The New England Patriots maintained their perfect record this season with a gutsy victory over the New York Jets on Sunday. The defending champions will look to keep their hot start going this coming Thursday when they take on the resurgent Miami Dolphins in a blockbuster clash at Gillette Stadium.
Who will emerge victorious in this critical AFC East showdown? Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this football matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our Week 8 previews of Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh and Green Bay vs. Denver.
Line: Miami Dolphins (+8) at New England Patriots (-8); total: 51.5 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: CBS/NFL Network
Betting on the Miami Dolphins (3-3)
Miami stretched its unbeaten run to two games with an impressive 44-26 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday. It was an incredible win for the Dolphins, who led 41-0 at one point in this match. With the victory, the Dolphins now have a legitimate chance of grabbing their first playoff berth since 2008.
[sc:NFL240banner ]Much of the credit for Miami’s latest turnaround should be given to interim coach Dan Campbell. He’s only the fifth interim coach in the NFL since 2000 to win his first two games in the league. What made this victory so much sweeter for Campbell is that this is the first time the Dolphins have beaten the Texans in eight attempts.
Leading the way for the Dolphins in this game was Ryan Tannehill. He completed his first 18 attempts and threw for four scores in the first 16 minutes to spearhead the epic rout. He finished the game with 282 yards and a QB rating of 158.3. Tannehill even established a new NFL record when he extended his two-game streak to 25 consecutive completions.
Apart from Tannehill, Jarvis Landry and Lamar Miller also contributed hugely to the Dolphins’ win. Landry caught five passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns, including a jaw-dropping 50-yard catch and run. Miller, on the other hand, was a beast for the Jets on the ground, rushing for 175 yards on 14 carries with one touchdown.
That will serve Miami in good stead ahead of its showdown with New England. However, the Dolphins will have their work cut out for them against the Patriots, as they have struggled against them on the road of late. Miami has lost its last six games against New England at Gillette Stadium.
For the Dolphins to reverse the trend this coming Thursday, they will need to find a way to stop the steamrolling Patriots offense. New England is second in the NFL in total offense, averaging 410.8 yards per game this season. That won’t faze the Dolphins, though, as they have been playing some excellent defense of late. They have allowed an average of just 18 points and 310.5 total yards in their last two games with Campbell calling the shots.
The Dolphins are 6-4 SU and ATS in their last 10 road games.
The New England Patriots will head to their showdown with the Miami Dolphins with momentum on their side after edging past the New York Jets, 30-23, on Sunday. It was another impressive victory for the defending champions, who grabbed their third-consecutive win against the Jets. With the win, the Patriots improved to 6-0 for the first time since 2007.
Key to New England’s hot start has been their phenomenal offense. The Patriots are averaging 35.5 points per game this season, the highest mark in the entire NFL. Just like in their previous five outings, it was Tom Brady who stole the headlines for the Patriots against the Jets, as he completed 34 of 54 passes for 355 yards and two touchdowns. Brady was particularly clutch in the final quarter, completing 13 of 16 passes for 135 yards to help New England overturn a 20-16 deficit.
Rob Gronkowski was Brady’s favorite target in this game, catching a career-high 11 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown. Danny Amendola also benefited from Brady’s masterful performance, recording 86 receiving yards and a touchdown reception. The Patriots already have 16 passing touchdowns this season, the highest mark in the NFL this campaign.
It’s important for the Patriots that their receivers step up again this coming Thursday for them to preserve their unbeaten slate against the Dolphins. The Patriots are averaging 327.2 passing yards per game this season, second-highest in the NFL. They will be licking their chops at the prospect of facing a Dolphins secondary that is allowing 240.5 yards per game through the air this season, good for 14th in the entire NFL.
The Patriots are 9-1 SU and 6-2-2 ATS in their last 10 home games.
