Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots: Thursday Night Football Week 8 Preview

October 28, 2015

Twitter: @kongfu4u Miami Dolphins @New England Patriots

Week 8 will start off with fireworks as the New England Patriots face off against the Miami Dolphins in Foxborough.

The Patriots are coming off a hard earned win against the New York Jets in week 7, playing one of the worse games this season. Not that it says much, since a bad day for the Patriots is probably a good day for most other teams in the league. The Dolphins were probably one of those teams three weeks ago, before interim coach Dan Campbell took over. Playing at Gillette Stadium will undoubtedly be an advantage for the Patriots as there’s no denying the energy of the crowd will help the Patriots fight through any rough patches in the game. Not to mention the listening devices the Patriots have planted in the visitors’ locker room…I’m kidding…not really.

Getty Images

However, if the Dolphins continue to play the way they are currently playing, there will be some rough patches for the Patriots. The Dolphins are riding high with back-to-back wins, scoring a combined 82 points (granted it was against the Tennessee Titans and the Houston Texans, but they all count the same). Facing off against the undefeated 6-0 New England Patriots will be the real test for interim coach Dan Campbell and the Miami Dolphins.

Why the New England Patriots will Win

The New England Patriots are 6-0, looking to go 19-0. Of course we know how that ended in the 2007 season, leading to Super Bowl XLII (42). In case you don’t remember – the New York Giants David Tyree caught an amazing 32-yard leaping pass with his helmet and Plaxico Burress scored the winning touchdown with 35 seconds remaining in the game, leading to the Patriots (14-17) loss and an 18-1 record for the season.

While we’re in the way-back machine, I should also mention that the Dolphins haven’t won a game against the Patriots since week 3 in the 2008 season, using of all things, a wildcat play.

OK, back to present day. In week 7, the Patriots ran the ball only five times against the New York Jets, not because Dion Lewis was out of the game, but because of game scheme. Bill Belichick loves to adjust his offense specifically for each opponents’ defense. It’s not certain how the Patriots will utilize LeGarrette Blount, or whether Dion Lewis will be healthy enough to play in Thursday night’s game. But the Dolphins have the third worse run defense in the league, so the Patriots should run the ball…a lot.

LeGarrette Blount – AP Photo

However, the Patriots wouldn’t be the Patriots if Brady didn’t throw the ball. Although Brady passed to eight different receivers against the Jets on Sunday’s game, there’s no question that he favors tight end Rob Gronkowski and wide receivers Danny Amendola, Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell. Although it’s a short week, the Patriots rarely make the same mistake two weeks in a row. Brady will look for the open receiver regardless of who it is. Recently, Danny Amendola has shown himself to be a quiet storm, playing a more significant role in the Patriots offense over the past two weeks, and you can expect he’ll do the same against the Dolphins.

Why the Miami Dolphins will Win

The Dolphins won’t underestimate the Patriots, as they know that any team that does deserves to lose. It’s fair to say that interim coach Dan Campbell knows the team’s strengths and weakness and will certainly be ready for Thursday Night’s game. With that said, he’ll be ready for a run heavy game. Whether the recently revitalized Dolphins defense can successfully stop the Patriots is a question that can only be answered on the field.

The Dolphins have developed a run game of their own, doubling the number of rushing plays and committing to running back Lamar Miller. In week 7, Miller had his best game of the season with 113 rush yards, a rushing TD and 0 fumbles. He also had 61 receiving yards and a receiving TD. With the Patriots having a less than stellar run defense of their own, the Dolphins will more than likely continue to hit the ground hard with Miller.

Ryan Tannehill

A more developed run game has taken some of the pressure off quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Unfortunately, Tannehill doesn’t have the number of go-to receivers that Brady has at his disposal. Luckily, the Patriots secondary has only been mediocre. Cornerback Malcolm Butler has shown the most potential during the season (building off the most memorable defensive performance in recent Super Bowl history), but with a stronger offense front line and a more confident Dolphins offense, Tannehill should be able to continue making connections and move the ball downfield.

In week 7, the Dolphins defense made two remarkable plays leading to two touchdowns. With the potential of two starting offensive tackles out of Thursday Night’s game, Nate Solder and Marcus Cannon, the Dolphins defense may have the opportunity to repeat their performance from week 7. The Dolphins defense should be able to get some pressure on Brady, disrupting plays, and building frustration that ultimately lead to mistakes made by the Patriots.

Final Thoughts & Prediction

Even with this new found confidence, the Dolphins shouldn’t count their ‘W’ before they win. Experts agree that even with the Dolphins new found success, the Patriots are still favored to win. The Dolphins need to focus on the game at hand, playing smart and taking advantage of short week, as the Patriots will have less time to game plan.