Preview: (1/1) MIA @ NE

The New England Patriots (7-8) host the Miami Dolphins (8-7) on New Year’s Day (1/1/23, 1pm).

The Patriots are catching the juggernaut Miami offense at a bad time. The Dolphins have already proven they can hack cold weather with a respectable struggle in the snow versus the Bills in Week 15. The real problems are three demoralizing losses in a row for Miami, when you’re banking on the late season surge, plus one starting quarterback in concussion protocol.

The chatter around the league is that the safety protocols around QB Tua Tagavailoa are not doing their job because the passer looks like a confused version of the secondary-killer that started the season with the twin barrels of WRs Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. At this point Tua is likely out Week 17. QB Teddy Bridgewater is the fill-in, and you could do a lot worse.

A Bridgewater-led Miami squad will probably be favored at Gillette Stadium, which is about the level of disrespect the Patriots deserve this year. HC Belichick and Company will draw up plays to confuse backup quarterbacks, but Bridgewater is no greenhorn, and he’s acquitted himself admirably in fill-in duty before.

Last week’s action

The Patriots are a bad team.

And bad teams lose to good teams. This bad team lost to the Cincinnati Bengals 22-18 in Week 16. If you didn’t watch the game, you might think this was a closely matched affair. If you did watch the game, I’m sorry.

The Patriots were blanked 22-0 in the first half. QB Joe Burrows sparkled, moving the ball through the air at will. The New England offense could not string together first downs and gave the punter plenty to do.

Great teams close out bad teams without giving them a shred of hope. Good teams sometimes let the bad ones creep back in. After Burrows gave up a second half, 69-yard pick-6 to a streaking Marcus Jones, the Patriots got a spark. QB Mac Jones found his receivers for TDs twice, including a crazy bobbled lateral to WR Jakobi Meyers. It was an echo of the last play against the Raiders in Week 15 (*shudder*), but this time the receiver was on the right end of the madness.

RB Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled away the Patriots’ chance to pull ahead in the fourth quarter as time was counting down. Good thing too, because the Globe journos already had their withering reviews written. 

Gasper focused on the bad offensive coaching: “Due to Belichick’s ill-fated decision to install failed head coaches/Hoodie toadies Matt Patricia and Joe Judge as architects of this “attack,” Mac is about as far from looking like Burrow as a Christmas caroler is from Taylor Swift.”

Volin called the game a “symphony of humiliation,” declined to write an article, and offered a bullet point listicle of how awful the Patriots are instead. 

Sullivan looked past the game, and the season, to draw up a wishlist for getting better next year.

Next year can’t come quick enough.

What we’re wondering

Is Dolphins QB Tua Tagavailoa kaput for the season?

He’s in concussion protocol for the second time in the season after getting smacked around in the Packers game and throwing three interceptions. In post-game pressers, he confessed that he called the wrong play, or called the right one and executed the wrong one, or some confusing combination of all the above. He sounds like a guy who had his head scrambled and didn’t come out of the game. It doesn’t sound like he will be back for the Patriots game. QB Teddy Bridgewater can steer the ship while he’s gone, but might not have as high a ceiling for the big chunk yardage plays.

Can RB Rhamondre Stevenson bounce back from involvement in two game-ending plays in a row? 

The otherwise stellar running back fumbled away the chance to beat the Bengals last week, and the week before he initiated the craziness that led to Jakobi Meyers tossing a turkey to the Raider’s Chandler Jones for the game-winner. But Jakob Meyers bounced back with a nice performance in a losing effort against Cincinnati, and Stevenson can do the same against Miami.

What we’re watching for

Time to check in on the sack leaderboard on behalf of LB Matt Judon. He’s currently sitting in second place with 15.5 sacks after DL Nick Bosa blew up the Commanders to reach 17.5 in total. Not that it matters much, but what matters in this train wreck season. Let’s root for Judon to reclaim the lead and take the sack title for the season.

How well can QB Teddy Bridgwater slide into Miami’s offense as a fill-in? He’s a former starter with plenty of experience, including in this current season. He’s led the Dolphins to two losses. One in Week 4 against the Bengals (23 attempts, 14 completions, 193 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT), another in Week 6 against Minnesota (34 attempts, 23 completions, 329 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT). Bridgewater can put up numbers, but he also makes mistakes, which the Patriots defense can take advantage of.

For Boston Fans

WATCH: CBS / WBZ

LISTEN: 98.5 The Sports Hub

#humpFL #foreverNE #finsup


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Preview: (12/24) CIN @ NE