yet, and are still getting minimal targets, but it does feel like either one is due for a big game very soon. Lastly, Jonnu Smith’s role in the passing game must continue to grow. Along with commitment to the run game, getting the tight end involved are the brightest changes in the McDaniel era since the tight end position was nonexistent in his first two seasons as head coach.
On defense, the Dolphins were able to have another game where they had multiple sacks, were able to create a turnover, and were able to bend but not break when it counted. These are always keys for victory but have mostly eluded Miami this season. It wasn’t always pretty especially with Brock Bowers, but the Phins got the job done. Going against a rookie QB at home should be a recipe for Miami to be more aggressive on defense, but they are going to need to make it a priority to stop the Patriots rushing attack first.
Miami can’t rest on their laurels, not even a drop. But if they come out sharp and focused, then there’s no reason at all why they can’t move to 5-6 on the season and keep this Cinderella story going!
What are the rest of the Miami Dolphins news fans thoughts and hopes for this upcoming game against the Patriots, and can we make it three in a row and get our record to 5-6?