Dolphins 2020 Opponent Breakdown: New England Patriots
As the Miami Dolphins continue to prepare for the 2020 regular season as best they can during this most unusual offseason, we will be dissecting their upcoming opponents.
First up will be the New England Patriots for a Week 1 game at Gillette Stadium.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
2019 Record: 12-4, First in AFC East (lost vs. Tennessee in the wild-card playoffs)
Last Dolphins-Patriots Meeting at New England: 2019 — Dolphins 27, Patriots 24
This game put the finishing touches on the Dolphins' strong finish in 2019. The Dolphins recorded their first victory at Gillette Stadium since 2008 when Ryan Fitzpatrick threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Mike Gesicki with 29 seconds. The Dolphins also got touchdowns on an interception return by former New England defensive back Eric Rowe and a 2-yard scramble by Fitzpatrick. Wide receiver DeVante Parker also had a big game, catching eight passes for 137 yards while being covered by eventual NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore.
Season in Review: The Patriots started the season 8-0 thanks to a defense that began drawing comparisons with some of the all-time best, but there were underlying issues with the offense all along. New England was only 4-4 in the second half of the season, with losses against Baltimore, Houston and Kansas City preceding the one against the Dolphins. That loss dropped New England to the No. 3 seed and the offense stalled again in a 20-13 playoff loss against Tennessee. Tom Brady's final pass as a member of the Patriots became a pick-six for Tennessee DB Logan Ryan. In the final analysis, though, it was yet another successful season for the Patriots, who won the AFC East title for the 11th consecutive season.
Key Veteran Additions: QB Brian Hoyer, WR Marqise Lee, S Adrian Phillips
The names on this list tell you that the Patriots pretty much will be riding with the same players who have delivered in the past. In fact, the biggest moves with veterans this offseason consisted of re-signing potential free agents, such as Devin McCourty and Joe Thuney. Hoyer will be returning to New England for a third stint after playing last season with the Colts. In his only start for Indianapolis, he faced the Dolphins, and he was picked off three times and had a passer rating of 38.8 when Miami won 16-12. Lee is a former second-round pick of the Jaguars who has battled injuries since entering the NFL. Phillips missed a chunk of the 2019 season because of a fractured forearm, but he made the Pro Bowl in 2018 as a special-teamer.
Key Departures: QB Tom Brady, LB Kyle Van Noy, LB Elandon Roberts, S Duron Harmon, LB Jamie Collins, DT Danny Shelton, FB James Develin, WR Phillip Dorsett, C Ted Karras
Brady is by far the biggest name on the list, but the Patriots' depth also took a big hit in the offseason. Van Noy and Roberts, who both joined the Dolphins, were key members of the defense, along with Collins, Shelton and Harmon. Tight end Rob Gronkowski is not part of that list because he technically was a departure last year when he retired for one season.
Notable 2020 Draft Picks: S Kyle Dugger, LB Josh Uche, TE Devin Asiasi, TE Dalton Keene
The Patriots moved around quite a bit in the early part of the draft, trading out of the first round before making three additional trades on the second night (Round 2-3). Dugger, a physical safety from Division II Lenoir-Rhyne, should fill in for Harmon. Uche, who played for new Dolphins linebackers coach Anthony Campanile at Michigan, will be counted on to help the pass rush. Asiasi and Keene both were taken in the third round in the hope of giving the Patriots the kind of tight end production that was missing last year.
Prognosis: There's this feeling that the AFC East finally, mercifully, really could be up for grabs this year because the Patriots won't have Brady as their starting quarterback for the first time since Drew Bledsoe was taking snaps at the start of the 2001 season. The Patriots lost an awful lot of good football players in the offseason, as well as a key assistant with the retirement of offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, but there's still plenty of talent on the roster. And the assumption that the Pats will fall apart because Brady is gone should bring everything back to 2008 when Brady was lost for the season in the first quarter of the opener and New England still managed to finish 11-5. So, yes, logic says the Patriots should take a step back in 2020 with either Jarrett Stidham or Hoyer at quarterback, but to dismiss them entirely as long as Bill Belichick is their coach — he's one of the co-favorites to win NFL Coach of the Year honors — would be a mistake.
