The New England Patriots will host the Miami Dolphins at 4:25 p.m. at Gillette Stadium for Week 1 of the NFL season. The NFL has staged an AFC East rivalry game to open the season, and it should be an interesting one with the Dolphins, led by former Patriots’ play-caller Brian Flores, finishing at 10-6 and New England being 7-9 in 2020.
The matchup could feature a pair of former Alabama quarterbacks and first-round picks. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who was the fifth overall pick in 2020, beat out Patriots quarterback Mac Jones for the job while they were at school together, but Jones took over the job for one season before the Patriots picked him at 15th overall in the 2021 NFL draft.
It’s possible (and maybe probable) quarterback Cam Newton starts for New England in Week 1. But if Jones wins the job during training camp, it would be fun to see two former Crimson Tide quarterbacks begin what could be a longstanding rivalry in the AFC East.
