In a 17-game season, it’s difficult to label a Week Two contest as a must-win. But that’s exactly what Sunday’s game against the Dolphins in Miami represents for the New England Patriots.
With a soft early schedule, getting off to a good start was paramount for the young Patriots, and leaving South Florida 0-2 with Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers coming to Foxborough in Week Three would be borderline disastrous for Mike Vrabel and company.
What makes this game even more essential is that the Dolphins are in a similar situation. Miami was picked apart by Daniel Jones and the Indianapolis Colts in Week One, drawing the ire of Dolphins’ legends such as Larry Csonka, who called the performance “uninspiring” and “unacceptable.”
Unprepared. Uninspired. Unacceptable. #MIAvsIND #UnFiltered #FinsUp
— Larry Csonka (@Larry_Csonka39) September 7, 2025
Drake Maye and Patriots need to take care of business in Miami
Maye was solid but not spectacular in the Week One loss to Las Vegas in Foxborough. The Patriots’ second-year quarterback made some good throws but was done in by a critical turnover that ultimately swung the game in the Raiders’ favor.
That can’t happen against a beleaguered Miami team that made Jones look like the second coming of Peyton Manning in Indianapolis.
The combination of the Dolphins’ pass defense being vulnerable and Tyreek Hill continuing to run his mouth should make this game ripe for the picking for the Patriots. Yes, the team has had their struggles in Miami over the years - New England hasn’t won at Hard Rock Stadium since 2019 - but this is their best chance to break that streak.
The Patriots need to prove that all the money and work they invested to improve their roster in the offseason wasn’t a waste. Maye needs to prove that he’s the quarterback of the present and future for this organization. Nobody is asking him to be Tom Brady, but Maye needs to be better, especially in clutch moments.
This is a must-win for Miami, too, and the Dolphins will be desperate, especially given that head coach Mike McDaniel’s seat is hotter than a South Beach nightclub. The Patriots are going to have to weather the storm, especially defensively. Hill and Jaylen Waddle may be at odds, but they still have breakaway speed, and the Patriots’ secondary was suspect against a Raiders’ passing attack that didn’t light the league on fire last year.
Righting the ship may be tough for Maye if the Patriots can’t come out of Miami victorious.