The New England Patriots have owned the AFC East, winning it nine straight years. Can the 3-0 Miami Dolphins open up a three-game lead on the Pats?
Since Bill Belichick and Tom Brady officially became an item all the way back in 2001, the New England Patriots have owned the AFC. An argument could be made the Patriots have owned the NFL, too. Since establishing dominance over the AFC East, the Patriots have won the division in all but two years since 2001. In 2008, the Miami Dolphins won the East.
At 3-0, the Dolphins currently lead the AFC East by two games, the Patriots are tied with the Jets and Bills at 1-2. Yes, it’s early, but Miami has a chance to get an unprecedented three-game lead on the mighty Patriots in the division.
When you look at the unbeaten teams in the NFL, the Rams, Chiefs and the Dolphins, you see a theme with the first two: dominant, high-scoring offense. However, don’t discount Miami, as the Dolphins are one of the balanced teams in the NFL through the first few weeks.
Offensively, Miami ranks in the top 10 in both passing offense and rushing offense. On defense, the Dolphins also rank in the top 10 in both categories. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill is playing well and rewarding head coach Adam Gase’s faith in him.
It’s been an unusual September for the Patriots. After a season-opening win over the Texans, the Pats traveled to Jacksonville to face the Jaguars in a rematch of last year’s AFC title game. The Jags dominated the game, but that didn’t really set off any red flags regarding New England. A 26-10 loss to previously winless Detroit in Week 3 certainly created some concern about the 2018 Patriots.
The Lions dominated the Patriots on both sides of the ball and clearly looked like the better team. While no one expects that type of performance moving forward from Brady and the Patriots, it is something to keep an eye on.
The Patriots certainly need a win on Sunday and returning home to Foxboro could be exactly what they need. This will be New England’s last game without wide receiver Julian Edelman, who returns from suspension next week. The biggest question for the Patriots this week is will Josh Gordon make his debut? Brady could certainly use him to jumpstart the downfield passing game.
TV and Live Stream Info
Date: Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018
Start Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Location: Foxborough, MA
Stadium: Gillette Stadium
TV Info: CBS
Live Stream: FuboTV, NFL Sunday Ticket
The Dolphins lead the AFC East, but on Sunday it’s the Patriots who are favored. Oddsmakers still think New England will turn things around, while the jury is still out on this Miami team.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: New England -6.5
Moneyline: Miami +235, New England -275
Over/Under: 48.5
All odds courtesy of Odds Shark.
Prediction
The Dolphins are a great story and will challenge for a playoff spot in 2018. They are well-coached and have good players on each side of the ball. However, they still aren’t quite ready to take over the AFC East and Brady and the Pats will show them why on Sunday.
Expect Brady to hook up with Rob Gronkowski for two scores and the Patriots cut Miami’s AFC East lead to one game with a much-needed win in front of the home crowd.
Final Score: New England 31, Miami 23