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New England Patriots: It’s onto Miami for a must-win AFC East showdown

By Xaiver Aguiar

FOXBOROUGH, MA - SEPTEMBER 09: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots talks with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and head coach Bill Belichick before the game against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA - SEPTEMBER 09: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots talks with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and head coach Bill Belichick before the game against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) /
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After their embarrassing performance on Sunday night, the New England Patriots vie to bounce back and defeat the Miami Dolphins in a must-win divisional contest.

The New England Patriots are coming off a humiliating defeat on Sunday night football to the Detroit Lions. This loss has created an early must-win scenario for the Patriots this Sunday as the division-leading Dolphins travel to Foxborough.

The Miami Dolphins are off to a hot start to the season. They are 3-0 and have scored at least 20 points in each of those contests. It seems like all the talent is finally clicking for Adam Gase’s squad.

Known around the league as fairly mediocre, Fins QB Ryan Tannehill is trying to change that label with his recent spectacular play. In his last 11 starts, Tannehill is an unbelievable 10-1. Through the first 3 games of this season, he has 7 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions and has a remarkable 72 percent completion percentage.

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It hasn’t been all Tannehill though. Wide Receivers Jakeem Grant and Kenny Stills have been electric and vital cogs in the Miami offense. Both have scored on multiple 30-plus yard touchdowns and are extremely difficult to bottle up.

Offseason acquisition Albert Wilson has lead the team in receiving in two of the Dolphins games this season and has been used as a Wildcat QB. Not to mention they also have beloved former New England Patriots wideout Danny Amendola as an excellent slot receiver.

The Dolphins defense also looks like a Patriots defense of old. They are giving up a decent amount of yards, but their knack for the ball and “bend don’t break” mentality has helped them quite a bit this season. They have already forced 8 turnovers to go along with 8 sacks.

The last time the New England Patriots lost 3 games in a row was an incredible 16 years ago during the 2002 season. The team has looked lost on both sides of the ball lately, and can ill afford to have that history be changed on Sunday.

Because of their slow start, the Patriots are already 2 games back of Miami in the AFC East. This is the same AFC East a Tom Brady lead team has not lost since you guessed it, 2002.

A loss here could be detrimental to the Patriots season. It would push them three games behind the Dolphins, as well as give Miami the tiebreaker. Not to mention the negative impact it would have on the team from a psychology perspective. Both of those things combined would make it a monstrous uphill battle to come back from.

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If the New England Patriots have any chance of turning around their season, it starts 1:00 PM Eastern this Sunday at Gillette Stadium. No more waiting around or saying that the team will magically get fixed. No more excuses, it’s time to see what this team is really made of.

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