The New England Patriots are a really, really good football team. Yes, head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady are amazing and first-ballot Hall of Famers. Yes, tight end Rob Gronkowski might be the most dominant player at his position … ever. Yes, the Patriots have won four Super Bowls since 2001, and been in six.
Yet, their genius has never been more on display than it was on Sunday Night Football a few weeks ago against the Indianapolis Colts. Leading in a one-possession game in the third quarter, Indianapolis – now infamously – went into an elaborate fake punt. All but two Colts players went running to the right sideline, leaving a pair of players in a center-quarterback exchange position.
Most teams would panic looking at such a bizarre formation. Most would immediately call timeout, doing exactly what the Colts were expecting. Instead, Belichick’s team covered the play perfectly, the coach did not blink, and the Colts made the huge blunder of actually snapping the ball. Game over.
This week, the Miami Dolphins will try to hand New England its first loss of the 2015 season on Thursday Night Football at Gillette Stadium. Miami has won two straight games under interim head coach Dan Campbell, and could be considered a wild card contender.
The Dolphins have the potential to upset the Patriots, who they beat on opening day last year at Sun Life Stadium. The real question is whether Campbell can match wits with Belichick on a short week, in a road game. Campbell has done a hell of a job so far, but trying to beat the undefeated Patriots with only a few days to prepare would be too large of a task for Don Shula, let alone a man about to don the headset for his third career game.
Pick: Patriots 34, Dolphins 17