New England Patriots vs Miami Dolphins: Three Keys to the Game
For the second year in a row, the New England Patriots travel to Miami to play the Dolphins in the regular season finale.
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and his staff will be hoping that it is not a repeat of last year’s disastrous 20-10 defeat which wound up costing them home-field advantage.
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This time, they need a win to ensure that they are two home games away from another trip to the Super Bowl. Of course, they could still wind up with home field advantage if Oakland loses their game in Denver, but the Patriots would much prefer to take care of business themselves. Here are three things that need to happen for the Patriots to secure home field advantage.
1 – Employ a Proper Gameplan
In last season’s contest, the Patriots tried to win the game while playing left-handed. They ran the ball ad nauseum against the Dolphins through the first half before flipping the script and passing almost exclusively in the second half. That lead to Brady suffering an ankle injury on a hit and the offense struggling to find any semblance of a rhythm. This time, the team is in better shape and will be able to play with some variety when in possession with the ball.
2 – Keep the Important Players Healthy
Make of the Patriots practice reports what you will, but there are several players that are apparently battling injuries. Even Tom Brady is still missing practice time with a knee problem that is lingering from the Seattle game last month. Miami’s defensive line can get plenty of big hits on opposing quarterbacks, as demonstrated by their work beating Bryce Petty in Week 15. With the playoffs in mind, the Patriots have to make sure that they are entering the important games in the best shape possible so with that in mind, they will do what they can, within reason, to keep their key players healthy.
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3 – Control the Ground Game
LeGarrette Blount ran through the Dolphins defense to help close out the game in week two. It was a taste of things to come as the Dolphins have shown themselves to be vulnerable to a competent ground game. Overall, the Patriots are not a great running team but have shown the ability to get the necessary yards when asked to. Expect to see a lot of Blount as the contest wears on and the Patriots try to shorten the second half if they are able to build a lead. Conversely, Jay Ajayi is coming off a massive game against the Buffalo Bills (again) and he is clearly the main weapon to worry about if you are the Patriots defense.