Miami Dolphins week four key match-ups against the Patriots
By Nick Belotto
The Miami Dolphins are playing their biggest game of the 2018 NFL season on Sunday when they travel to Foxborough to take on the Patriots.
With a win, Miami will send a message to the AFC East and the NFL that they deserve to be considered with the top teams in the league.
That being said, Miami will need to execute in all phases of the game if get a victory against their division rival. Let’s look at a few key matchups that Miami will need to take advantage of to win on Sunday.
This is a hypothetical matchup that could be very important on Sunday if Gordon plays. Nobody in the league doubts Gordon’s natural talent and skill at the wide receiver position. The question will always be about his head and whether or not he can be on the field.
Giving Tom Brady a weapon with this skill set has worked for New England in the past. When they had Randy Moss in 2007, Brady broke all kinds of records on New England’s way to the Super Bowl, where they ultimately lost. Gordon could be a game changer for the Patriots.
Miami, however, has the perfect counter piece to Gordon in Xavien Howard. Howard has been arguably the most consistent of the Dolphin defenders. He has played great coverage all season against the opponents top wide-outs with tremendous success. He has grown into a lock down corner for Miami and will be called upon to keep Gordon, or whoever New England plays on Sunday, in check. If it’s Gordon, it will be a matchup worth watching.
Tom Brady vs Minkah Fitzpatrick
This will be an interesting matchup to keep an eye on during Sunday’s game. With the status of Reshad Jones up in the air, there is a good chance Fitzpatrick will be called upon to play as Miami’s last line of defense. When asked to do so last week, Fitzpatrick’s performance came with mixed results.
During last week’s opening drive, Minkah looked somewhat uncomfortable to start the game and ended up being out of position for a deep throw from Raiders quarterback Derek Carr to Jordy Nelson.
Brady and the Patriots have a knack for picking on rookies and Minkah will need to make sure that he doesn’t join the list of guys who don’t play well in their first year against New England.
This matchup will have a huge impact on the whole game. Robert Quinn has looked great this season. Even though his numbers don’t necessarily jump off the page, he has proven to be a force in the pass rush. One of the tried and true methods of beating the Patriots is to put consistent pressure on Brady. That will be Quinn’s job on Sunday.
If he can consistently beat Patriots tackle Trent Brown, if he keep Brady from getting comfortable in the pocket. The more pressure Quinn produces, the more mistakes Brady will make.
Miami Linebackers vs Rob Gronkowski
Gronkowski is one of the best in the game at the tight end position. He is big, fast and has a great catch radius. He has also always given the Dolphins problems over the years. If Miami wants to win this game, they will need to keep Gronkowski from getting going.
Brady will look his way often throughout the game. If Miami’s linebackers can keep him from getting open often, they can limit the damage that he does through the air. Miami did a great job containing Jared Cook against the Raiders, but he is not nearly the same quality of player that Gronkowski is. Miami will need big games from Kiko Alonso, Raekwon McMillan and Jerome Baker to keep the All-Pro tight end in check.