Miami Dolphins: 3 New England players that need to be accounted for

Dont’a Hightower is a name that Miami fans know all too well.

The talented linebacker has wreaked havoc on Miami’s offense for the last few seasons but missed the 2020 campaign after opting out. With Hightower back in the lineup, this team becomes much more dangerous on the defensivee side of the ball.

Hightower is a player who does it all for the Patriots. Over his 9 year career, Hightower has racked up over 500 tackles to go along with 25.5 sacks (stats courtesy of profootballreference.com). His range at the linebacker spot is dangerous for any offense he goes up against and he has done a good job over his career at ruining Miami’s offensive game plans.

The good news for the Dolphins offense is that Hightower is coming off of not playing for a whole year. There is bound to be a bit of rust that he will need to shake off and it might take a game or two to do that.

Miami will need to focus on getting their hyper-athletic and speedy receiver options to work the middle of the field to make sure they can take Hightower out of the passing game. For the running attack, Miami’s offensive line is going to need to get consistent and solid pushes upfront that can engage multiple defenders, allowing some of the interior lineman to get to the second level, where Hightower does most of his lurking.

If they can execute these plans well, they should be able to take the talented linebacker out of the equation on Sunday.