The Miami Dolphins still have a chance at the AFC East crown. It’s a slim chance, but heading into a huge Week 15 matchup with the division rival New England Patriots, a slim chance will have to do. After taking their week one meeting in Miami, the Dolphins could claim the division title by winning out and if the Pats finish with the same record (10-6), they would win the tiebreaker and steal the division.
That’s a fun idea for Miami fans, but the New England Patriots almost surely have other plans.
For one, losing at home just hasn’t been in their DNA (6-0 at home this season.) Tom Brady and company will understandably have revenge on the brain when Ryan Tannehill and the Fins walk into Gillette Stadium this weekend. Of course, then there’s that whole “wrapping up the division title” aspect, too. While Miami has that crazy outside chance if every possible thing breaks their way, the Patriots know that with a win this week, the division is theirs and their 2014 playoff ticket is punched.
Naturally, a game of this magnitude has rather expensive tickets. According to TiqIQ.com, Patriots vs. Dolphins tickets have an average ticket price of $251, a slight climb above their season average ($192.25.) but it’s at least a mild surprise that fans can still get into this contest for only $118.
Miami fans looking to make the trek north will find affordable rates for Gillette Stadium hotels with the cheapest available rooms starting at $58. According to Hipmunk.com, one of the best resources for hotel and airline deals, flights to Providence, Rhode Island are probably your cheapest bet with rates starting at just $281 compared to $321 into Boston.
That’s a reasonable price for a 10-3 team hosting a bitter divisional rival. Throw in the potential crowning of a champ, and you have your proverbial cherry on top.
Of course, it’s only awesome value for Patriots fans if Brady and company can make the magic happen. To do that, Brady will have to be at his best against a stiff Dolphins secondary, while a combination of Jonas Gray, LeGarrette Blount and Shane Vereen will have to find running lanes against an often pesky Miami front line.
New England seems to hold the upper hand on the other end, as the Pats have been stingy against the pass and Ryan Tannehill has been shaky at best over the past two weeks. Another subpar performance by Tannehill would cost Miami this game, and could also potentially cost them a shot at sneaking into a wild card playoff spot.
That’s the aspect that adds value to Dolphins tickets, as this week isn’t necessarily just about the division. Winning out and having the Pats drop their final three games is probably too much to ask. However, if Miami can at least take care of business on their end, they’d give themselves a solid shot at cracking the AFC’s final six at 10-6.
Miami didn’t get New England at full strength back in week one, though. This new, revamped version is fully healthy and has steamrolled through the past 12 games as one of the league’s best teams. With star tight end Rob Gronkowski a completely different player than he was in the first meeting, the Patriots offense should simply be too much for Miami to handle on the road.
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