How the Dolphins can beat the Patriots - 6 keys to Thursday Night Football
The Dolphins wll have to dig deepIf the Miami Dolphins under recently appointed Dan Campbell hope to pull off a humongous upset against the unbeaten New England Patriots, these will be the keys to their success:
#1 Will the Miami defensive line continue its mid-season renaissance against the Patriots?
The highly vaunted Miami defensive, featuring stars like Ndamukong Suh, Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon, had just 3 sacks through their first four games. Then came the firing of Joe Philbin, and things have changed. The Dolphins have recorded ten sacks in the two games since, including 6 for Cameron Wake and 2 for Ndamukong Suh.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is getting sacked just over two times per game on average. The offensive line has rotated heavily so far this season, with rookies manning the interior line and injuries to tackles Nate Solder, Marcus Cannon and Cameron Fleming.
The starting five linemen on Thursday night is anyone’s guess. Sebastien Vollmer made the move to left tackle in the Patriots last game, but with Cameron Wake traditionally coming off the quarterback’s open side, he might be needed back in his more natural right tackle position. It’s an interesting chess match, and one that is sure to be fascinating to watch play out on Thursday night.