The Dolphins return to Hard Rock Stadium for a second straight divisional tilt as they host the defending conference champion New England Patriots on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. And as any resident of South Florida knows, that could come with some moisture.
The weather report in Miami Gardens calls for consistent rain throughout the first day of November. Expected showers and thunderstorms could favor the home team, as Miami is the only team in the NFL to rush for 100 yards in each of its last five games.
The Miami rushing offense ranks seventh in yards per game coming off their most impressive feat of the season. With over three and a half minutes left in the game, the Dolphins ran the ball five times for a pair of first downs to drain the clock and close out the game.
"As an offensive lineman, I think you're just excited," left tackle Patrick Paul said. "You're just proud for that moment. We stepped up to the task. You have to play your best ball when it matters and we did."
The Dolphins will look to replicate that performance against a Patriots defense that ranks 14th against the run. Last week against the Jets, Offensive Coordinator Bobby Slowik leaned on that strong run game to help get the passing game going.
"The starting point for me as a play caller is always do everything you can to keep a defense off balance," Slowik said.
That balance was aided by a peak performance from quarterback Malik Willis. In terms of EPA (expected points added), it was the sixth-best single-game performance by a quarterback in the NFL this season. Willis is utilizing a dual-threat skill set to keep the Miami offense moving.