Patriots - Dolphins II Keys, Who Has the Razor's Edge?

Dolphins RBs vs NE Front Seven – Razor’s Edge Miami
The Dolphins let Lamar Miller walk in free agency and then brought in Arian Foster who it was learned had one injury too many and he retired mid-season. That opened the door for the talented Jay Ajayi to step in and he’s been terrific. He’s backed up by the very capable Kenyon Drake to give the Dolphins a solid 1-2 punch in the running game.

The Patriots have been excellent against the run allowing just 89.5 yards per game. The big men inside, Alan Branch, Malcom Brown and Vincent Valentine have slowed things at the point of attack allowing the linebackers to make the stops. They’ve also done a great job of setting the edge and forcing the runners back inside where the pursuit can be brought up in support.

The Pats may be without LB Dont’a Hightower again as he’s recovering from a knee issue. Even without Hightower, the Patriots will look at gap control to stop Ajayi from being a big factor in the running game. Elandon Roberts, Kyle Van Noy, and Shea McClellin must step up. The game plan here is to stop the run and force Moore into beating them.

Look for Miami to have some success this week, Ajayi went thru a lull for a few weeks before re-igniting the running game with a 200+ yard effort a week ago. The plan is just not allowing him to blow open the game with big runs as he did against Buffalo. Branch will be the key guy to watch this week inside.

Dolphins WRs vs NE Secondary- Razor’s Edge New England
Ryan Tannehill is still injured and it is hoped he will be ready for the playoffs. Matt Moore had hadn’t started in 4 years stepped in and has played well the past few weeks. He has good weapons in the passing game with Jarvis Landry, DeVante Parker and deep threat Kenny Stills outside. They can also use both Ajayi and Drake out of the backfield with Dion Sims at tight end.

The Patriots have solidified their secondary since the teams first met in Foxboro. Eric Rowe has moved into the second corner slot with Logan Ryan playing the slot where he’s been very solid. The safeties have been very good and the coverage from the linebackers since Van Noy has been brought on board has improved as well as generating some turnovers. The pass rush, moribund for much of the year has gotten better with Matt Patricia getting creative in mixing things up.

The Patriots will try to limit the effectiveness of Landry, Miami’s biggest target this season and force Moore to look elsewhere to beat them. How well they matchup against Parker and Stills will go a long way in deciding who wins this matchup. Look for Patricia to dial it up just a bit more this week as they’ll try to force Moore into making a mistake.

Miami will get their yards, but the key will be tightening things up on the New England side of the field and limiting their points, something the defense has been good at all season.

Special Teams- Razor’s Edge Miami
The Patriots special teams have been much better in the past few weeks. Stephen Gostkowski has worked thru his earlier problems and back to being his reliable self. Punter Ryan Allen has been excellent at pinning opponents inside the 20-yard line. The coverage units have been solid. But the return game is stuck in neutral. Rookie Cyrus Jones’ struggles continue although he fielded a punt cleanly against the Jets.

Miami has Andrew Franks kicking and he’s only been 2-5 in field goals from 40+ yards. Second-year punter Matt Darr has been good at pinning opponents inside the 20. Their coverage units have been very solid led by STs aces Walt Aikens and Michael Thomas. But they get the nod because of the return game. Drake and Jakeem Grant had kick returns of 39 and 41 yards last week, and that alone can flip field position.

Next up, who wins and why…

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About Steve Balestrieri

A former US Army Special Forces NCO and Officer, Steve has been following the Patriots since their days at Fenway Park. Steve has worked in the film industry and wrote as an Military Editor at SpecialOperations.com, 1945.com as a reporter for the Millbury Daily Voice, Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, and the Grafton News. He's also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)

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