The New England Patriots have a chance to turn their season around in Sunday’s head-to-head meeting with the Miami Dolphins. A victory would put them at 3-5 with a stretch of winnable games coming up on the schedule.
But they’ll be running into a Dolphins team that has had their number in recent years. It also doesn’t help that Miami is coming off a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, which means they’ll be plenty motivated to send the Patriots packing with a loss.
This isn’t the same Patriots team that showed up in the blowout losses to the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints. New offensive wrinkles has quarterback Mac Jones finally hitting his stride, and the defense has continued to be competitive, despite numerous injuries.
Here are seven burning questions facing the team in their Week 8 road trip to South Beach:
1
Will the Dolphins have their Pro Bowl duo at CB?
It’s scary to think the Dolphins haven’t been at 100 percent up to this point.
One of their biggest pickups in the offseason was six-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey. It’s terrifying imagining one of the best defensive playmakers in the NFL being paired alongside four-time Pro Bowler Xavien Howard in the defensive backfield.
The Patriots have struggled with receivers getting open this season, and that problem could worsen if the Dolphins defense is at full strength on Sunday.
Ramsey has been out with a knee injury, but he has a chance to play in the game. Meanwhile, Howard missed last week with a groin injury, but he might also get the green light for this divisional matchup.
2
How will the Patriots deal with the Tyreek Hill problem?
Tyreek Hill has been putting up “Madden” video game numbers this season. In only seven games, he already has 53 receptions for 902 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s currently in the MVP conversation and on pace to put up over 2,000 yards receiving.
The Patriots defended him better than anyone this season, holding the All-Pro wideout to five receptions on nine targets for 40 yards and a touchdown in Week 2. However, that Patriots team had rookie first-round draft pick Christian Gonzalez stepping up and challenging Hill directly.
In many ways, that performance was Gonzalez’s coming-out party, and he even drew high praise from Hill.
Christian Gonzalez had the LOCKS on Tyreek Hill last night 😳
Gonzalez was targeted just TWICE while he was in coverage on Hill.
He didn’t allow a SINGLE reception and came away with an interception on one of the targets.
Gonzalez is currently allowing a passer rating of 58.5… pic.twitter.com/oNNDvdaWqz
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) September 18, 2023
So how do the Patriots plan on covering “Cheetah” in the rematch? It could be a combination of J.C. Jackson going one-on-one and with some help over the top. Of course, you run the risk of giving up big plays to Jaylen Waddle on the other side, when focusing all of the attention on Hill. But it might be a risk the Patriots will be willing to take in this game.
3
Can the Patriots stop the run?
The Dolphins offense wiped the floor with the Patriots in the rushing department in the first meeting between the two teams. Patriots defenders can probably still hear Raheem Mostert’s cleats pounding the ground at Gillette Stadium for 121 yards and two touchdowns.
There are a lot of weapons for Miami offensively, and the Patriots can’t realistically stop all of them. But they’ll need to be much more competitive against the rushing attack, especially when it comes to setting the edge and being consistent with solid, fundamental tackling.
The latter was an issue for the Patriots against the Bills, even though they still managed to win the game. Miami is full of playmakers capable of racking up yards after the catch. So the ability to bring them down on that initial contact could mean the difference between winning and losing.
4
Will Mike Onwenu stay at right tackle?
Moving Mike Onwenu to right tackle against the Bills was one of the best decisions the Patriots have made offensively so far this season.
Even at guard, there was no question that Onwenu was one of the team’s best offensive lineman. It has been a revolving door at right tackle with players like Calvin Anderson and Vederian Lowe attempting to fill the void. So the Patriots basically threw a dart with Onwenu that stuck to the wall.
The veteran held up strong across from Trent Brown, and the offensive line as a whole performed better. Was this a one time thing, or will the Patriots actually consider moving Onwenu to right tackle permanently?
Even if it takes a pay bump to keep Onwenu at tackle, the Patriots should seriously consider it. Before last Sunday, Jones was basically a crash test dummy under center for the team. However, when he has time to throw, the offense has a much better chance of being successful.
5
Will Mac Jones' confidence carry over?
Mac Jones being comfortable in the pocket is the only hope for success moving forward. You don’t commit turnovers and beat a Dolphins offense that plays like it’s at a track meet on a weekly basis.
The path to success is avoiding turnovers, mixing things up offensively and playing great defense. Sure, the Patriots found offensive life against the Bills, but they still aren’t a team built to play from behind. They are limited at the offensive skilled positions, and no amount of effort from Jones is going to change that fact.
They can’t outpace the Dolphins in scoring.
But they can limit their opportunities with good play-calling and winning the time of possession. All of that is linked back to the confidence of the quarterback.
Jones started to change the first-round bust narrative by throwing 25-of-30 for 276 yards and two touchdowns, along with leading the team on a game-winning drive against the Bills. A similar performance on the road against Miami would flip the entire narrative on its head.
6
How much of a factor will Demario Douglas be?
Another reason for New England’s success against the Bills was their willingness to shift focus to the more speedy pieces on their offense. Players like Demario Douglas, Kendrick Bourne and even Jalen Reagor got the highlight treatment over DeVante Parker.
The Parker and JuJu Smith-Schuster combination has flat out failed in New England, and it’s time to turn the page to the other players on the roster that have shown the ability to create separation and make plays.
No one does that better than Douglas, perhaps.
Offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien was creative in drawing up plays for “Pop” Douglas to be more involved in the game plan as a receiver and rusher. The first-year NFL player also got some work in as a returner on special teams. That needs to continue to an even greater degree against the Dolphins on Sunday.
7
Can the Patriots get their first win over Tua Tagovailoa?
Tua Tagovailoa has owned the Patriots.
Since coming to the NFL, he is a perfect 5-0 against New England, including the Week 2 win from earlier in the season.
It all starts with the defensive line. Can they consistently get pressure on Tagovailoa, but more importantly, will they be able to get home when they do?
Christian Barmore is playing some of the best football in his NFL career, now that he’s finally healthy. And Davon Godchaux has been a handful for opposing offenses. The Patriots might also have Josh Uche and Keion White back on the field.
If the defensive front can create disruption, it will make life significantly easier on the backend for the secondary.
