Will the Dolphins defeat the Pats?

[Ring 6]

i personally think this will be a closer game than most people expect. no matter how bad they typically are, miami somehow always plays us close. we'll definitely win, but i wouldn't take this game too lightly if i were one of the players.....but i'm not, so oh well. BB won't take it lightly, that's for sure.

any given sunday...just not when you're against the pats haha.

I completely disagee with your 'fact statement' that no matter how bad they typically are, miami somehow always plays us close.
They didnt play us close last year. We won both games by 21 points.
In the last 5 years in Gilette we have beaten them by 21,10,14,12 and the 4th game was the last game of 05 when we played no one.
They have beaten us twice in the last 5 years in Miami, and played us pretty close in 2 of them.
During the BB years Miami started out as the best team in our division and continued to be a team that gave us some matchup problems even as they faded.
We blew them out twice last year, lost to them and beat them by 1o the year before.
Nothing about their team is the same as it was during the last 6 years anyway.

What you are saying is that even though SOMETIMES we had close games with the Fins, and even though there is no pattern that 'they always play us close' and even though they are different from ballboy through GM, if you put people in Dolphin uniforms they mysteriously play us close?

 

[VJCPatriot]

More cards in the Dolphins favor:

1. The spirit of the '72 team is playing with them!
2. Dolphin cheerleaders are hot.
3. Joey Porter's mouth and motor.
4. They will play defensive schemes to confuse new QB Cassel.
5. We expect to win, so this could be a letdown game.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Does anyone really consider that the reason Porter thinks the Dolphins can win is because when Brady stepped out after the rout was on last year and then Cassel came in Cassel could not finish the job and threw a pick six to Taylor?

I bet thats what he is thinking that it could be several pick sixes sunday from the same QB who did not finish the rout that sunday.

I see no problem of him thinking that way until Cassel actually beats the Dolphins

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

The last time they beat us at home was 19 games ago for them. That was with Matt Cassel at the helm and Reche Caldwell as his #1 before he sat for fringe roster receivers and Taylor and Thomas on the field throughout. It was pre Moss and Welker (although he played for Miami that day...). Came down to a 2 point conversion we'd just as soon have missed since we were playing backups for playoff seeding and they were playing starters for Saban's ego...

Yah we 'avoided' playing the seemingly powerful Squealers by that miss.
I wonder if Cassel 'made the 53' permanently because he knows that BB told him to tank the 2 pt pass.
If Cassel dies mysteriously after this season before starting elsewhere, we'll know.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Does anyone really consider that the reason Porter thinks the Dolphins can win is because when Brady stepped out after the rout was on last year and then Cassel came in Cassel could not finish the job and threw a pick six to Taylor?

I bet thats what he is thinking that it could be several pick sixes sunday from the same QB who did not finish the rout that sunday.

I see no problem of him thinking that way until Cassel actually beats the Dolphins

Again in case like Joey you haven't noticed, Taylor isn't a Dolphin any more... Which would have made Brady happy too since for quite a while there a Dolphin team with Taylor on it routinely had Brady's number. In fact they seemed to have it early on in that last game in 2006 until a second year backup entered the game and playing with scrubs against first stringers on D led the Patriots back to a 1 point deficit pending a point after attempt Bill chose to forego in favor of a 2 point conversion he didn't really want either...

I think most people see a big problem in him thinking at all seeing as his team has manged all of 1 win in the 18 games since they foolishly signed his all yap overpaid ass...

 

[NovaScotiaPatsFan]

Dolphins aren't fish, they're mammals.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Dolphins aren't fish, they're mammals.

Who knew?????????

 

[Pats726]

IThey have beaten us twice in the last 5 years in Miami, and played us pretty close in 2 of them.

Historically games in Miami have always been really tough..never easy. 07 an easy NE win..a REAL rarity for the Pats...06 was 21-0 L.and not even close...05 23-16 and the Fins close of a TD at the last second of play...04 the famous melt down loss in the 4th quarter.. 03..the Troy Brown OT win...losses in 02 and 01..NOT close...26-13...30-10...I do worry more about games there than here..but with THIS Fin team..I may worry less...but any team CAN win on any Sunday..even though I think it will be VERY hard for them...

 

[JSn]

Did you guys see the official NFLN preview?

NFL Video Galleries

I laughed at Vrabel - "He's like a bowling ball with legs on..." re: Lamont Jordan.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Historically games in Miami have always been really tough..never easy. 07 an easy NE win..a REAL rarity for the Pats...06 was 21-0 L.and not even close...05 23-16 and the Fins close of a TD at the last second of play...04 the famous melt down loss in the 4th quarter.. 03..the Troy Brown OT win...losses in 02 and 01..NOT close...26-13...30-10...I do worry more about games there than here..but with THIS Fin team..I may worry less...but any team CAN win on any Sunday..even though I think it will be VERY hard for them...

