The start of the Mike Vrabel era with the Patriots did not go to plan in a Week 1 loss to the Raiders. In fact, the team looked reminiscent of last year’s dysfunctional group for a lot of the 20-13 defeat.
The disappointing performance sets up a fascinating backdrop for a Week 2 matchup against the Miami Dolphins, a team that looked overmatched themselves in a 33-8 drubbing to the Colts in their road opener.
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On paper, this is one of the more winnable road games of the year for New England. The Dolphins are already shorthanded with several key injuries in the backfield and offensive line. Throw in a struggling Tua Tagovailia, who led Miami to just 211 total yards on offense along with three turnovers and there’s reason to be optimistic about a bounce back for the Pats.
Still, it’s hard not to worry about the Patriots’ history in Miami for this matchup despite the offseason change in regime. New England has not won at Hard Rock Stadium since 2019 when some guy named Tom Brady was commanding the offense. They’ve also lost four straight to the Dolphins overall. All-time, the Patriots are 16-43 in Miami, including a 34-15 blowout loss last year.
Vrabel is well aware of that Miami history given his playing days in New England and knows clearly what’s at stake in this matchup. His sense of urgency was clear just minutes after the Week 1 loss.
“I just want to see now we’ll see where we’re at. We’ll see what kind of football team we have, what kind of leaders we have to be able to come back in here and get to work,” Vrabel said.
The Patriots starting 0-2 against a soft schedule would be disastrous for Vrabel, so calling out his team early is a savvy move. Look for it to produce a gritty win for New England in a usual house of horrors.
Final score? Patriots 20, Dolphins 17.
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