The Miami Dolphins will finish their season against the 13-3 New England Patriots on Sunday. The Patriots have already clinched the AFC East, but can still improve their playoff seeding with a win. Meanwhile, the Dolphins were mathematically eliminated following their Week 15 loss to Pittsburgh on Monday Night Football.
The Patriots and Dolphins previously faced each other in Week 2, when the Patriots came out victorious 33-27. On that occasion, New England jumped out to an early 12-0 lead before the Dolphins responded in the second half and took the lead. Miami lost the lead as they gave up a kickoff return touchdown late in the fourth quarter. The Patriots have a chance to sweep the Dolphins for the first time since 2016. In the 2020s, the Dolphins have won eight of 11 matchups against New England.
Mike Vrabel Sends Message to Miami
Head coach Mike Vrabel has been a thorn in Miami’s side for a while now. In 2023, the Dolphins lost a 14-point lead with 2:40 left in the fourth quarter against a Titans team led by Mike Vrabel. Had Miami won that game on Monday Night Football, they would have won their first division title since 2008. Instead, they had to go on the road in the playoffs and lost in the fourth coldest game in NFL history.
In 2021, the Dolphins reeled off seven straight wins to go from 1-7 to 8-7 and briefly hold a playoff berth. The Vrabel-led Titans ended Miami’s win streak as they defeated the Dolphins 34-3, which knocked Miami out of playoff contention and resulted in head coach Brian Flores being fired after the season.
As previously mentioned, Mike Vrabel has already led New England to a win over the Dolphins this year. The win marked his first as New England’s head coach. After the game, Vrabel said, “Our whole intention was to defend inside the numbers and make sure that was not where [Dolphins] were hurting us.”
The Dolphins are a very different team from what New England saw in Week 2. All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill has been out since Week 4 with a dislocated knee, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been benched, and the team has shifted into a run-heavy style of football. Regarding this version of the Dolphins, Mike Vrabel said, “[Dolphins] are 5-2 in their last seven games. Have created 13 turnovers in those five wins, have a running back that’s first in the league in YPC, YAC, and explosive runs and some young DL that are really improving and playing well.”
Dolphins vs Patriots
Of course, the Patriots are also vastly different from what Miami last saw. Quarterback Drake Maye has transformed himself into an MVP favorite and the Patriots have won 12 out of their last 13 games.
Their offense is fifth in the league in points per game, while their defense is also fifth in points per game allowed. In Week 2, the Dolphins had plenty of chances to come out victorious, including a reception by De’Von Achane that nearly went for a touchdown, but his foot stepped out of bounds with less than a minute remaining in the game. In Week 18, the roles have shifted. The Dolphins are the underdogs, while the Patriots seem like Super Bowl contenders.
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