FOXBOROUGH – Can the Patriots get back on track in a place that’s been a house of horrors for the franchise?
We’re about to find out.
After a disappointing Week 1 loss to Las Vegas, the Patriots head south to take on the Miami Dolphins. Since Tom Brady left, this match has been one-sided in favor of their divisional opponent.
The Dolphins are 8-2 against the Patriots since 2020. The Patriots’ only two wins in the last 10 matchups came at home in Gillette Stadium. The Patriots haven’t won in Miami since 2019 with Brady under center.
This matchup features two teams trying to get back on track.
The Dolphins are coming off an embarrassing 33-8 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Their defense allowed 418 yards. Their offense failed to rush for 100 total yards or pass for 140 yards.
Now, Miami is looking to get right against a Patriots team trying to build under Mike Vrabel. Whoever loses this game is going to head into next week 0-2 and likely facing some tough questions.
Here are five things to watch:
Drake Maye
The promise of potential is here. At some point, we’re going to need to see more. Last weekend, Drake Maye had an uneven 2025 debut. He had some nice passes, but also missed too many open receivers and had a costly interception. It’s too early to hit the panic button, but improvements need to be seen. Maye also needs time to learn this new Josh McDaniels offense.
Considering Daniel Jones just torched the Colts’ defense, it would be nice to see Maye do the same. The second-year quarterback is still searching for his first 300-yard game. What better time than now?
Patriots’ secondary
Another week for the Patriots meant another week without Christian Gonzalez. The team’s No. 1 cornerback is still out with a hamstring injury. It bears watching how the cornerback group performs this weekend in Miami against a speedy Dolphins’ receiver group.
Historically, the Patriots would have Gonzalez match up with Hill – and he’s excelled covering the Pro Bowl receiver. Last weekend, the Patriots’ secondary struggled, allowing multiple big pass plays from Raiders quarterback Geno Smith. This week, they have to be better against Hill and Jaylen Waddle. The Patriots could put Marcus Jones on one of the Dolphins’ faster receivers. We’ll see how they approach it.
Run game
The Patriots have solid running back depth, so it was a surprise that the team didn’t lean on their run game more in Week 1. The Patriots ran the ball 18 times for 60 total yards, averaging 3.3 yards per carry. The offense completely abandoned the rush attack in the second half and ran only pass plays.
That can’t happen this week. To help Maye and the offensive line, the Patriots need to establish the run. It would also help to try to get talented rookie TreVeyon Henderson more involved. Henderson had 51 total yards last week on five carries and six receptions. The Patriots need a more balanced offense, which should lead to better results.
Defense without their coordinator
After dealing with health issues this offseason, Terrell Williams is once again stepping away from the Patriots. This week, Vrabel revealed that Williams wouldn’t be with the team due to a medical issue. That means it’ll be up to him and Patriots inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr to coordinate the defense and call plays.
It’s not an ideal situation for a younger defensive staff. Kuhr took over Williams’ practice responsibilities this spring when the coach was at home dealing with a “serious” medical issue. Kuhr was a defensive assistant for the New York Giants last year. In Tennessee, he was Vrabel’s assistant inside linebackers coach. Now, he’ll play a big part in trying to slow down a fast Dolphins offense. We’ll see how this plays without their defensive coordinator.
Offensive line
For the Patriots’ new-look offensive line, the results were mixed last weekend. The team allowed four sacks and nine quarterback hits. Those numbers aren’t good. The Patriots also abandoned the run game, which made it harder on the line. This week, their offensive line needs to be better.
The Dolphins’ defense features four players who finished with five or more sacks last season: Bradley Chubb (11 sacks), Zach Sieler (10 sacks), Chop Robinson (6 sacks), and Matthew Judon (5.5 sacks). The Patriots need to keep Maye upright. They also need to run block better to make the offense less predictable. We’ll see if they can do that.
Prediction: Dolphins 24, Patriots 20
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