New England Patriots: Power ranking the franchise’s top 5 rivalries
2. Miami Dolphins
Because of the way the old AFL did its scheduling, the New England Patriots didn’t face the Miami Dolphins nearly as frequently as they did the Buffalo Bills or the New York Jets.
As a result, the Pats and Fins have met on 13 fewer occasions in the regular season all-time than New England has met its other two modern-day division foes.
It really doesn’t matter, though … because while the Patriots enjoy a .634 regular season win percentage against the Bills and a .550 percentage against the Jets, they actually have a losing percentage (.481) against the Dolphins.
New England would need to sweep Miami during the season series in 2020 and then again in 2021 just to tie up the all-time series between these bitter enemies.
And without trying to sound too pessimistic, it’s probably not likely to happen that way.
It stands to reason that if Bill Belichick remains the head coach of the Patriots for several more years to come — and if he keeps New England perched firmly atop the AFC East — then maybe, just maybe, the Pats will overtake the Fins in the all-time series before Belichick retires, though.
As much as Belichick seems to be closing in on George Halas and Don Shula in the all-time head coaching victories record book, you’d have to think he’s aware that he could simultaneously surpass Shula and have the Patriots surpass the Dolphins too before all is said and done.
Of their three division rivals, most New Englanders will tell you they probably fear Miami the most on a year-in, year-out basis.
For context: While Tom Brady went 32-3 against the Bills and 30-8 against the Jets (including 1-1 in the playoffs) as the quarterback of the Patriots, he went just 23-12 against the Dolphins — a mark that also includes a 7-10 record on the road in southern Florida.
For all the success New England has enjoyed this millennium, hardcore Fins fans are quick to point out the moral victories their team has secured at the Pats’ expense during this same era. Perhaps the most two notable examples are the Miami Miracle/Miracle in Miami and the failed 19-0 season.
The Dolphins certainly deserve credit for the former after the stunning way they pulled out that walk-off win two years ago; they had next to nothing to do with the latter, though, other than being twice vanquished by the Pats on their path to glory during the 2007 season.
Unfortunately, the Dolphins probably celebrated as much as the Giants did after Super Bowl XLII … because New York’s victory ensured that Shula’s 1972 Miami team remains to this day the only undefeated team to win a Super Bowl in NFL history.
Needless to say, there’s no love lost between these rivals.