From the Other Side: Five Questions About the Patriots

The Miami Dolphins game against the New England Patriots on Sunday will have a much different look than previous December matchups between the teams.

The Patriots, barring a minor miracle, will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008. They'll go into the Week 15 game at Hard Rock Stadium with a 6-7 record following their Thursday night loss against the Los Angeles Rams.

In the days after the game, head coach Bill Belichick reaffirmed his commitment to Cam Newton as his starting quarterback.

To get the lowdown on what went wrong with the Patriots this season and their outlook for the rest of 2020, we checked in with Boston Globe NFL reporter Ben Volin.

1. What’s the biggest reason the Patriots likely won’t make the playoffs in 2020 after their long run?

Volin: Inconsistent quarterback play. The Patriots' offense has been efficient at times this year, with an excellent run game led by Cam Newton and Damien Harris, and a solid play-action passing attack. But Newton has struggled too often as a pocket passer, with questionable arm strength, spotty accuracy, and a poor feel for the pass rush. He doesn't have much talent at receiver and tight end to work with, but the Patriots have lost several games in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter when Newton was unable to execute. With better QB play, one or two of those losses would be wins, and the Patriots would be in the thick of the playoff hunt.

2. How would expect the Patriots to handle the last few weeks of the regular season realistically out of playoff contention after being so used to being a leading Super Bowl candidate?

Volin: They will play to win, no question. Bill Belichick could use these last three games to give Jarrett Stidham an audition, but instead he is sticking with Newton, despite how poorly Newton has played recently. They will try to win all three games, and I'm sure would love to spoil the Dolphins' playoff chances this Sunday and return the favor from Week 17 last year. The only difference with the Patriots is you may see the Patriots be a little more cautious with injured guys. But there's no question the Patriots will fight hard to the end of the season.

3. What signs have you seen that the slide of 2020 is the beginning of some leaner years or just a blip?

Volin: I think the Patriots should be encouraged that they're 6-7 this year with arguably the worst roster in the NFL. The defense lost five starters from last year and played a lot of young faces this year, and has seen marked improvement from the start of the season to now. But they have no plan at quarterback right now, and until they do, they're going to be running behind the Bills and Dolphins in the AFC East. Newton isn't the long-term answer, nor is Stidham. The Patriots should look to this year's draft, and may take a look at a veteran who could shake free, like a Matt Stafford or Matt Ryan.

4. How much of a factor do you think the success Cam Newton had in the season opener was in Bill Belichick’s decision to stick with him as his starting quarterback instead of going with second-year player Jarrett Stidham?

Volin: Belichick has stuck by Newton all year and really has shown a lot of loyalty to him. Newton hasn't played well, but he's still clearly the best of the Patriots' three quarterbacks, which doesn't speak well of Stidham. There has been a loud cry from Patriots fans recently to play Stidham, but it's easy to forget that Stidham started the season as the No. 3 quarterback and wasn't even active for the first three games. Belichick clearly believes Newton gives the Patriots the best chance to win, and to Newton's credit, he has only turned the ball over four times in seven games. That's what Belichick cares about the most.

5. On the other side, what would expect to see Bill Belichick come up with to try to confuse and disrupt Tua Tagovailoa?

Volin: I would assume a lot of pre- and post-snap motion from the defense to try to bait Tua into some bad throws or hold on to the ball too long. Belichick is 26-5 against rookie quarterbacks with the Patriots and hasn't lost to one since Geno Smith in 2013. He's a master at confusing young quarterbacks and throwing the kitchen sink at them. I don't think the Patriots will blitz a ton, but there will be a lot of disguising and fake blitzes and things to keep Tua off balance.

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Alain Poupart has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989. You can follow him on Twitter at @apoupartFins.