Dolphins 2023 Week 8 Opponent Breakdown: New England Patriots

The Miami Dolphins will try to go to 6-2 on the season when they face the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday

The Miami Dolphins will look to bounce back from their Week 7 loss when they face the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.

The Dolphins have won five of the past six meetings against Bill Belichick's team, including a 24-17 victory at Gillette Stadium earlier this season.

The Patriots will come into the game with a disappointing 2-5 record but coming off a 29-25 victory against the three-time defending AFC East champion Buffalo Bills on a last-minute touchdown pass from Mac Jones to former Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki.

To get some answers on five major questions related to the Patriots, we turned to Mike D'Abate, Lead Reporter for Fan Nation sister site Patriots Country.

1. Was the victory against Buffalo a sign that maybe the Patriots can turn things around in 2023 or was it more of a fluky thing where they caught the Bills on a bad day?

MD: In all fairness, it is probably a mix of both. However, the Pats victory over Buffalo said more about their potential than it did about the defending division champs' shortcomings. While the Bills clearly did not put out their best effort in Week 7, their wounds were not as entirely self-inflicted as members of the “Bills Mafia” would have you believe. New England finally put together a complete team effort and gained the upper hand on Buffalo by defensively pressuring Josh Allen and forcing him through the middle, while incorporating pre-snap motion to facilitate their offense. When New England plays sound team football, they are capable of remaining competitive with anyone. In order to sustain — and thus build upon — their success, the Pats must continue their commitment to keep their playmakers on the field, especially on offense. Despite the losses of both Matthew Judon and Christian Gonzalez due to injury, the Patriots defense is still talented enough to keep games close.

2. What's the level of optimism the Patriots still have enough time to make a playoff run in 2023?

MD: As Bill Parcells would say, “You are what your record says you are.” In that vein, the Patriots (2-5) are a last-place team in both the division and conference. However, the reality is that the Pats have a number of winnable games remaining on their schedule. Following this week’s matchup in Miami Gardens, the Pats face a slate consisting of the Washington Commanders (3-4), Indianapolis Colts (3-4), New York Giants (2-5), Los Angeles Chargers (2-4). As such, the outcome of Sunday’s game against the Dolphins may determine whether the Pats are indeed capable of making a playoff run. Should they pull off the upset (which is a dauntingly difficult task), New England may not only rekindle their postseason hopes, but they may also have the choice of being buyers at the trade deadline — a concept that was nearly inconceivable just two weeks ago.

3. The Patriots had a degree of success against the Dolphins offense in Week 2, but how they could even come close to duplicating that without Matt Judon and Christian Gonzalez?

MD: While both Judon and Gonzalez were key elements in their success against the Dolphins in Week 2, the Pats still have enough talent depth at key positions to keep things interesting on Sunday. In their first meeting, New England seemed determined to neutralize the Dolphins' pre-snap movement and post-snap productivity by deploying three safeties in the deep part of the field. While the Pats' big nickel looks limited Miami's ability to seek the big play, it also opened things up for shorter gains, while utilizing running back Raheem Mostert for significant yardage on the ground. As a result, the Dolphins found rushing success against the Patriots' weaker boxes. In essence, the Pats dared the Dolphins to beat them in the short game ... and Coach Mike McDaniel had the answers when they were most needed. This time around, New England must be more aggressive with Miami’s pass catchers at the line of scrimmage to prevent them from developing a rhythm with Tua in the intermediate areas of the field. While one should expect to see the three-safety umbrella looks at times, the Patriots defensive front must do a better job of being physical with Miami’s offensive line to prevent the run. The improved play of linemen Deatrich Wise, Christian Barmore and Davon Godchaux might allow the Pats to find greater success in this area.

4. What signs, if any, had there been that the Patriots would be able to pull off the kind of victory they pulled off against Buffalo?

MD: Following their 34-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 5, the Patriots appeared headed for football oblivion. Still, there was an undercurrent of potential that seemed to be lurking below the surface with this team. Their Week 6 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders actually provided some optimism for the offense by incorporating inside zone into their schemes to establish the run. In fact, the Pats found success on greater than 60 percent of their runs against the Raiders. Offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien built on that in his game plan against the Bills by mixing in some 11-personnel among his customary two-tight end sets. On the defensive side, New England’s secondary has taken on a more physical, aggressive approach since re-acquiring cornerback J.C. Jackson. With both Jackson and the now-healthy Jack Jones manning the perimeter, the corners can now complement the hard-hitting style of Jabrill Peppers and Kyle Dugger. While it appeared that these improvements would eventually come together, few, if any, would have predicted it to show during the Pats matchup with Buffalo. Fortunately, they were able to find fast success.

5. What would give you the most confidence in New England's ability to pull off the upset at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday?

MD: While it's hard to even be optimistic about pulling off an upset of the most explosive team in the NFL, being confident may seem like a fool’s errand for the Patriots. However, New England proved against Buffalo that they are capable of carrying that puncher’s chance into any, and potentially all, of their remaining matchups. To beat Miami, New England must win its battles up front, on both offense and defense. While Mostert and the Dolphins running game hurt them in Week 2, the Pats run defense run defense has been much improved. If their defensive front is successful in stopping the run, the Patriots may be poised to deploy their pass rush. Both Josh Uche and Keion White are trending in the direction of suiting up to help the surprising Anfernee Jennings — who has performed admirably in Judon’s absence. On offense, the Pats' most recent O-line consisting of Michael Onwenu at right tackle has been their most effective to date. New England also started rookie Sidy Sow at right guard, while Cole Strange returned to the lineup to provide solid protection at left guard. If they can provide Jones with adequate time to process his reads and make his throws, the Patriots will — at the very least — keep things interesting at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday. 

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