Dolphins-Patriots Week 8 Five Biggest Storylines ... And How They Played Out

The Miami Dolphins rebounded in style from their second loss of the season when they defeated the New England Patriots 31-17 at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.

Ahead of this second and final game against this AFC East opponent, we ranked and examined the five biggest storylines, so it's now time to revisit those to see how they played out:

1. Ramsey's Dolphins Debut

Before the game: The moment the Dolphins and their fans have been anxiously awaiting is upon us, with prized offseason acquisition Jalen Ramsey set to make his Miami debut after being activated off injured reserve Saturday. How much Ramsey ends up playing and how much of an impact he can make in his first appearance of the 2023 season will be perhaps more significant than anything else that happens in this game.

During the game: Yeah, it would have been difficult to come up with a better script for Ramsey's debut than having him come up with the biggest play of the game, his interception and long return that set up a field goal and turned a potential 14-14 halftime score into a 17-7 lead for the Dolphins. Even before then, Ramsey forced a fumble that the Dolphins came awfully close to recovering. So, yeah, this was a great debut for Ramsey.

2. The Tyreek/Belichick Battle

Before the game: Now that the big scare with Tyreek Hill missing practice Wednesday with a hip injury is a thing of the past, the next order of business becomes how New England coach Bill Belichick will try to defend him to limit the damage Hill usually inflicts on opponents. The Patriots came up with a pretty good solution in the Week 2 matchup at Gillette Stadium when Hill was held to a season-low 40 receiving yards (though he did score a touchdown), but Hill also has produced at least 150 yards in every one of Miami's homes games this season.

During the game: It took all of one play for Hill to top his receiving yardage total from Week 2 when the Patriots made the same mistake other teams have made in not properly providing deep help. The result was a 42-yard touchdown that was part of Hill's 112-yard day. And then there's the stuff that doesn't show up on the stat sheet, namely Hill's presence drawing two defenders and leaving Jaylen Waddle wide open in the middle of the field for a game-clinching 31-yard touchdown.

3. The O-line Outlook

Before the game: The offensive line has played a key role in the success of the Dolphins offense in 2023, but it's been dealing with injuries of late and will face another tough challenge against a pretty good Patriots defense. Center Connor Williams has a shot at being back in the lineup after missing the past two games with a groin injury, but Lester Cotton will make his first start at left guard in place of the injured Isaiah Wynn. Whoever make up the starting five, the offensive line has to be sharp for the offense to produce the way it has produced at home so far this season.

During the game: Unfortunately, things didn't get any better from an injury standpoint but actually worse. Connor Williams indeed was back in uniform, but he still wound up not playing, and that was despite two more injuries up front. Right guard Robert Hunt and left tackle Kendall Lamm both were injured in the first half, and Hunt didn't return while Lamm was back in the second half after missing five snaps. The line performed pretty well overall, though Tua was sacked twice and there were a couple of penalties on the offensive line.

4. Parker and Gesicki back at HRS

Before the game: The game Sunday will mark the return to Hard Rock Stadium of tight end Mike Gesicki, who played for the Dolphins the past five seasons before signing with New England as a free agent in the offseason. It will be the second game back in Miami for former Dolphins first-round pick DeVante Parker, who had one catch for 9 yards in Miami's 20-7 victory in the 2022 season opener. Parker and Gesicki combined for 11 catches in Week 2 this season and chances are they'll need a productive day for the New England offense to have success in this game.

During the game: New England's passing game produced very little outside of Mac Jones' 24-yard touchdown pass to Kendrick Bourne, and Parker and Gesicki were non-factors with one and two catches, respectively. Unfortunately, the most noteworthy play involving either player came when Parker was injured and left the game after a helmet-to-helmet collision with safety DeShon Elliott.

5. Will Special Teams Be a Factor?

Before the game: One reason the Dolphins won at Gillette Stadium in Week 2 by only seven points was the impact of special teams, where the Patriots blocked a field goal attempt and Jason Sanders later missed another attempt. New England usually is good in the kicking game and it'll be up to the Dolphins not to let the Patriots make big plays in that area to avoid the upset.

During the game: Unlike the first game, there was nothing noteworthy about the special teams in this particular matchup. Each team made its only field goal attempt, there were no long returns by either team and the punter both did their job well with net averages exceeding 40 yards. And with the Dolphins' edge everywhere else, a stalemate here was plenty good enough for Miami.

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