2 reasons Patriots win against Miami in Week 2, 2 reasons they lose
The New England Patriots host the Miami Dolphins in Week 2 of the 2023 NFL season. Let's examine two reasons the Pats can win and two reasons why they might lose. Already, it feels like a must-win game for the Patriots. Teams who start 0-2 to begin a season just do not have much of a chance at all at rebounding and making something out of it.
The Miami Dolphins come to town for Sunday Night Football, and this could potentially be another brutal game for the Patriots. New England did give the Philadelphia Eagles a run for their money in Week 1, but at the end of the day, the Patriots lost no matter what else happened. Now they get to face a Dolphins' team that is it's own different beast.
Can the Patriots win in Week 2? Let's take a look at reasons why they can and reasons why they will lose.
2 reasons Patriots win against Miami in Week 2, 2 reasons they lose
1. The Patriots win because the Dolphins' offense will fall back down to Earth in Week 2
In Week 1, the Miami Dolphins' offense put up 536 total yards, including 36 points, 466 passing yards, and 8.2 yards per play. Keep in mind, their opponent, the Los Angeles Chargers, have a pretty bad defense, so with the Patriots' having much stronger D than LA, there is reason to believe that not only will the Dolphins not throw the ball all over the place, but that they simply won't score as many points.
It's just not common in the NFL to see teams have massively explosive offensive performances each week. I'd bet that Miami struggles to hit 30 points and 400 total yards on Sunday night. The Patriots' defense has a nice pass rush and some solid bodies in the secondary, so perhaps keeping the Miami offense at bay is a key to victory.
2. The Patriots win because trap games are real
In most every aspect of this contest, the Miami Dolphins have the edge. However, just because that's the case, it doesn't mean that they'll win. I know using this as a reason why the Pats may win is a bit of a cheat, but we see upsets every week in the NFL. Bill Belichick tends to have his team ready to go after a loss, and the Patriots simply might come out ready to pull off the upset.
Mac Jones should be able to move the ball against a poor Dolphins' defense, and you never know, maybe Belichick has a perfect gameplan to keep Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle from doing too much damage. Could I see the Patriots eek out a 24-21 grinder of a game on Sunday night? Sure.