The New England Patriots have a new face under center in Mac Jones, who will be dueling with former Alabama Crimson Tide teammate Tua Tagovailoa in his first NFL start in the regular season. The Miami Dolphins are hoping this is the year Tagovailoa will prove his worth, and a win to start the 2021 NFL season should benefit his long-term outlook. Check out our preview of this game below.
Now is the time for Tua Tagovailoa to prove that the Dolphins didn’t make a mistake in selecting him over Justin Herbert back in the 2020 NFL Draft. The former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback has the keys to Miami’s offense and he’s got a decent group of receivers to help him in the passing attack. Will Fuller, however, will not be ready for Week 1 as he continues to serve a suspension, but the Fins will have DeVante Parker and rookie Jaylen Waddle ready to play. Tagovailoa will still need Miami’s defense to back him up. The Dolphins’ stop unit should be up to the challenge, as it was fourth-best in the NFL in 2020 with 21.1 points allowed per game and also No. 1 in spoiling third-down attempts by opponents.
The Dolphins are 4-1 against the spread in their last five games as a road underdog. They are also 11-4 against the spread in their last 15 games against AFC teams.
Like Miami, Bill Belichick and the Patriots will be riding on a former Crimson Tide to lead the team’s offense. That’s Mac Jones, of course, who made Cam Newton dispensable. Jones remains an unproven commodity at the NFL level, but if you take his performances in training camps and in the preseason, you would understand by the Pats have so much confidence in him. That’s also a show of faith in New England’s ability to protect Jones. The Pats have one of the most reliable offensive lines in the NFL which should also provide gaps for the team’s running backs to go through. As for the defense, the Patriots are looking to get even better after going eighth in 2020 in terms of points allowed per game (22.1). Tagovailoa will also be wary of the Patriots’ secondary that’s mainly responsible for 18 interceptions last season.
The Patriots are 4-1 against the spread in their last five Week 1 games. The under is 7-1 in the Pats’ last eight games overall.
