{"id":1596,"date":"2016-09-15T01:11:37","date_gmt":"2016-09-15T05:11:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=1596"},"modified":"2016-09-15T01:24:42","modified_gmt":"2016-09-15T05:24:42","slug":"week-two-new-england-patriots-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2016\/09\/15\/week-two-new-england-patriots-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"Week Two New England Patriots Preview: vs Miami Dolphins"},"content":{"rendered":"

These divisional rivals had two very different starts to their seasons. After being doubted all week,\u00a0the New England Patriots<\/strong>\u00a0edged out a win against the\u00a0Arizona Cardinals<\/strong>\u00a0after controlling most of the game. Two fumbles led to 14 points on the board for the Cardinals, otherwise the final score could’ve been by a wider margin.<\/p>\n

The Miami Dolphins<\/strong>, on the other hand, lost to the\u00a0Seattle Seahawks<\/strong> 12-10 in a game they could have won. Miami took the lead with just over four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but an injured\u00a0Russell Wilson<\/a><\/strong> led his team to victory by completing a touchdown pass to\u00a0Doug Baldwin<\/a><\/strong> with just 31 seconds remaining.<\/p>\n

But week one is behind us now, and week two is right around the corner.<\/p>\n

Week Two New England Patriots Preview: vs Miami Dolphins<\/h2>\n

Offensive Line Outlook<\/h3>\n

With both units facing adversity in the form of injuries, it will be interesting to see if New England’s offensive line can hold off a dangerous Miami pass rush.\u00a0Ndamukong Suh<\/a><\/strong> led the way for Miami last week, tallying one sack and combining for four tackles throughout the game.\u00a0Mario Williams<\/a><\/strong>, whose status is currently unknown<\/a>\u00a0after leaving Sunday’s game with a concussion, also sacked Russell Wilson\u00a0and contributed two tackles of his own.<\/p>\n

If Williams is out for Sunday’s game, Miami’s defensive line will feature\u00a0Andre Branch<\/a><\/strong>, Suh, a\u00a0Jordan Phillips<\/a><\/strong>\/Jason<\/strong>\u00a0Jones<\/strong><\/a> combination to replace\u00a0Earl Mitchell<\/a><\/strong> (who was placed on injured reserve with a calf injury<\/a>)\u00a0and\u00a0Chris<\/strong>\u00a0Jones<\/strong><\/a> (from left to right, respectively).<\/p>\n

Cameron Fleming<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Joe Thuney<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0David Andrews<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Ted Karras<\/a><\/strong>, and\u00a0Marcus Cannon<\/a><\/strong> are the projected starters if Nate Solder<\/a><\/strong> and\u00a0Jonathan Cooper<\/a><\/strong> cannot suit up for the Patriots. Shaq Mason<\/a><\/strong> could split time at left tackle with Fleming again this week, but is still limited by a hand injury.\u00a0The same starting five held their own against the Cardinals defense last week. Many thought they didn’t stand a chance, yet they played very well<\/a>. They only allowed two sacks and five hits on\u00a0Jimmy Garoppolo<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Expectations<\/h4>\n

Expect the same type of performance from the Patriots offensive line this week. Although the Dolphins pass rush is dangerous, New England successfully took on a top-five defense and held their own last Sunday. The Dolphins will also be without Earl Mitchell and Mario Williams, which definitely affects how and when Miami will blitz.\u00a0In order for Miami’s\u00a0blitzes to be effective, they have to disguise them\u00a0as much as possible in order to get the Patriots offensive line out of position. As obvious as that may sound, New England was hardly beaten in individual match ups last week. Garoppolo showed patience and discipline and made smart plays when the team needed him the most.<\/p>\n

Extra Points<\/h3>\n

Third Down Efficiency<\/h4>\n

Last Sunday, New England was able to convert on 10 of 16 third downs. Miami wasn’t so lucky. Their 2-14 conversion rate is something that will have to improve if they want a chance at winning this week.<\/p>\n

Clock Management<\/h4>\n

Miami will also want to keep the Patriots offense off the field for as long as possible, much like the Patriots were able to do in Arizona last week. Part of succeeding at this is converting on third down, but is the combination of\u00a0Arian Foster<\/a><\/strong> and\u00a0Jay Ajayi<\/a><\/strong> going to be enough to beat Bill Belichick<\/strong> at his own game? Against the Cardinals, the Patriots had two 6+ minute drives in the second half that resulted in field goals and didn’t give Arizona much of a chance to respond.<\/p>\n

Ball Security<\/h4>\n

Ball security will surely be important for New England this week. The Patriots fumbled three times last week, with two being recovered by Arizona. Both recoveries led to touchdowns for the Cardinals, and Bill Belichick couldn’t have been happy about that. Turnovers are a big part of any game, but are even more important against divisional rivals who are hungry to not start the season 0-2.<\/p>\n

Last Word<\/h3>\n

The mood in New England has changed since beating the Cardinals. The possibility of a 4-0 or 3-1 start is very real now. Miami doesn’t play well in Gillette Stadium<\/strong>, having lost 13 times in 14 tries since the stadium opened in 2002. With an injured Dolphins defensive line and the possibility of a\u00a0Rob Gronkowski<\/a><\/strong> return, the Patriots have high hopes for this game.<\/p>\n

Prediction: New England 30 – Miami 16<\/h3>\n
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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n