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The New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins kick off their 2021 seasons in a Week 1 AFC East divisional duel that could have massive playoff implications as a tiebreaker. Check out our full preview of this highly anticipated matchup below.
See how the Patriots and Dolphins stack up in our latest NFL power rankings
New England Patriots vs Miami Dolphins: What you need to know
- Patriots host the Dolphins at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, September 12th at 4:25 pm ET on CBS.
- Sportsnaut says the New England Patriots will beat the Miami Dolphins, 20-17.
- Odds: The Patriots are favorites by three points with the over/under set at 43.5.
Mac Jones vs Tua Tagovailoa
How strange that Mac Jones is making his official NFL debut against his predecessor at Alabama, Dolphins second-year QB Tua Tagovailoa. The latter has the edge in experience, but Jones has the chops to be an instant NFL success.
Jones clearly beat out Cam Newton for the Patriots’ starting job in training camp and in the preseason. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick certainly isn’t afraid of being bold, and Jones’ rise is at least somewhat reminiscent of his decision many moons ago to start the young Tom Brady over veteran Drew Bledsoe.
- Mac Attack: Although he had a loaded cast of skill players around him with the Crimson Tide, Jones did play in an offense with plenty of pro-style principles. He recorded an FBS-record 77.4% completion rate, with 12.8 air yards per attempt. Jones wasn’t dinking and dunking down the field, and he should diversify New England’s passing attack.
- Tua’s Other Reunion: A whirlwind rookie campaign saw Tagovailoa mostly overwhelmed. Still, he managed a 6-3 starting record. He now has another former Alabama star in rookie No. 6 overall pick Jaylen Waddle as an electrifying weapon to throw to as part of Miami’s revamped receiving corps.
Advantage: New England Patriots
Will the Patriots or Dolphins make it to the postseason? Read our NFL playoff predictions now
Bill Belichick vs Brian Flores
It’s well-documented that Belichick’s former assistants often flop when they venture beyond Foxborough. Brian Flores is an exception to that general rule.
Flores has flourished since taking over the Dolphins program, and now has them with an elite defense and a radically shifted culture. He’s clearly adopting some “Patriot Way” principles espoused by Belichick, yet is doing his own thing and being an authentic leader. Everyone in Miami is buying in.
- Flores In a Flow State: Not only did Flores transform the Dolphins’ defense into one of the NFL’s best, but he deftly juggled a QB controversy in 2020 and still managed to finish with a 10-6 record. This man knows what he’s doing.
- GOAT Talk: Belichick is probably tired of hearing about Brady’s success after he guided the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl. Week 1 should mark the first step in a return to form from Belichick, as The Hoodie reminds the football world that he’s still the GOAT of all coaches.
Advantage: New England Patriots
Quinn Nordin vs Jason Sanders
A kicker matchup? Yes, that’s correct. This should be a tightly contested affair that may boil down to execution on field goal attempts.
How confident is Miami in its kicker? Well, the Dolphins signed Sanders to a contract extension through 2026. That’s quite a ringing endorsement. Nordin missed three short kicks in a preseason game, but still managed to beat out veteran Nick Folk for the Patriots kicking gig.
- Michigan Man: The strength of Nordin’s leg isn’t really in question. It’s his dubious accuracy, which wasn’t an issue isolated to that aforementioned preseason showing. Nordin kicked for four seasons at Michigan. That experience counts for something. So does his 72.4% field goal success rate. Not great!
- Super Sanders: During the 2020 season, Sanders converted all 36 of his extra point attempts, and missed just three of his 39 field goal tries. That’s about as good as it gets.
Advantage: Miami Dolphins
The bottom line: Despite this being Jones’ NFL debut against one of the league’s most formidable defenses, this is where the inside knowledge Belichick has of what Flores likes to do works to New England’s advantage. Combine that with a home-field edge, and the Pats should narrowly avoid a home upset.