Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
The Miami Dolphins can't be too excited having to travel to Gillette Stadium to take on New England after the Patriots are coming off the bye week.
The Pats will be rested, but more importantly head coach Bill Belichick and his staff have had two weeks to game plan for the Dolphins and their various Wildcat looks on offense.
We all know what Belichick can do with two weeks to prepare, and we all know the Dolphins wish this wasn't the scenario.
But the biggest thing is what can both defenses do to stop the other offense?
With Miami, it's all about that Wildcat formation. Some say it's a gimmick, but it's a staple in the Dolphins' running game. Ronnie Brown is a threat to run, but he can also pass a little out of that formation, while Ricky Williams adds another dangerous runner in the backfield.
While Miami can run with the best teams in the league, it can't keep up with teams in the passing game with Chad Henne at the helm.
No doubt the Pats will try to neutralize the run game and put the game in Henne's hands. And there's no way he can carry this club, considering his lack of talented weapons on the outside.
But the Patriots' defensive front must answer the bell, play strong and penetrate into the backfield to disrupt the timing of Miami's run game.
If they do, I don't think this game will be that close. If they let Miami pick up good chunks of yards and control the clock, then the Pats are in for a 60-minute war on Miami's terms.
As for the Patriots' offense, look no further than quarterback Tom Brady (is this a surprise?).
In his career, Brady has had issues with Miami and Jason Taylor. Taylor is still around and is a dangerous pass rusher on the outside. How will rookie 6-foot-8, 315-pound Sebastian Vollmer handle the speed of Taylor? I think he'll be OK, considering he can't do any worse than Matt Light who has struggle with any type of speed rusher for years.
Now Light is out with a knee injury and Vollmer has done a great job in his place. Vollmer might not have the speed of a puma from side to side, but he's got brute strength and power, and if he gets his paws on Taylor, there's no way Taylor is going to get to Brady.
The biggest advantage for the Pats is Randy Moss and Wes Welker going up against Miami's rookie cornerbacks. You can't tell me a vet like Moss isn't going to have a few tricks up his sleeves for the rookies. Expect Moss to be a key, unless Miami decides to double Moss every team with a corner and safety help over the top. If that's the case, Brady will dink-and-dunk down the field, with Welker being the biggest difference-maker. Either way, the Pats will throw and throw some more vs. Miami.
While the running game has been iffy for much of the season -- although Laurence Maroney, despite all the haters out there, has been extremely serviceable since Fred Taylor and Sammy Morris went down with injuries -- they will need Maroney to keep this defense honest with hard-earned yards. That means putting his head down, not dancing around too much, and fighting for 3-4 yards a pop.
But don't forget about special teams. Miami's Ted Ginn returned two kickoffs for TDs last week against the Jets, so the New England coverage units better bring its 'A' game and target Ginn with a couple big hits. Ginn's soft, he is afraid of contact and likes to bounce plays to the outside. The Pats know this, and don't expect Ginn to find the room to use his speed and find paydirt against the Pats this week.
This game is set up for the Pats, coming off the bye, to play a very strong football game.
I expect the Pats to confuse Henne, limit the big running plays and create a few turnovers and completely take Miami out of its game plan.
And Brady takes command and uses his arm to pick apart the Dolphins.
Prediction: New England, 31-20
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