Patriots: 3 bold predictions for Week 1 battle with Dolphins

Here are three bold predictions for the Patriots in their Week 1 matchup with Miami.

There’s so many captivating storylines surrounding the New England Patriots’ matchup with the Miami Dolphins to open the season. For starters, the former will be out for revenge after the latter pulled off a shocking upset of them in Week 17 last year to drive a nail into their first-round bye aspirations.

On top of that, you could argue that both teams are trending in different directions, as the Patriots’ roster has a ton of question marks following the departure of Tom Brady and several key losses in free agency.

The Dolphins, meanwhile, are in the midst of a rebuild that made undeniable strides last season and will presumably do so again in 2020 following multiple free agency additions and the selection of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with the No. 5 overall pick back in April. That ain’t who’s starting Week 1, though! Welcome back to Ryan Fitzpatrick. Ugh.

The bottom line is that we have zero idea what to expect from this AFC East battle. How will Cam Newton look in his first game under center for the Patriots? What will the running back rotation look like, and how will the defense fare after losing a handful of starters from 2019?

All of these are relevant questions, so let’s dive into some bold predictions for New England’s  Week 1 showdown with Miami.

3. Patriots Win By 10+ Points

The Patriots won’t let Miami catch them sleeping again.

We’ll be the first to admit that the talent gap between the Patriots and Dolphins is closer than it’s been in a really long time. We wouldn’t even fault analysts who believe Miami’s roster is more appealing.

However, if we’ve learned one thing about New England over the last 20 years, it’s that the team always steps up when the media even entertains the thought of writing them off. How many folks have asserted that Brady’s departure marked the end of their dynasty? The list is endless, and while that opinion isn’t entirely misguided, the Patriots’ dominance in the AFC East cannot be understated.

Last season, they finished 5-1 in the division, and we wouldn’t be shocked if they finish with the same record this time around. Not only is NE 14-6 in their last 20 games versus Miami, but the six-time champs will be motivated to avenge their embarrassing Week 17 loss from 2019.

Despite having no preseason to shake off the rust, the Patriots will be fully prepared for this matchup, and they will ultimately coast to an easy 27-14 victory. This is at home, remember? No house of horrors in the heat.