What to Watch For: Dolphins vs Patriots
Joe Calabro, GoLocalProv Sports Team
What to Watch For: Dolphins vs Patriots
A Patriots win would lock up the number two seed in the AFC and a crucial bye week.
A loss would likely see the Patriots drop to the three seed and playing in next week.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“I’m excited for this team to take the field on Sunday. We’ve got a lot to play for. This is a huge game for us, and really to get to 13-3 is a great accomplishment. It’s very hard to do, so we’ve got a lot at stake and we’ve got to go play like it,” said Patriots quarterback Tom Brady during his press conference on Friday.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick added, “We have an opportunity to miss a round of the playoffs, so that’s our opportunity, and we’ll try to take advantage of it.”
New England is 12-3 on the year, while the Dolphins come into the game at 4-11.
“It’s a division game. No matter what their record is, these games are never easy to play in, teams are going to come out and compete. They’re a well-coached team. You know, Flo [Brian Flores] is coaching those guys, they’re not going to come in here and just lay down,” said running back James White during his press conference on Monday.
Game time is set for 1 p.m.
See What to Watch for in the Slideshow Below
Patriots vs Dolphins
Sunday’s game will be the 109th all-time meeting between the Patriots and Dolphins, including the postseason.
Miami leads the all-time series 55-53 over the Patriots, but lost in Miami earlier this season.
See What to Watch for in the Slideshow Below
5 Things to Watch For: Dolphins vs Patriots - December 29, 2019
Patriots Running Game
After struggling for the majority of the season, the Patriots running game has shown some signs of life over the last two weeks.
Two weeks ago against the Bengals, New England rushed for 175 yards at 5.5 yards per carry.
Last week against Buffalo, the Patriots race up 143 yards rushing at 4.1 yards per carry.
“Coach [Josh] McDaniels does a great job of dialing up good game plans, and as long as we can show him we can do it in practice, he’ll call it in a game. So, whatever he happens to dial up, myself, Rex, Sony [Michel], Brandon [Bolden] – Dame [Damien Harris], maybe he’s in there – we’re going to go out there and execute it,” said running back James White during his press conference on Monday.
Against the Bills, 10 of the Patriots 23 first downs came on the ground.
Against the Bills, Sony Michel had 21 carries for 96 yards, while Rex Burkhead had 20 yards on five carries and a touchdown.
Burkhead also had four catches for 77 yards.
White added, “It was a good win on Saturday. We’ve got to move forward from it. The Dolphins have been playing well the past few weeks and it’ll be another good challenge for us. It’s an important game for us, just got to go out and compete from the first snap to the last. Those guys are going to come out ready to play.”
The Dolphins defense comes in having given up 3.5, 4.2 and 2.4 yards per carry over their last three games.
They are ranked 21st in the NFL in Yards Per Carry (YPC) allowed with 4.43.
Miami allowed just 59 rushing yards on 25 carries against the Bengals last week.
“I know they’re banged up on defense and what-not, but those guys still go out there and they compete. They play hard, they play good coverage, they’re going to attack you. They’ve been playing tough football, and it’ll be a great challenge for us,” added White.
PHOTO: Patriots media website
Gilmore vs Parker
The key matchup for the Patriots defense will be cornerback Stephon Gilmore against wide receiver DeVante Parker.
In the week two matchup between the two, Gilmore covered Parker from the start to finish and did not allow a reception on five targets, while recording an interception.
Since then, Parker has become one of the Dolphins' biggest threats on the outside, hauling in five catches for 111 yards on 15 targets last week against the Bengals.
On the season, he leads the Dolphins with 64 catches for 1,065 yards and nine touchdowns, all career-highs.
Meanwhile, Gilmore is generating some buzz as a potential Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
“Steph has done a great job for us. He works hard, prepares well, he’s very professional and he has a very good skill set. He’s long, he’s fast, he’s a good tackler, he’s strong, plays the ball well. He does a lot of things well, and he’s done well for us all year,” said Patriots head coach Bill Belichick during his press conference on Friday.
On the season, Gilmore has six interceptions for 126 yards and two touchdowns.
He also has 19 passes defensed.
PHOTO: Patriots media website
Elandon Roberts
Middle-linebacker Elandon Roberts played 21 snaps at fullback for the Patriots last week, after playing ten the week before.
While he was in the game, the Patriots averaged 4.3 yards per carry, including rushes of 12 and 25 yards and a touchdown.
In the passing game, quarterback Tom Brady went 3-of-3 for 23 yards and a touchdown off of play-action.
“It’s just the flip of the middle linebacker, just on the other side of the ball. As a middle linebacker, you’re searching out the guy with the ball. As a fullback, you’re searching out one of the guys who’s trying to get the guy with the ball,” said Patriots head coach Bill Belichick during his press conference on Friday.
Roberts began taking snaps at fullback in week seven against the Jets after the Patriots lost both James Develin and Jakob Johnson early in the season.
From there, Roberts played at lease one offensive snap in eight of the Patriots' last nine games, giving New England the ability to use their "21" personnel scheme (two backs, one tight end) that has been successful in the past.
Last season, only the 49ers ran more plays out of “21” personnel than the Patriots did.
“We have invested a lot in it. That’s why we had two fullbacks in training camp and that’s why we had two fullbacks on the roster. Any time you lose two players at the same position, it’s tough to have the kind of depth to sustain that. There are some advantages that that grouping gives you if you can execute it, if you can be productive in it,” added Belichick.
Having Roberts in the backfield has also helped the offensive line out.
Last week against Buffalo, the Bills defense was credited with just four hits on Brady.
New England had previously allowed 87 quarterback hits, and Brady has been sacked 26 times.
Belichick added, “Elandon has a great attitude. He will do whatever he can to help the team, whether that’s fullback, kickoff coverage, punt coverage, kickoff return, he’s been on all the special teams and all that. He’s very willing to do whatever he can to help our football team.”
PHOTO: Jeffrey Beall/Wikipedia
Julian Edelman
Can the Patriots, will the Patriots find a way to give wide receiver Julian Edelman a rest on Sunday?
Edelman has not missed a game this season, but has been on the injury report just about every week with a shoulder and now a knee injury.
If New England can build a big lead, look for Edelman to be taken out of the game.
The Patriots can’t afford to lose him for the playoffs.
Edelman This Season
Despite battling through injuries, Edelman has 97 catches for 1,091 yards and six touchdowns on the season.
He is one touchdown shy of tying his career-high.
Edelman’s receptions have come on 146 targets, the third most targets of his career behind only 2016 (159 targets) and 2013 (151) targets.
PHOTO: Joe Calabro/GoLocalProv
Playoff Picture
With one week left in the regular season, the playoff picture for the Patriots is pretty straight forward.
The Patriots need to beat the Dolphins to clinch the number two seed and a crucial first-round bye.
If the Patriots were to lose, they would need the Chargers to beat the Chiefs in Kansas City.
The AFC Standings are as follows:
1. Baltimore Ravens - 13-2
2. Patriots - 12-3
3. Kansas City - 11-4
4. Houston - 10-5
5. Buffalo - 10-5
T-6 - Tennessee & Pittsburgh - 8-7
