The strong optimism that was surrounding the Patriots going into the 2025 season has come to a sudden halt after their disappointing loss to the Raiders last week. The seemingly beatable team came in and wiped the floor with the secondary, while Drake Maye didn't appear to have taken the second-year jump many anticipated.
It puts a lot of pressure on Mike Vrabel and Co. heading into Week 2 against the Dolphins, particularly since they typically don't fare too well when they play in Miami.
In fact, they haven't won a game at Hard Rock Stadium since the 2019 season, the infamous single game that wide receiver Antonio Brown was on the roster for what felt like two minutes.
The last time the #Patriots won in Miami pic.twitter.com/FP4Ok0HUbz
— Pats-Planet.com 🪐 (@patsplanetmedia) September 11, 2025
That, coupled with Tua Tagovailoa's undefeated record against the Patriots, has many analysts believing New England has little to no chance of walking out with the win, despite just how crucial it is that they do.
They have earned a reputation for failing in South Beach, and that is continuing going into this game, making a win even more satisfying to accomplish so they can finally end this ongoing narrative.
Patriots can silence years of Miami misery with Dolphins win in Week 2
Despite their horrific loss to the Colts last week, which featured an offense led by quarterback Daniel Jones, the Dolphins are favored by 1.5 points going into this Week 2 matchup. A big reason for that is the Patriots' history of falling flat in Miami, resulting in various takes from Dolphins reporters hoping that will continue on Sunday.
Two Palm Beach Post writers emphasized that when making their picks for the game, as Joe Schad feels that Tagovailoa "can't possible be as bad as he was in Week 1" and he "historically has the New Englanders' number," while Tom D'Angelo states the Dolphins' only advantage is that the Patriots "usually look like they walked out of a South Beach club at 7 a.m. every time
It's a reputation the Patriots could end, at least for the time being, by taking down the Dolphins for the first time in six years. That's a streak that needs to be broken, and not just because there is a lot of pressure on them to get a win after last week's loss.
Fortunately, the defensive line looked impressive against the Raiders, with Harold Landry III leading the league with 2.5 sacks and Milton Williams accomplishing one of the highest pass-rush win rates in Week 1 with his performance.
Because the Dolphins are set to be down at least two offensive linemen, there's a good chance the Patriots can bring the heat with their pass rushers and defensive tackles, making their job of protecting Tagovailoa far more difficult.
It would be a great statement win for the Patriots and settle down the pessimistic talk for a week, as they prepare for another tough matchup against a tough Steelers team.