5 things you need to know about the Dolphins vs. Patriots rematch in Week 12

Thanks to victories over the Rams and Raiders in a seven-day span, Mike McDaniel’s team is riding its first two-game winning streak of the season. The Miami Dolphins are at home for the second straight Sunday and renew acquaintances with the New England Patriots.

At 4-6, the ‘Fins are looking to make a playoff run in the water-downed AFC, where only seven of the 16 teams own winning records, their chances may be better than some think.

A victory over the Pats would get Miami a bit closer to the .500 mark and also even the club’s conference record at 4-4.

5 things you need to know about the Miami Dolphins rematch vs. the New England Patriots

1. The Last Time

It was back in Week 5 at Gillette Stadium that the Dolphins extended their current winning streak in a series dominated by the Patriots for basically two decades.

McDaniel’s team rallied for a 15-10 victory thanks to a three-yard touchdown run by fullback Alec Ingold with 4:24 to play. The score capped off a 15-play, 80-yard march. Miami rolled up 372 yards of total offense, including 193 yards on the ground.

The victory was the Dolphins’ third straight and seventh in their last eight meetings in this AFC East setting. The Fins are now in position to sweep this series for the third time in four years.

2. Quarterbacks: Tale of the Tape

He was the third overall pick back in April. It has been another rough year for the Patriots, but rookie quarterback Drake Maye has offered some hope.

He made a relief appearance in Week 3, but he has now started the last six weeks. In seven games this season, the former North Carolina Tar Heel has just as many touchdown passes (nine) as turnovers and has been sacked 17 times. Maye has also run for 260 yards and a score.

In his four games since returning to action in Week 8, Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been extremely accurate, been excellent on third down, and has thrown seven touchdown passes compared to only one interception.

He has fumbled in three of those four games, putting the ball on the ground a combined five times, but has lost only one of those drops. Tagovailoa has been holding onto the ball a bit too long the last two weeks.

3. Defensive Analysis

In somewhat of a statistical oddity, the Patriots rank 20th in the league in the three yardage categories—total yards, rushing, and passing.

Like the Dolphins, Jerod Mayo’s squad hasn’t done much in terms of forcing their opponents into mistakes. The Pats have only eight takeaways in 11 contests. When these teams met back in Week 5 at Foxborough, New England surrendered a season-high 193 yards rushing.

How’s this for a discrepancy? The Dolphins have given up just 61 points in their four victories while allowing a whopping 160 points in their half-dozen setbacks. That includes 30-plus points (twice to the Bills, once to the Titans) in three of the six defeats.

Only the Falcons (10) and Panthers (12) have produced fewer sacks than Anthony Weaver’s unit (17). Seven of those quarterback traps have come in the last two games.

4. Keys to the Game

Patriots:

Mayo’s defense and special teams will look to put the league’s 31st-ranked offense and the NFL’s 32nd-ranked passing game into a better position. The Patriots have produced 25 sacks, but this club has forced only eight turnovers.

There haven’t been many short fields for New England’s limited offensive attack, be it Maye or Jacoby Brissett behind center. The Pats have totaled only 18 offensive touchdowns in 11 contests in 2024.

Dolphins:

In this season’s first meeting, Miami’s balanced attack was a major problem for the Patriots’ mediocre defense. The Dolphins totaled a season-high 75 offensive plays, and their 41 rushing attempts and 193 yards on the ground were also their best performances in those categories in 2024.

Of course, Tagovailoa is now back at the helm instead of Tyler Huntley. But why mess with an effective game plan?

5. Dolphins Player to Watch

Tyreek Hill - WR

He’s certainly overdue for a huge outing and is in a prime position to do just that. Veteran wideout Tyreek Hill had a big Week 1 when the Dolphins rallied at home to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-17. In the victory, he was targeted a season-high 12 times and caught seven passes for 130 yards.

More than half of those yards came on an 80-yard touchdown reception. The eight-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro would then go seven straight games without reaching the end zone.

That changed in the Monday night victory over the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Week 10. Last Sunday, Hill found the end zone for a second consecutive week and tied his season high with seven catches in the club’s victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.

He may be just warming up.

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