Patriots-Dolphins Week 1 Sneak Preview: Early to Miami; Starting CB Out?

The AFC-East division rivals are set to open the 2022 NFL season on Sunday, Sept. 11 in Miami Gardens, Florida.

FOXBORO — With just 10 days remaining until their 2022 season opener, the New England Patriots are already making preparations for their matchup with the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.

For the first time since 2000, Miami swept the season series in 2021. The Pats dropped their Week 1 matchup with the Dolphins at Gillette Stadium, 17-16, while also falling to the ‘Fins, 33-24, in the season finale in Miami.

Though the Pats are using the bulk of this week to practice some final situational football concerns from camp/preseason, their attention is about to be squarely focused on Miami Gardens, Florida. 

Before the Dolphins become the focal point of the team’s practices, here are some storylines worth monitoring in the coming days.

Insider Trading Secrets? McDaniel ‘Not Concerned’

Immediately following the news of the Patriots signing hybrid receiver/rusher Lynn Bowden, Jr. broke on Thursday, speculation began to run rampant that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick had once again snuck behind enemy lines to snag the services of an insider from Miami’s ranks.

In short, the perception (among some media and fans from both bases) is that Bowden’s sole purpose on the Patriots practice squad will be to provide a full disclosure of Miami’s offensive and defensive strategy, during a pseudo-debrief by Belichick and New England’s coaching staff.

Still, count Miami’s head coach Mike McDaniel among those not worried about Bowden releasing classified gridiron information.

When asked on Thursday about Bowden’s signing with the Patriots, McDaniel revealed that he was “happy for Lynn” in getting the chance to continue his football journey. However, he was careful to say that he is not worried about any sinister implications from it.

“I feel like that was a concern early in my career,” McDaniel told reporters regarding ex-players signing with rivals. “But, considering that you can go online and buy almost every playbook that I've ever worked on ... no, it doesn't concern me at all. I would assume that they [Patriots] were doing that [signing Bowden] because they had exposure to him and not to get cryptic answers. Because if he has those answers, then I'm not that cryptic.”

For the Patriots, the signing of Bowden is far more connected to his versatility than it is with any far-fetched conspiratorial rumors. Besides, recon work of this type is generally futile when hoping to gain a competitive advantage. In 2021, the Patriots signed ex-Miami hybrid Malcolm Perry just prior to the teams’ season-opener. As previously mentioned, New England lost that game at Gillette Stadium.

Early Trip To Miami?

With heat and humidity expected to play a role in this upcoming Patriots-Dolphins matchup, Belichick is reportedly planning an early arrival in South Florida for his team due to the weather.

I’m hearing the Patriots will be coming to South Florida earlier than usual next week to get acclimated to the heat and practice at a local college here before week one matchup against the Dolphins #Patriots #Dolphins

— Yianni Kourakis (@WPBF_Yianni) August 31, 2022

While their performance on the field will ultimately determine the outcome, Belichick is undoubtedly trying to mitigate the effect of the weather to reverse the trend of poor performance in Miami. The

Dolphins have won seven of their last nine at home against New England.

Earlier this week, the Pats coach was asked about the potential effect of the weather on his team, Belichick responded by saying:

“We’ve certainly had a good opportunity to be in some warm weather this year. I’d say this has been a little bit warmer than usual training camp — and then time in Vegas. I think that’s one of those things that you don’t really know until you get into playing in it. It’s different to train in it then to actually play, so we’ll see.”

Dolphins CB Byron Jones Out for Week 1

Despite the Patriots being represented by plenty of Joneses, one Dolphins player bearing the same last name will not be active for their Week 1 tilt. 

Earlier this weekJones was placed on the Reserve/PUP list, meaning he will be forced to miss at least the first four games of the season.

Alongside top corner Xavier Howard, Jones helps Miami field one of the best perimeter tandems in the NFL. As such, he is an invaluable part of the Dolphins’ defensive scheme. In 2021, Miami ran man coverage 67 percent [cred: SI Fan Nation’s All Dolphins] of the time, frequently relying on Jones to cover opposing receivers in isolation. With Jones out, the Dolphins’ ability to effectively run man coverage becomes compromised. In Jones’ absence, cornerback Nik Needham is expected to be Miami’s next option on the perimeter. However, he is currently dealing with a hand injury, as well.

Defensive backs Noah Igbinoghene and Kader Kohou, as well as former Patriots Keion Crossen and Eric Rowe remain possibilities at the position.

Though McDaniel was asked about his plans for the position during Thursday’s meetings with reporters, he revealed little; saying it “does no good” to reveal who might have the edge at this point.

Flowers and the Fins

With the signing of former Patriots defensive end Trey Flowers, Miami will employ yet another ex-Pats defender for the upcoming season. Contrary to some popular belief, Flowers can still be effective. Unfortunately, injuries limited his time on the field in both 2020 and 2021. During the past two seasons, Flowers saw the field for only 14 games, leading to a notable decline in his production. He had just 3.5 sacks from 2020-21, when he missed time with knee and shoulder injuries, as well as a broken forearm.

However, when healthy, Flowers is still one of the more formidable pass rushers in the league, demonstrating great instincts and ability to locate the ball. He was also one of the Detroit Lions’ best run defenders, as well as a positive and influential presence in the locker room. At just 29 years of age, Flowers still has plenty left in the tank to make an impact on Miami’s front seven.