Week 1 Preview: Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots

NFL football is finally back and the Miami Dolphins will face a familiar foe in the New England Patriots, come Week 1. The Dolphins finished the 2020 season above the Patriots in the AFC East for the first time since 2008. However, the Dolphins fell just short of the playoffs, an outcome they hope to surpass this year.

Quarterback Matchup

Tua Tagovailoa will start for Miami, facing off against former Alabama teammate Mac Jones. Mac Jones beat out Cam Newton for New England’s starting quarterback job. Newton was then released after a disappointing 2020 campaign.

To simply state it, Mac Jones had an impressive preseason. The 23-year-old had a 97.4 passer rating, which was tops among all rookies in the preseason. Jones also threw for 388 yards, which was tops among all rookies, beating out the likes of Trevor Lawrence, Trey Lance, and Justin Fields, all quarterbacks who were selected before him. For reference, Lawrence threw for 323 yards, while Lance and Fields both threw for 276 yards. Jones also had zero interceptions during the preseason, certainly something worthy of note, given how often he saw the field.

League’s Best Defenses

The New England Patriots had the league’s eighth-best pass defense last year, allowing only 222 yards per game. The run defense was less impressive as it scuffled throughout the year. However, New England signed and traded for Matthew Judon, Jalen Mills, Shaun Wade, Kyle Van Noy, and Lawrence Guy among other big names. The biggest move of all, however, might be the return of linebacker Dont’a Hightower. Hightower is back with the Patriots after sitting out the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now 31, it’s easy to think that Hightower benefitted from a year’s rest after eight NFL seasons.

For Miami, their defense bolstered last season under head coach Brian Flores and they look to improve again this year. The Dolphins have one of the best cornerback tandems in the NFL with Xavien Howard and Byron Jones. If Mac Jones isn’t careful in his first NFL game, expect Howard to get at least one interception.

Injury Report

• Pats WR Malcolm Perry is out with a foot injury.
• The Miami Dolphins have no players listed as out, as of now.
• WR Nelson Agholor (ankle), OT Yodny Cajuste (hamstring), LB Ronnie Perkins (shoulder), and CB Jalen Mills (ankle) are all listed as questionable for New England.
• WR Preston Williams (foot) is the only Dolphin listed as questionable.