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Five things to watch for in Miami Dolphins-New England Patriots game
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- Five things to watch for in Miami Dolphins-New England Patriots game
MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins (1-5) are coming off their first victory of the season and host New England (4-3) on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.
The win means perhaps Hard Rock Stadium won't be full of Patriots fans but that remains to be seen.
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What we know for sure is that the previously winless Dolphins would be the talk of the NFL for the next week or so if they can put together back-to-back wins including one over the Super Bowl runner-up.
Coach Jeff Hafley will be hard-pressed to lead his team its second consecutive victory after defeating the New York Jets, 28-25, last Sunday but at least the Dolphins know what they must do to win, and that's playing error-free.
Here are five things to watch for in Sunday's game:
Run game
The Dolphins are No. 7 in the league in rushing offense (131.6 yards per game) and running back Ollie Gordon II (339 yards rushing) is 20th. The offensive line has led the way for five consecutive 100-yard rushing games. However, New England is No. 8 in rushing defense (95.3 ypg allowed) so this becomes one of the biggest matchups of the game. If Miami can't run effectively the entire offense has to make a major adjustment.
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By the way, the Dolphins are tied for 18th in rushing attempts (171) even while having played one fewer game than most teams.
Malik Willis
Quarterback Malik Willis (four touchdowns, four interceptions, 77.1 passer rating) had his best and smartest game of the season against the Jets with two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown and no turnovers. He also added 37 yards rushing on eight attempts. Let's see if he can keep the momentum and good vibrations going.
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On top of the good statistical showing, Willis made a number of shrewd plays such as sliding inbounds in the final two minutes of the first half to keep the clock running. This week, Willis must continue throwing shorter, quick passes instead of looking for deep ones.
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Dolphins' offense vs. Patriots' defense
New England might have Pro Bowl cornerback Christian Gonzalez to shadow wide receiver Caleb Douglas, which would be an intriguing matchup that would initially favor the Patriots in a big way. Beyond that, however, New England's defense has been good and the Dolphins offense is, well, not so good.
The Patriots rank No. 10 in total defense (315.7 ypg allowed), No. 15 in pass defense (220.4 ypg allowed) and, as previously stated, No. 8 in rushing defense while being tied for ninth in scoring defense (20.4 points per game allowed). Keep an eye on linebacker Elijah Ponder (5.5 sacks). Miami is No. 27 in total offense (293.5 ypg), as previously stated No. 7 in rushing offense, No. 30 in passing offense (162.0 ypg) and No. 30 in scoring offense (16.3 ppg). The Jets game was the first time the Dolphins scored more than one touchdown in a game.
Forcing turnovers
The Dolphins rank 29th in the league in takeaways (five, four interceptions and one recovered fumble). Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (13 touchdowns, eight interceptions) but he only has one in his past three games. Still, the possibility for disruptions exists and it's needed. Dolphins safety Michael Taaffe has two interceptions while linebacker Jacob Rodriguez and safety Dante Trader Jr. have one apiece. Edge rusher Josh Uche has the only fumble recovery.
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Miami must improve its ability to create turnovers. By the way, the Dolphins defense only has six sacks, which is last in the league, and Maye has only been sacked 13 times, which is 12th fewest in the NFL. Don't expect much in that category.
Dealing with prosperity
The Dolphins are coming off their only win of the season, and while the public hasn't been overly gracious to them there's still the chance that they rest on their laurels a bit and get complacent. After all, it's a young team. Hafley and his staff must keep the players focused.
Coaches must encourage the players and keep their spirits high, but also remind them that they won while allowing a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver. You don't want these players thinking this rebuild is further along than it actually is on the scale of accomplishments.
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