Injured Dolphins’ team gives huge boost to Patriots
The Miami Dolphins looked like one of the top teams in the NFL, but after a slew of injuries and a losing streak, the Patriots are right there with them. The Pats were able to claw their way to a victory in week 17, meaning that both them and the Miami Dolphins are 8-8 and seem to be the two most likely teams to end up in the seventh and final Wild Card spot.
It’s still unknown whether Bridgewater or Thompson will start, but it does look like Thompson will get the nod. The Jets have a solid defense featuring a quality secondary and perhaps the defensive rookie of the year in Sauce Gardner.
At 8-8, the Patriots’ and Dolphins’ clinching scenarios are pretty simple. If the Pats beat the Bills in week 18, they are in the playoffs no matter what else happens. If the Dolphins want to get in, they’ll have to beat the Jets and hope that New England loses to Buffalo.
The Steelers and Titans are two other teams who have a chance at the Wild Card, but they need more to go their way to get in.
The Pats do appear to have a slight advantage here because of the quarterback situation. However, we all know how good the Bills are, so this might end up being a very dramatic finish to the 2022 regular season.
If New England wants to win this game, they’ll have to eliminate Stefon Diggs and try to keep Josh Allen in the pocket. It sounds simple, but obviously there’s much more to it.
The Pats’ offense also has to get going. Can Matt Patricia put together a solid enough gameplan to score on this stingy Bills’ defense?