Patriots vs. Dolphins: 6 reasons to be excited

Patriots vs. Dolphins: 6 reasons to be excited

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

To help pass the time until kickoff between the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins in Week 17, here are six reasons to be excited for the AFC East showdown.

6. (Likely) return of Julian Edelman

Hopefully, Edelman returns to action in Week 17 for the first time since getting his foot rolled up on against the New York Giants awhile back. Tom Brady misses his most trusted target more than anything in the world. As WEEI’s Ryan Hannable noted yesterday, that much has been clear on third downs:

Now, it’s not for certain the Edelman will suit up in Week 17. The Patriots may devise a game plan in which they can exploit the Dolphins’ defensive weaknesses without Edelman, allowing their star to rest and recover another week.

6 frustrations from loss to Jets

But then again, that could lead to some rusty hands when Edelman takes the field for the Patriots’ Divisional Round game in mid-January. Should Edelman miss this game, he will have been off the field for nearly two months by the time the Patriots embark on their first playoff game. Brady and Edelman may have one hell of a rapport, but every quarterback-receiver duo needs reps in live action, not just on the practice field.

Anyway, should Edelman appear on the 53-man roster this Sunday, that will be a major source of excitement for Patriots fans.

Next: 5. More work for Steven Jackson

Jim O’Connor-USA TODAY Sports

5. More work for Steven Jackson

Jackson carried the ball seven times for 15 yards against the New York Jets’ stout defensive front in Week 16, and it looks like he will receive a larger workload this Sunday. According to ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who coached Jackson with the St. Louis Rams in 2011, plans to give Jackson increased opportunities:

"Steven had really two days of practice last week so I think that it’s fair to say that we wanted to put him in a situation that was fair to him based on the preparation and the work that he had done prior to the game. This week will give us another three days of good work and experience and exposure to him, and for him to the offense, that will give us an opportunity to expand his role, hopefully during the course of the game on Sunday. I have a comfort level with him. I think our offensive staff, we kind of know him better than anybody that comes off the street that we’ve never really been exposed to. Secondly, he’s certainly had exposure to the terminology and the verbiage that we use here so I think that that helps him to close the gap in terms of what he knows and what he doesn’t know. He’s well ahead of somebody that would come in here with zero experience in our system, and I think that would definitely help any new player that would come in at this point in time in the year."

Patriots fans should be excited to see a potential Hall of Fame running back take a bunch of carries on Sunday.

Next: 4. Revenge in Miami

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4. Revenge in Miami

As you may remember, the last time the Patriots played in Miami didn’t go so well. It was the 2014 season opener, and the Patriots got thoroughly shellacked by their divisional rivals, 33-20. The loss was characteristic of the Patriots’ rocky start to that season, just as frustrating as the one-score win over the Oakland Raiders and the Monday Night Football embarrassment in Kansas City.

4 positives from loss to Jets

Players who endured through that Week 1 face plant will look to exact revenge on the Dolphins this week. Similarly, Patriots fans who spent that sunny September Sunday cursing at the television should be excited to watch the Patriots play in Miami.

The Patriots have the rest of January to win wintry, frigid games in snowy Foxboro. Closing out the season by handing a bag of revenge potatoes to the Dolphins in their home stadium would be a great way to spend the last Sunday of the regular season.

Next: 3. Third downs

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3. Third downs

You can talk about the coin flip controversy all you want, but the fact remains that the Patriots dug themselves into a hole against the Jets by struggling in the most crucial situation of the game: third down.

Trying to decipher coin flip controversy    

The Patriots converted just one of 10 third down attempts. On the other side of the ball, the Jets were successful 38 percent of the time.

Well, the Dolphins happen to be one of the worst teams in the NFL when it comes to moving the chains on third down. The offense ranks third-worst with a success rate of 29.3 percent—only the San Francisco 49ers (29.2) and St. Louis Rams (26.1) struggle more on third down offensively.

Meanwhile, the ‘Phins third down defense isn’t that much better. They rank a sour 28th in the NFL allowing 44.4 percent of third down attempts.

The takeaway here is that a week after facing one of the best third down defenses in the league—the Jets’ defense loses just 32.1 percent of the time—Tom Brady and the Patriots’ offense should have a better go of it against the Dolphins.

Next: 2. Weak Miami pass protection

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

2. Weak Miami pass protection

Expect the Patriots’ pass rusher to have a field day against one of the weakest pass protection units in the league on Sunday.

Ryan Tannehill has been sacked 44 times this season, the sixth-most among all quarterbacks. Jamil Douglas was the poster boy for the unit’s struggles in Week 16, snapping a ball too early which led to the game-cementing sack in favor of the Indianapolis Colts.

Leftover thoughts from loss to Jets

The Patriots’ pass rushers are licking their chops ahead of this game. Look for Chandler Jones to push his career-high sack total into the teens on Sunday—he currently has 12.5 quarterback takedowns to his name. Keep in mind that the last time these foes met, a few days before Halloween, Jones posted a pair of sacks.

In addition, expect Jabaal Sheard to flirt with double-digits in the sack column. He has eight right now, a career high that should be extended with the threat of Jones working opposite from him.

Thanks to the production of Chandler and Sheard and others, the Patriots rank second only behind the Denver Broncos with 48 sacks on the stat sheet.

Next: 1. Importance of victory

Jim O’Connor-USA TODAY Sports

1. Importance of victory

Week 17 can be a sleepy slate of games for many NFL fans. Save for the handful of teams that are fighting for their playoff lives, much of the NFL is either playing the spoiler role or letting up on the gas pedal a bit before the playoffs. Not the Patriots.

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Home field advantage is absolutely crucial for the Patriots. It would be extremely difficult to beat the Broncos in Denver, a city where Brady actually has a losing record. The Patriots must make this trip down to Miami their last plane ride until (knock on wood) Super Bowl 50.

The Patriots truly have a motivating factor in Week 17. Hopefully, this game will be more or less a dress rehearsal with a well-executed game plan and few mistakes.

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Stay tuned on Musket Fire all week for thoughts and analysis on the looming AFC East encounter.