New England Patriots: Pats Will Need To Stop Miami Dolphins' Wildcat in Week 4

Is it Monday yet? 

No, not quite yet. But, this Monday will present two division rivals squaring off in Miami, with the Patriots and Dolphins. 

Both teams are at the top of the AFC East with the New York Jets tied at 2-1, and each game against each other is a key divisional battle. 

On New England's perspective, if they want to win this game, they need to stop Miami's rushing attack, which means stopping the Wildcat.

It was about two years ago when Tony Sparano and the Miami Dolphins marched into New England and literally, marched all over Gillette Stadium. 

The Fins released "the Wildcat", or the two headed monster rushing attack from Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. 

Now, the Wildcat has become a staple in Miami's offense, and it's a huge factor for their success at running the ball.

With three weeks down in the NFL season, it's obvious New England has some defensive issues. One of those issues is stopping the run. 

Last week against the lowly Buffalo Bills, New England allowed Marshawn Lynch and CJ Spiller to run for a combined 98 yards. Both backs averaged at least six-years per carry. 

In week two's battle against the Jets, the Pats' defense allowed 76 yards to the re-emerging star LaDainian Tomlinson with an impressive 6.9 yards per carry.

It's obvious, the Patriots have issues stopping the run. 

Miami, on the other hand, have been able to run the ball effectively. 

Williams and Brown have combined for about 100-yards per game, and when they're in the Wildcat, they are proved to be dangerous.

If New England wants any chance of winning, they will need to stop Miami's rushing attack. 

This article was first seen on SportsHaze.

Tony Santorsa is Sports Haze's AFC East Beat Writer, and you could read more sports stories at www.SportsHaze.com

You can also follow Tony via Twitter @ TSantorsa10