I hope everyone is having a good Week 1. On Monday, the AFC East blog will be live in Miami for the big divisional showdown between the Dolphins and New England Patriots.
One of the biggest keys for both teams will be the play of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. If Brady puts up MVP-type numbers, it could be a long night for the Dolphins. But if Miami gives Brady trouble -- which has been the case several times throughout Brady's career -- the Dolphins could get a big win at home.
We recently checked in with ESPN Stats & Information to get some numbers on Brady against the Dolphins. Here is what we found.
The most important stat for quarterbacks is winning. Brady is 12-6 all-time against Miami (.667 percentage). Brady has a two-game winning streak against Miami, which stems from last year’s sweep. The Patriots were dominant in those games, outscoring Miami 79-21.
Brady's passer rating is a relatively modest 88.7 against Miami, which is well below his career numbers (95.2). His completion percentage (59.6) against Miami also is 4 percent lower than his career average (63.6). Miami's familiarity with Brady and New England's offense likely contributed to that over the years. There aren’t many secrets between division rivals. It usually comes down to execution.
The touchdown-to-interception ratio for Brady against the Dolphins is 31-16. Brady also had is first and only career reception against Miami. He caught a 23-yard pass in 2001.
According to our latest poll, many AFC East readers believe the Dolphins will pull the upset. I'd like to hear your reasons. Does our community believe Brady will struggle?