Bold predictions for the New England Patriots vs. the Dolphins in Week 15.
With the playoffs likely out of the picture for the New England Patriots this season, they will look to at least finish the regular season out strong with a few games remaining in the year. With three games left to play, New England will hit the road to battle an AFC East opponent on Sunday afternoon while trying to get back to the .500 mark on the season.
The Patriots will battle the Miami Dolphins in the second matchup of a two-game season series against the divisional opponent on Sunday afternoon in Miami. New England previously took down Miami 21-11 in the season opener in Week 1 back in September.
New England enters the contest at 6-7 overall, recently falling on the road against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14 on Thursday Night Football. Prior to that game, the Patriots won four of their last five contests to get back to .500.
In the loss against the Rams, the Patriots fell behind early on and couldn’t really get anything going on the offensive side of the ball to fall to Los Angeles 24-3. New England trailed 17-3 going into halftime, while Los Angeles held a 7-0 advantage in the second half to grab the win.
On the other side of the field in Week 15, Miami enters the game at 8-5 overall and in second place in the AFC East. The Dolphins have won two of their last three contests, most recently falling to the Kansas City Chiefs at home in Miami in Week 14 by a score of 33-27.
With both New England and Miami looking to get back on track in Week 15 in Miami on Sunday, here are some bold predictions that will take place for the Patriots in the divisional showdown.
3. Low-scoring affair to take place
One thing that is present on both the Patriots and the Dolphins so far during the 2020 campaign is the fact that the offenses rank near the bottom of the NFL through 14 weeks of action.
When it comes to New England, it holds the 24th-ranked offensive unit in the league, including the fifth-best run game along with the 29th-ranked passing attack. For Miami, it has the 27th-ranked offense in the NFL, highlighted by the 22nd-ranked passing game and the 27th-ranked rushing attack.
Contrary to the offenses, both the Patriots and Dolphins have some solid defenses on each side of the field, with New England ranking ninth in defense and Miami coming in at 17th on the defensive end.
Those combinations might make for a low scoring affair in the second matchup between the AFC East opponents on Sunday afternoon in Miami, with both defenses leading the way and headlining action that takes place in the divisional showdown.
Specifically for the Patriots, they have been used to having some low-scoring games more often than not this season, which might make this a game that plays more into their favor in the end. But either way, this is a much different Miami team that New England played in Week 1 in September led by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa so the Patriots will have their work cut out for them.