There isn't a lot to take away from a single victory in the NFL, but for a team like the Miami Dolphins, it means everything.
Throughout the offseason and training camp, all they had heard from the outside was how bad they were going to be. "Lucky to win a single game," they said. The first overall draft pick was locked in the second the season started.
Here is the thing, though: the "thing" that people are not seeing. This Dolphins team is young enough not to realize they are not supposed to be good. The win over the Jets in Week 7 just proved that all of their hard work paid off. The victory gave the Dolphins confidence. That's not good news for New England.
Miami Dolphins match up well with their next division opponent in Week 8
Defending the run
The Dolphins' run defense continues to get better, and that puts an offense in a position to become one-dimensional. Last week, Braelon Allen became the first player to rush for more than 100 yards (104) on the Dolphins' defense since Ashton Jeanty ran for 102 yards in Week 1.
Taking out the best player on an offense is critical to success. Miami's biggest problem has been consistency, specifically on offense, but defensively, the front line is playing quite well, and that could force the Patriots to rely on a passing attack that has struggled at times with turnovers.
Cornerback progression
The Dolphins' secondary was supposed to be the Achilles' heel of this roster. So far, JuJu Brents has been playing the best football of his entire career, while Chris Johnson is showing every bit of the first-round grade the Dolphins had on him.
Add in the play of Michael Taaffe and Dante Trader, Jr., and the secondary is getting better by the week. Chop Robinson now leads the league in QB pressures; that is silent help for the secondary, which is getting a push from the edge, creating early and untimely passes. The pressure forces mistakes.
Against the Patriots, that pressure will put pressure on Drake Maye, who relies on timing and separation from his receivers. If the Dolphins are able to get pressure on Maye consistently, he will make mistakes.
Rushing attack
The Dolphins' rushing attack is better than anyone expected, and honestly, if they were doing this with De'Von Achane in the starting role, it would still be a surprise given the preseason outlook. Miami is the only team in the NFL with five consecutive 100-yard rushing games, including 217 against the Bengals.
In Week 7, Malik Willis finally made the right decisions with his legs consistently. Those runs were paramount to moving the ball and continuing drives, but no one expected the performance of Ollie Gordon II. The Dolphins' starting RB entered camp as the third-team back.
The injury to Achane opened a door to move up, but Jaylen Wright's injury gave him the opportunity he needed, and he hasn't let it go. Gordon and Willis are a deadly combination.
The Patriots' defense has given up only two 100-yard-plus games this season. If the Dolphins can dominate a part of the game, they will have a real shot at dictating the flow of the game, possibly putting themselves in position to pull off an upset.
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