You resolved your own conundrum. History means NOTHING if the players participating aren't significantly the same. This Phins defense bears little resemblance to the previous years' squads this century. Therefore, history is only random coincidence and no guide whatsoever to Sunday's game, which will resolve on which group plays best. Most likely, the far more talented, better prepared and coached Patriots will prevail, assuming no momentous Cassel meltdown.

 

[BadMoFo]

Does anyone really consider that the reason Porter thinks the Dolphins can win is because when Brady stepped out after the rout was on last year and then Cassel came in Cassel could not finish the job and threw a pick six to Taylor?

I bet thats what he is thinking that it could be several pick sixes sunday from the same QB who did not finish the rout that sunday.

I see no problem of him thinking that way until Cassel actually beats the Dolphins

Oh, I see. Cassel will have a statline like:

0-10, 0 yards, 0 TDs, 10 INTs, all for TDs.

Porter is smarter than we thought.

 

[Frezo]

Who knew?????????

Certainly not the Tuna.

 

[Pats726]

Therefore, history is only random coincidence and no guide whatsoever to Sunday's game, which will resolve on which group plays best.

I don't necessarily agree with RANDOM as far as history goes with these two teams..)in Miami) Sunday's game is in NE..which was NOT what I talked about in my post..I was talking more of the games in which NE goes to Miami...and those are usually always tough. (Last year's win being more an exception to that.) If you wish to look back further than the year 2000, there is a long history of Patriot teams wilting in Miami..irregardless of how strong the teams were.

 

[JSn]

The Dolphins Fans seem to have varying degrees of homerism. I guess they're more resolved to rebuilding than the Jets fans are.

Snippets from the Phins.com Phorums:

0.0 chance of beating the Pats...

On most levels, the Dolphins are not even a NFL team....

and on the other side of the coin...

Now don't say that. There is always a chance. Especially with that inept QB they have now.

I still remember JT returning one of his gifts for an INT last year.
Remember they put him in when the game was out of reach and had to yank him out after the int.

We will see.

As far as inept QBness...

MC RTG: 101.4 (1st Year)
CP RTG: 77.1 (9th Year)

I really hope we see Matty open it up a bit. Sick of not being able to properly defend him. One more mistake-free week with couple of TD's would help.

 

[PATS22]

No way! :singing::singing::singing:

 

[PatsFan24]

Reasons to worry:

1. Chad Pennington's mighty arm.

2. #1 stud rookie LT to protect abovesaid QB.

3. Ted Ginn Jr.'s amazing return prowess and also his status as a top 1st round pick weapon at WR!

4. A rejuvenated Ricky Williams.

5. The Tuna Effect.

Are you not afraid? You should be!

plus they have those great players on D named Zack Thomas and Jason Taylor......


btw did they hang on to cleo lemon?

 

[VJCPatriot]

Well JT got traded. So at least he's out of the picture. However turnovers will be key in this game. If Cassel turns over the ball, that could give life to this gritty Dolphins team. And hopefully our ST unit can contain Ginn's speed on the returns.

 

[AzPatsFan]

In all this surfeit of self congratulation, I would only point out four or five facts:

1) Matt Cassel has only played in three NFL games for any appreciable amount of time.

2) The last team to defeat the Patriots as they continue to establish the longest regular season winning streak in the 88 year history of the NFL, was the Team with the Porpoise on its helmet.

3) The Dolphins now have the best QB that they have had since Marino retired.

4) The only Team to defeat Matt Cassel in his three game extended play as a QB with the Patriots, wears the Porpoise on its helmet.

5) On any given Sunday...

 

[NJPatsfan26]

In all this surfeit of self congratulation, I would only point out four or five facts:

1) Matt Cassel has only played in three NFL games for any appreciable amount of time.

2) The last team to defeat the Patriots as they continue to establish the longest regular season winning streak in the 88 year history of the NFL, was the Team with the Porpoise on its helmet.

3) The Dolphins now have the best QB that they have had since Marino retired.

4) The only Team to defeat Matt Cassel in his three game extended play as a QB with the Patriots, wears the Porpoise on its helmet.

5) On any given Sunday...

That's crazy talk!!

But true!!

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

In all this surfeit of self congratulation, I would only point out four or five facts:

1) Matt Cassel has only played in three NFL games for any appreciable amount of time.

Yup. He's 2-1.

2) The last team to defeat the Patriots as they continue to establish the longest regular season winning streak in the 88 year history of the NFL, was the Team with the Porpoise on its helmet.

Nope. That team wore yellow and black, a funny helmet device, and hangs in Western Pennsylvania (the key word is "regular" season winning streak).

3) The Dolphins now have the best QB that they have had since Marino retired.

True. How's the rest of the squad comparatively?

4) The only Team to defeat Matt Cassel in his three game extended play as a QB with the Patriots, wears the Porpoise on its helmet.

Oh Noez! A crushing defeat that has no doubt scarred him for life.

5) On any given Sunday...

That last one is the only one to worry about. :snob: