New England Patriots: First Look at 5 Key Matchups vs Miami Dolphins in Week One

3. Darrelle Revis vs Mike Wallace & Brian Hartline:

Aug 22, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis (24) covers Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin (13) during the second quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

In both matchups against New England last season the Dolphins caught a break in the secondary. In week eight, starting cornerback Aqib Talib missed the game and in week fifteen the banged-up secondary featured Talib and Alfonzo Dennard at less than 100 percent. In fact, the Dolphins were able to maximize matchups in both games with long-since departed cornerback Marquice Cole. Suffice to say, a healthy and motivated Darrelle Revis at cornerback is not going to be the easy pickings quarterback Ryan Tannehill had in 2013.

For the Patriots, the question is who Revis covers and if they move him around the field. Last year in week fifteen the Patriots moved Talib around rather than just line up on one side of the defense.  Only 4 of Tannehill’s 35 pass attempts that game were into Talib’s coverage (per ProFootballFocus.com). Last year playing for Tampa Bay, Revis matched-up on Dolphin’s receiver Mike Wallace holding him to 3 receptions for 12 yards and intercepting a pass in 6 passes thrown his way (again per ProFootballFocus.com). Where Revis lines up on the field and whether he covers Wallace and Brian Hartline is a storyline to watch. For New England, the pass defense should be much improved from last year where Tannehill passed for more than 300 yards in their second game.