On the road again...(don't look now, Pats)

[MaineDolFan]

So, does anyone really think NE can lose three games in a row (the third being at home)?

Sure, I do.  If you're going to get NE in a bad time...this is THE time.  Catch them now before things start to click.  Before they get things settled at WR.  Before the D starts to meld. 

About that D, they don't defend speed well at all.  Miami has it.  I do think Miami can go on the road and win this game.  I think it'll be an uphill battle to do so.  They are still the Pats.

Side note:  I'm thrilled we seem to have a ball hawking secondary.  I'm not so thrilled to give up back to back 300 yard passing games to not awesome QBs.  Someone tell me why it's okay.

[EDGECRUSHER]

It's possible but the Pats have earned our negativity towards this game.

Still, we are winning the turnover battles and it's rare that you win those and lose games. Tanny is playing exactly how he needs to under Gase. I wouldn't want him to have to lead us 90 yards with 60 seconds left in the game, but as South Beach Alex Smith he is getting it done.

This would still be an incredible upset if Miami won as I think Brady has had enough of losing, but if Reshad comes back next week we have a chance.

[BigDaddyFin]

We have a chance to win the game, especially if we can rush the passer consistently and create turnovers, but I just can't see them losing three games in a row like that. 

 

[BuccaneerBrad]

The Patriots are clearly in decline, as is Brady.   Great QB's can only go for so long until that steep decline catches up with them.  Think Peyton Manning in his last two seasons as a Bronco.

[MaineDolFan]

The Patriots are clearly in decline, as is Brady.   Great QB's can only go for so long until that steep decline catches up with them.  Think Peyton Manning in his last two seasons as a Bronco.

I think this is a ridiculous comment.

In three games with NOTHING to throw to (other than Gronk who is constantly doubled because he has no one else to throw to) Brady had 644 yards, 6 TDs, 2 picks and a 94 rating. 

At 41 years of age.

That is with the bang up crew of Chris Hogan (a Bills cast off), Phillip Dorsett and Cordarelle Patterson as his starting wideouts.

I mean, that IS a who's who of talent.  And the man still has a 94 rating?

What is he going to do when Edelman is back and Gordon is down field, taking a little relief off Gronk?

Until Brady is retired I won't buy what you're selling.  This is hating just to hate.

[DZA]

Watching Detroit beat the Pats have me confident that the Phins can go up in Foxboro and win. But this is still the Pats and I look for Bellicheat to bring his gameplan together.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

hard to call any week 4 game a must win.....but this is a must win for NE.

[Dave Gray]

The Patriots will win this game.  They aren't losing 3 in a row.  Everything is positioned for them to beat us.

That said, they still have to do it.  The Dolphins are playing with house money.  If we can pull off the win, we're in the driver's seat to take the division.  It would be the biggest win we've had in a long, long time.

[fyo]

The Patriots are clearly in decline, as is Brady.   Great QB's can only go for so long until that steep decline catches up with them.  Think Peyton Manning in his last two seasons as a Bronco.

You mean after he had the neck surgery and couldn't feel the ball anymore?

Injuries are what accelerates the decline and AFAIK Brady isn't suffering from anything in particular.

[CF DolFan]

The Patriots will win this game.  They aren't losing 3 in a row.  Everything is positioned for them to beat us.

That said, they still have to do it.  The Dolphins are playing with house money.  If we can pull off the win, we're in the driver's seat to take the division.  It would be the biggest win we've had in a long, long time.

I see this game as a statement game for us. We are either for real or we are just another team feeling our way from play to play. We've won the games we were supposed to win. Now can we win when it matters? I never felt like we were behind in the Raiders game even though we were committed to a run game that wasn't happening. I think Gase finally has the tools he wanted so this should be a great time to prove it.

[masterfins]

Preseason has JUST ended.  Now we'll find out if the Dolphins can compete, and we'll find out how good the Patriots are this year.  Brady really has a very mediocre receiving corps, and the Patriots defense hasn't been that great for a while.  This won't be a meaningless December game to the Patriots, they will be playing hard to win this one.  Until the season is over I'm not going to say the Patriots are in decline.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

last time NE lost 3 in a row was 2002.

[MaineDolFan]

I don't see NE losing this game.  I'm not ready to shovel dirt on their grave yet and I'm the first one to (with bile in my throat) come to Brady's defense.  The man's the GOAT and anyone who says different is simply a hater, troll, or a combo of the two. 

This being said, I like Miami's chances this week.  I'd like them more if this were in Miami this week.  Here's why:

*NE is having a lot of issues dealing with overall team speed.  It's easy to say "they haven't lost three in a row since..."  Well, they easily COULD be 0-3 right now.  They were lucky to come away from the Houston opener with a win.  Houston was groggy to start, woke up and almost ripped that from them in their own building (on opening day).  Partially due to the team speed.

NE could not deal with Jacksonville's speed at WR.  Detroit's team speed killed them.  For the first time in...well...I can't remember when, Miami has a ton of speed *everywhere.*  Drake is a burner.  Albert is a burner, Grant, Stills.  Miami has a QB who can get out of the pocket and make things happen with his feet (he's pretty fast himself).  Miami poses a massive match-up issue to their (very slow) linebackers and (even slower) safeties.

That does not mean NE can't game plan and be where they are supposed to be.  But for the first time in a long time, I like the match-ups.  If the game plan in place is solid.

Defensively, I also like the match-up.  I would like it a hell of a lot more had we not lost a starting DE to a really stupid rule trying to protect QBs, it is what it is.  Now, NE is four weeks?  Maybe not.  NE on Sunday?

They have Bob, Steve and Joe at WR. They have Billy-Ed at RB.  The "next man up" thing they've always done isn't working.  It's not.  You have to have talent and you need to have people who know where to be when the ball is delivered.  Miami's secondary is fast (again, that word) and aggressive.  They are very much a bend and don't break.  They give up a lot of yards and then, boom - pick.  Boom, sack.  Boom, big play.

Put a healthy Edleman and Gordon on the field (who has more than two weeks to know the system) along with Gronk and I'm not feeling the same. 

All this said, I'm feeling Miami has a chance to go in and show that while they are not the LA Rams, they are also not artificial.  I think Miami has a shot at being a legit 10-6 type team, a team who can go into another team's home and punch you in the face.  I think this game, Sunday, would mean a lot to this team if they can walk away with a win. 

[Sunstroke]

last time NE lost 3 in a row was 2002.

...and the next time is in 2018.

Miami is playing very well right now, and New England's roster doesn't have quite the level of talent that they're used to. If you're going to take a shot at knocking the AFC East crown off Belichick's pointy little head, this is as good a time as any.

[CF DolFan]

BB has always taken away our scoring option. I don't see him doing that as we spread the field and can move the ball multiple ways. Gase has many different packages and can adjust as he goes. I think the hard part will be stopping Brady when we can't hit him. The new rule doesn't play into our pass rush on him and that's a huge concern for me. Every time we have beaten them, outside of the Wildcat game, we have put the beat down on Brady. This means it will probably be a shootout.