As New Year’s is coming very shortly, this 2016 regular season flew by and with only one game left for New England, all things are looking upwards.
A 13-2 record, leading the AFC once again as the #1 seed and grabbing hold of the 1st round bye for the playoffs, it is once again another season of hope for the Patriots. With the 39 year old wonder Tom Brady amassing over 3200 passing yards in 11 games (now arriving at 12), it is truly awe inspiring watching the future Hall of Famer run the offense and take complete control for the sake of getting back to the Super Bowl once more.
One game separates the regular season from the playoffs, and it just so happens to be a New Year’s Day matchup against the playoff bound Dolphins, the first time they punched their playoff ticket since 2008. A team who lost their primary signal caller to a season ending injury, backup Matt Moore looks to guide the surging Dolphins (10-5) in the postseason. What the Dolphins have that should be addressed with the Patriots before the game is their abilities to stretch the field. WR Jarvis Landry is a open field threat and given he has racked over 1000 yards receiving this season, Moore will be certainly looking to throw passes in Landry’s direction. One of the best running backs in the later part of the season Jay Ajayi has made a name for himself as a workhorse back that can be a 200 yard rusher and catch passes out of the backfield. Despite dealing with a shoulder injury, Ajayi’s production on Sunday could dwindle if he is medically cleared or feels good enough to go.
From New England’s view, Miami is a interesting team to deal with, but this Patriots team has more firepower and weapons to throw in Miami’s way. Last week was a mixed array of receivers getting playing time and ultimately annihilating the Jets in all aspects of the game. Tight end Matt Lengel, who you probably never heard of, caught his first ever pass in the NFL, which was a 18 yard strike into the end zone from Tom Brady. Brady last Sunday, targeted nine different receivers, and this Sunday looks to be the same. Running back Dion Lewis was getting plenty of carries and could take some weight off the bionic LeGarrette Blount, who has totaled 17 touchdowns on the ground this year. In the receiving game, Martellus Bennett could be a bright spot to look for and obviously when healthy, Chris Hogan and Edelman. Playing time could be a factor in New England Sunday, as the potential of limiting the starters time out on the field to rest for the postseason is on everyone’s mind, but who knows what the coaching staff will have in store against a team like Miami.
On the defensive side of the ball in New England, players like Patrick Chung, Devin McCourty, Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan have all been the heart and soul of this unique defense. Chung leading the team with 88 tackles and Butler snagging four interceptions, a team high. Linebacker Kyle Van Noy has eased his way to the starting job left behind from Collins and is making an immediate impact. Shea McClellin has chimed in as well, making special team plays and a blocked field goal a few weeks back against Baltimore.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
