 | | Salisbury on the Patriots |  |
After the draft last spring, several pundits -- myself included -- thought the Patriots had done very little to improve their team. We thought they'd be average, at best, and then they started the season 0-2, and we all thought, "Here we go again."
Were we ever wrong. The transformation of this team has been remarkable. Dick Jauron in Chicago will likely be named the coach of the year, but Bill Belichick should get some votes, and Tom Brady should make the Pro Bowl. The Patriots are a very confident team right now. They do something a lot of teams don't do -- they believe they are going to win the close games.
Five keys for the Patriots:
1. Beat man-to-man coverage. Against the Dolphins, the Pats will see a ton of man-on-man -- beating it is essential. There is no doubt Patrick Surtain and Sam Madison will play man on Troy Brown and David Patten. The Dolphins are a fast team; they will put nine guys in the box and go right after their opponent. If the Pats can't beat man-to-man, it could be a long day.
2. Glenn must show up. It is amazing that Terry Glenn is the wild card for this team. If I were to make a list of the top five most talented receivers in the league, Glenn would be in that top five -- but he's the third receiver on this team! Glenn's head, mouth and attitude have killed him this year. There is no doubt that Glenn -- the third receiver on this team -- is far better than the third corner for the Dolphins. In man coverage, with a good attitude, Glenn could rip up the Dolphins.
3. Protect Brady. Brady doesn't always win pretty, but he has shown toughness. The Patriots don't need to protect him for fear he's going to get hurt, they need to protect him to keep him from throwing interceptions or causing turnovers. This offensive line has played much better than anyone expected them to. They need to continue to exceed expectations against the Dolphins.
4. Control Chambers. Sure, Chris Chambers is a rookie, but he has been the Dolphins' big play guy -- and this game will likely come down to two or three big plays at the end and who can make them. It doesn't matter if they double team Chambers or play zone to his side, but under no circumstances can they let Chambers run wild. If the Pats can control Chambers, they will take away a big part of what the Dolphins want to do.
5. Win the field-goal game. In what will likely be inclement weather outdoors at Foxboro, this game could come down to Olindo Mare and Adam Vinatieri. The team with the most successful field-goal kicker will be the winning team in this game.
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 | | Jaworski on the Dolphins |  |
Clearly, this game is of huge import in the playoff picture. The Miami-New England series has been dominated of late by the Dolphins, but this is not the same Patriot football team. The Pats have turned their season and their mentality around, led somewhat by Tom Brady, but even more so by Bill Belichick.
The Patriots aren't an exceptionally talented team, but they play well together. While the Pats have found themselves, the Dolphins have been banged up and are starting to pay the price for their injuries. This game will be won on the line of scrimmage -- the players down in the pits who win the belly-to-belly matchups will determine the outcome of the game.
Five keys for the Dolphins:
1. Stop Smith. The Dolphins must force the Patriots to become one-dimensional and force Tom Brady into known passing situations. To do this they must limit Antowain Smith's effectiveness.
2. Get off to a fast start. When a team comes off a thumping like the one the Dolphins took at the hands of the 49ers last week, they need to come back the following week and gain confidence early. It is imperative the Dolphins have success early in this game, or else the lack of confidence could do some significant damage.
3. Offensive line must step up. The Dolphins really need their offensive line to have a big game. Heath Irwin had a really tough time against San Francisco, and you can bet the Patriots have taken note and will try to attack Irwin. The Dolphins will have to give Irwin some help against Richard Seymour. It is essential for the Miami offensive line to have an improved game.
4. Get huge plays out of the offense. There are ways Miami can do this. First, the Dolphins must get the ball to Chris Chambers -- he is their explosive player, he needs to get the ball early and often. Second, they must give Travis Minor more touches in this game. While Lamar Smith is a north-south power runner, Minor gives the Dolphins another shot of explosiveness and big-play potential.
5. Marion must step up. A young quarterback like Brady will have a tendency to follow his receivers with his eyes, which gives the opposing free safety more latitude to move around. Within the Dolphins' system of defense, Brock Marion can read Brady's eyes and really jump on the inside-breaking and short crossing routes.
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