Three keys to a Miami Dolphins victory against the New England Patriots
The Miami Dolphins head to New England to open 2020
Miami Dolphins football is back! After what felt like the longest off-season in NFL history, football has returned. The Dolphins and their fans have been waiting for week one for quite a long time. The team added loads of talent in the off-season, and they will finally get to see them play. In week one, the Dolphins travel North to face their division rival New England Patriots. What must the Dolphins do to leave Gillette Stadium with a win for the second straight season?
Run the ball well
The New England Patriots have lost essentially their entire front seven from last season. There are a few holdovers with Lawrence Guy, Chase Winovich, and Ja’Whaun Bentley. The rest of the front will be made up of new additions and rookies. Also, the only defensive back they lost was Patrick Chung, a safety who almost always plays up near the line of scrimmage. Miami should be looking to get Jordan Howard, Matt Breida, and Patrick Laird going.
While they might have the worst front seven in the NFL, they absolutely have the best secondary in the NFL. New England has four legitimate starting-caliber cornerbacks. All of them would start on any given NFL team. Leading the cornerback group is Stephon Gilmore, the reigning defensive player of the year. At the safety position, New England is also deep and talented. They have two starting safeties in Devin McCourty and Adrian Phillips. Behind them in a rotational role is athletic rookie Kyle Dugger. Miami was able to carve this group up in week 17 last year, but that is unlikely to happen again. Bill Belichick will not be caught off guard again.
Containing Cam
The never-ending battle between the Miami Dolphins and mobile quarterbacks continues. The Dolphins’ inability to contain mobile quarterbacks has transcended three coaching staffs. Whether it be Tyrod Taylor, Josh Allen, Cam Newton, or even Colin Kaepernick on a sunny November afternoon. The Dolphins have been unable to stop them. Entering the 2020 season, the Dolphins have added enough to defensive talent to buck that trend.
They will certainly get the opportunity to do that in week one. Miami will be taking on Cam Newton and the New England Patriots to kick off the season. Newton is one of the most physically dominant players in NFL history. At 6-5, 245 pounds, Newton is a rare combination of size, strength, and speed. If Miami lets Newton run wild, they’ll be in for a long day at the office. Many in the media are discounting the Patriots and Cam Newton. That is a very big mistake.
Mike Gesicki
Patrick Chung has made himself a nice career by covering tight ends and playing in the box against the run. Well, with Chung opting out of the season, the Dolphins will have an opportunity to make some plays with their tight end, the athletic Mike Gesicki. Gesicki caught the game-winning touchdown in week 17 last season to prevent New England from earning a first-round bye in the playoffs.
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With talent all over the defensive back room, it’ll be important to take advantage of situations where a linebacker is matched up on Gesicki. He would have the speed advantage against all of New England’s linebackers and the size advantage over all of their defensive backs. He could play a big role in Miami having the ability to move the ball against one of the best defensive coaches in all of football.