The Miami Dolphins have misplaced 4 consecutive. The New England Patriots have misplaced 4 of 5. So, somebody comes out of Sunday feeling like the brand new yr is definitely a brand new yr and the opposite will want a remedy session.
The Dolphins enter this recreation paying a worth for his or her cross-your-fingers plan on investing in gamers with damage questions. Tua Tagovailoa, Terron Armstead, Bradley Chubb and Xavien Howard all got here with damage issues. They’re all out Sunday with the playoffs on the road. Some of it’s easy unhealthy luck. Some is dangerous planning.
Here’s the weekly itemizing of 5 methods for the Dolphins to nonetheless come out on high:
1. Win on the large play. We’ll get to stability and complementary soccer in a bit. The successful begins by letting Teddy Bridgewater take his pictures downfield towards a depleted New England secondary – not less than if he has time now that left deal with Armstead was made inactive on Sunday morning (see No. 4). Some individuals hated to listen to earlier than video games how Tua Tagovailoa was going towards lesser Chicago (resulting from trades) or Los Angeles Chargers protection (accidents), as if it will in some way undervalue his expertise (I assume). But Bridgewater faces a Patriots secondary which may have simply one in every of its high 4 cornerbacks. Jack Jones (knee), Marcus Jones (concussion) and Jalen Mills (groin) are out. Jonathan Jones (chest) will play. Practice-squadders Tae Davis and Quandre Mosley will play, too, and attempt to decelerate Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle That leaves backups and practices-squad gamers shifting into positions the place Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle run. They’re the 2 gamers who make this offense dynamic and they need to have an opportunity to point out why once more Sunday. Bill Belichick can bracket one in every of them and take him away. He can play two-deep safeties like most groups towards Hill and Waddle. He may even play six defensive backs and lure the Dolphins into over-passing (during which case see No. 3). But Hill and Waddle could have their probabilities.
2. Don’t let the Patriots offense up. The Patriots offense isn’t any higher than the primary week when the Dolphins protection held it to 271 yards and had three turnovers, together with a strip-sack of Mac Jones that result in a 2-yard Melvin Ingram return for the season’s first landing. Of all of the items to determine Sunday, the Patriots offense is the worst. Mac Jones regarded like a succesful quarterback for a rookie final yr. The good method to say what occurred his second yr is to grasp the teaching and systemic mess Tagovailoa needed to navigate final season. The Patriots rank final in changing touchdowns within the crimson zone at 38.5 % — a greater than 5 % separation from the Thirty first-ranked Indianapolis Colts (43.9). The Dolphins protection has given up 32 factors on the highway this yr in comparison with half that at residence. That common will come down Sunday.
3. Play some complementary soccer. For all of the big-play pictures the Dolphins ought to have Sunday, the flip-side is to not be dumb about it. Don’t draw up the sport plan of San Francisco or Los Angeles the place you place all of it on the passing recreation. That didn’t simply cease the offense when the passing recreation wasn’t working. It put a giant burden on offensive line to guard and the protection because the time of possession bought out of whack. That’s the type of recreation Belichick would love, the one he desires to offer his staff an opportunity. So, sure, the Dolphins should run the ball. They’ve run it successfully the previous two video games, particularly in Buffalo after they had a balanced assault. Buffalo performs 5 defensive backs in its base protection that enables that. We’ll see how New England performs it, however an efficient operating recreation would additionally …
4. Protect Bridgewater. This takes on added significance with Armstead being dominated out Sunday monring with accidents (toe, pectoral, ankle, hip). Greg Little begins in his place reverse proper deal with Brandon Shell. Bridgewater hasn’t performed since November and the Dolphins most likely will use lots of fast passes to assist a weakened line oppostite a Patriots cross rush that ranks third within the league with 50 sacks. Their 27 sacks at Gillette Stadium rank first within the league in residence video games. Matthew Judon ranks second within the league with 15.5 sacks. Josh Uche, a second-round draft decide in 2020, has 11.5 sacks. You get the image? The Patriots can wreck an offense with their cross rush. The Dolphins rank twentieth in sacks allowed (32), in good half as a result of they solely gave up two sacks in 4 November video games. The lack of Armstead most likely could have affect towards this rush and the way the Dolphins alter their play-calling and blocking schemes will likely be necessary.
5. Shake off December. It’s Jan. 1 on Sunday. Not only a new month however a brand new yr. Maybe that helps with the concept of leaving December up to now. Four consecutive losses have put this season up for grabs. But the Dolphins performed properly for essentially the most half in Buffalo and did till Tagovailoa’s three, concussion-aided interceptions modified the Green Bay recreation. New England, too, is in a giant slide, having misplaced 4 of 5 video games.
Prediction: Patriots 20, Dolphins 17. The lack of Armstead performs considerably into this recreation. Can the Dolphins play a grind-it-out recreation contemplating the Patriots aren’t more likely to rating lots of factors? Both groups are struggling so it’s a coin flip who comes out and has a great day.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com