The final week of the regular season is here.
New England will travel to South Florida to take on the Dolphins at 4:25 p.m on Sunday afternoon. Miami has been eliminated from the playoffs, while the Patriots have clinched a postseason berth, but their seeding is still to be determined.
The Patriots still have a shot at the AFC East, but they need a win, as well as a Buffalo loss to the Jets. If the Patriots win, they likely will play either the Bills or the Bengals on Wild Card Weekend.
Patriots vs. Dolphins
Sunday, January 9, 2022
4:25 p.m., CBS
Patriots -6, over/under 40
3 keys to the game
Keep momentum from last week going
The Patriots came out flying last week against Jacksonville, playing with a ton of energy and scoring touchdowns on their first five offensive possessions of the game. It will be important for the team come out with the same intensity, as slow starts have led to a number of their losses this season. Momentum has also been a major part of the Patriots’ success this year, so they need as much of it as possible going into the playoffs.
Find some cornerback depth
The Patriots don’t have much depth at this position and were exposed a few weeks ago against the Bills. With Kyle Dugger (hand) already ruled out, Joejuan Williams and/or Shaun Wade may get a chance to be active and show they are deserving of playing a bigger role come the postseason. Both players have been inactive in recent weeks.
Build confidence for passing game
The Patriots know what they have with their running game, as both Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson have had great seasons and demonstrated the team can have success with a good run game. The passing game is a bit of question mark as the Patriots have yet to show they can win games when forced to throw. This could be a good for Mac Jones and the passing game to get going and build some confidence for the playoffs.
Fun Facts
1. The Patriots will finish in the top 10 for fewest points allowed in each of the last 10 seasons, tying Tampa Bay, who became the last team to reach 10 straight seasons (1996-2005) for the fewest points allowed.
2. Jones enters the final week of the season with 21 touchdowns, tied with Gardner Minshew, Derek Carr and Cam Newton for the 9th most touchdown passes in a rookie season in NFL history. He needs one more to move into eighth place and two more to move to sixth.
3. Hunter Henry enters the final week of the season tied with Mark Andrews and Dawson Knox for the most touchdowns this season among tight ends (9).
4. Nick Folk has made 56 straight field goals under 50 yards.
5. Since 2013, the Patriots are 2-6 in Miami and 101-35 everywhere else.
Prediction
Patriots 24, Dolphins 14
While Miami has been eliminated from the playoffs, we still expect them to compete and give the Patriots a competitive fight. With that being said, the Patriots still have a lot to play for and will be treating it like a playoff game. While a blowout may not be in the cards, we expect the Patriots to control the game from start to finish and finish the season 11-6.
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