Miami Dolphins Mike McDaniel gets tough opener against Belichick

Many Miami Dolphins fans believe that this week’s opening weekend of football will be a blowout win for the home team but, these are the Patriots.

Mike McDaniel will start his NFL head coaching career against a Hall of Fame coach in Bill Belichick. The Patriots haven’t been the same since Tom Brady left but they made the playoffs last year in spite of that.

The Patriots are a mess, or so we are led to believe. Local Boston beat writers snicker and poke a little fun at the dual offensive coordinator system that is basically being run by former defensive coordinator and Lions head coach Matt Patricia.

Throughout camp and preseason, the Patriots looked nothing like the team that scratched into the playoffs last year. New England has problems on both sides of the ball.

• Cornerbacks
• Wide receivers
• Offensive line

The wide receiver depth is thin in New England. The leading receiver very well may be DeVante Parker but he was not impressing in camp. While the Patriots running game could be used heavily, there are bonafide questions along the offensive line and protection could be a problem.

The lack of blocking has created problems for Mac Jones who has not found solid footing through the preseason. Vanilla offense or not, there has been enough to make local beaters question what is going on.

Across the board, the Dolphins are head and shoulders above the Patriots when it comes to proven talent and even when you compare developmental players.

We all know that a piece of paper doesn’t play a football game and this weekend will be no different.

When it all comes down to the game, it will be Mike McDaniel calling a game that will beat Bill Belichick. Belichick is savvy and will call a game designed to minimize what he believes Miami does well. He attacks the strengths of an offense forcing teams to beat him with their lesser players while on defense he attacks the strength of an offense forcing them to beat him with their weaknesses.

This week should be no different. That is where McDaniel comes in. He has a big task out of the gate. Winning a game he is favored to win, against a team Miami has beaten three times with Tua Tagovailoa, a team that has holes and questions, but a team that nonetheless plays tough from the start to the finish.

Winning this weekend will not elevate McDaniel to another level. He is expected to win. Now he has to go out and actually win.