Miami-New England: A Crucial Game for Both Teams

Who would have thought that half way through the season the Miami Dolphins would have the same record as the New England Patriots?

I definitely didn't.

But, I sure am glad they do.

The Patriots (6-4) head to Miami this week to play the Dolphins (6-4) in a game that could possibly determine the top spot in the AFC East.

Yes, the Jets are leading the division with a record of 7-3, but they are playing at Tennessee against the unbeaten Titans this week. So, with a little luck in Miami/New England's favor, Tennessee will stay unbeaten and the Jets will fall to 7-4.

If Miami wants to win, then they will need to stop New England's running game, which has been very good in recent weeks, no matter who carries the ball. It will be interesting to see how well the Dolphins' defense will be able to withstand the Patriots' offense.

The last time the two teams met in week three, Miami shocked the NFL with a blowout win against New England, who hadn't lost a regular season game in what seemed like forever. This time, though, New England will be prepared because they have seen how good Miami is this year.

In week three, the Fins was lead by Joey Porter's sack frenzy, and Ronnie Brown's four touchdowns running and a fifth via passing.

Since then, both Miami's offense and defense have developed into huge threats. With Chad Pennington leading the way with multiple receivers, the Dolphins now have a passing offense to combine with their excellent three running back combination of Brown, Williams, and (during last week's game) Patrick Cobbs.

Look for Miami to utilize their full offensive arsenal, as well as some trick plays, to beat New England's defense.

Miami's defense has been through the most, in my mind, since then. Their defensive line, lead by Porter, was (and still is) doing great, but their secondary just could not stop the long ball. Since then, the secondary has pulled it together very well, and has become hard to beat. So, expect New England to run the ball a lot this week.

The Dolphins' special teams has been giving up big plays recently, including a touchdown last week that almost cost them the game. The Patriots have an excellent kick returner in ex-Dolphin Wes Welker, so pay attention to how well Miami can do in stopping him.

If the Dolphins are able to hold Patriots run game and stop the special teams, then we should be 7-4 and looking at a possible playoff berth.

My Prediction: 30-28. Miami wins in overtime and Porter gets 1.5 sacks.