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Dolphins vs. Patriots: Full Miami Game Preview

Thomas GaliciaOct 28, 2015

It's a short but important week for the Miami Dolphins, who travel to Foxborough to take on the undefeated AFC East leaders, the New England Patriots on Thursday night. 

Miami comes in at 3-3, winners of their last two against Houston and Tennessee by fairly laughable margins. However Miami is already 0-2 in the AFC East. 

New England, at 6-0, is coming off a grinding victory over the New York Jets and with a win over the Dolphins will move to 3-0 versus the AFC East, which will keep the team in the driver's seat. 

Miami has split the series against New England the last two seasons; however, both Dolphins victories have come in Miami. The Patriots have not only beaten the Dolphins in Foxborough but have dominated them in the last three meetings. 

Here's a preview of Thursday night's big AFC East matchup. 

Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Time: 8:25 p.m. ET

TV: CBS/NFL Network

Week 7 Results and Recap

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"The Dolphins couldn't have played a more complete game than they did against the Titans," the straw man I invented for this description opines before watching the Dolphins-Texans game. 

Then comes that first half—a series of well-executed plays on both sides of the ball that lead to an avalanche of Dolphins points en route to a 41-0 halftime lead and a 44-26 victory. 

The pessimist might look at the Dolphins being outscored 26-3 in the second half as proof that the sky will continue to fall and that all is not good in Dolphins land. This is not someone you want to listen to. 

In the second half, Miami rested key players on both sides of the ball. Lamar Miller had all 14 of his carries (for 175 yards and a touchdown) in the first half. Jarvis Landry primarily played in the first half too. 

Miami used the second half mainly to get guys rest, a situation you rarely get in the NFL since it's not often you jump out to a 41-0 halftime lead. 

The Dolphins are now 3-3. They're no longer in last place in the AFC East and can dig themselves further out of that hole with a win against the Patriots. 

News and Notes

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Potential for History Awaits Reshad Jones

In NFL history, no one has ever had three straight games with a pick-six. 

Reshad Jones has a chance to make history Thursday, as he enters the contest against New England with one in each of his last two games. 

Per Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, Jones is confident he could do it, even against Tom Brady and the Patriots. 

“It would definitely be nice,” Jones said to Beasley about the record. “That’s the goal.”

Jones has already been remarkable this season, leading the Dolphins in tackles while being the runaway MVP on defense. Pro Football Focus ranks as the third-best safety in the NFL. A Pro Bowl should be in the cards for Jones, but the potential for making history on a nationally televised stage is enticing for him as well and should be something to look for. 

Chris McCain on Tom Brady: "I Respect Him"

If you look at Chris McCain's Twitter page you'll find an avatar of him crushing Tom Brady's head. 

This avatar has received a considerable amount of criticism from some, but it's for the most part good-natured ribbing. 

But don't let the avatar fool you, as Chris McCain has nothing but the utmost respect for Brady, per James Walker of ESPN.com. “Tom Brady, I respect him," McCain said. "He’s a G-O-A-T [greatest of all time]. You can’t take that from him. I wasn’t trying to bring any attention to myself, to the team or anything like that. A fan made the picture and I liked it.”

McCain hasn't been a mainstay on Miami's active roster, but he did have the best game of his career against New England last season. 

Dolphins to Pursue Todd Haley? 

File this one under premature. 

CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported Sunday that the Dolphins are looking into hiring Todd Haley as their head coach next season. 

The move, which right now is only a rumor, would not shock me, but at the same time it shows something far more worrying about the Dolphins. 

Miami is playing well under Dan Campbell, and the players (who seem to love him) have responded well to him. 

But why would this come up now makes no sense, especially when a playoff run is still within reach. 

Injury Report

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PlayerPositionInjuryStatus
Zack BowmanCornerbackShoulderLimited
Brent GrimesCornerbackKnee/RibsLimited
Brice McCainCornerback KneeLimited
Matt MooreQuarterbackNoseLimited
Spencer PaysingerLinebackerGroinLimited
Jordan PhillipsDefensive TackleAnkleFull Participation
Mike PounceyCenterHipFull Participation

More information will be provided as it comes in, but things do not look good for the secondary. 

The good news is that Grimes has played well the last two weeks while banged up and got plenty of rest at the end of Sunday's game. 

Injury information provided by MiamiDolphins.com. 

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Key Matchups

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Patriots RT Sebastian Vollmer vs. Dolphins DE Cameron Wake

Cameron Wake has been a man possessed the last two weeks, with six sacks and two forced fumbles. 

He's always done well against New England too. 

This should be the most fun matchup to watch, based a lot on the players' previous knowledge of each other. Vollmer and Wake have been duking it out for years, and while Wake has gotten his hits in at times, Vollmer's team almost always comes away with a victory. 

Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski vs. Dolphins S Reshad Jones

Necessity dictates this as a pairing you will see a lot of. 

Miami doesn't have the linebackers who can keep up with Gronk, and the corners lack the size to cover him. 

In comes Reshad Jones. 

We discussed Jones earlier and his hunt for history. He won't be making history by stopping Gronk (which has been done before). 

Patriots Linebackers vs. Miami's Run and Short Passing Game

This isn't a player comparison—just the question of whether New England's linebackers can cover the constant dink, dunk and run from Miami's offense. 

Miami has used those plays efficiently the last two weeks, and each of Miami's 50-plus-yard touchdown plays started off like that. 

Will New England be ready schematically? The Patriots should be, but the Dolphins should have an edge talent-wise between their offensive skill players and New England's defensive skill players. 

X-Factor

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Miami Dolphins X-Factor: Kenny Stills

While Miami's offense is predicated on going short, the Dolphins will have to open it up to go long. 

This is the responsibility of Kenny Stills, who already has a long reception this season. 

Miami will rely on him to complete another on Thursday at some point during the game. Doing so likely relegates him to fifth on the depth chart when DeVante Parker is at full speed. 

New England Patriots X-Factor: LeGarrette Blount

The Patriots are an undefeated precision-based passing team but at times will need help on the ground. 

This makes running back LeGarrette Blount their X-Factor. His 2015 has been shaky, as he's run for 246 yards on 52 attempts. The average you get from 246 and 52 (4.8) should scare you, as it could be a rabbit out of Bill Belichick's hat. 

Prediction: Patriots 33, Dolphins 24

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This will be a better game than anyone anticipated. 

Miami should win the physical battle up front against the Patriots. The Dolphins are the healthier team and have won this confrontation in their two victories against New England. 

However, that won't be enough to overcome the Foxborough crowd, a short week and Tom Brady. You'll get an excellent Thursday night battle that should go back and forth.

Advantage goes to the home team, but don't be surprised if the Dolphins pull off the upset.

Patriots 33, Dolphins 24

Statistics provided by NFL.com unless otherwise noted.  

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