5 keys for Dolphins to beat Patriots this Sunday

The Dolphins open their 2021 campaign with a big division matchup with the Patriots. Here are five keys to victory for Miami if they want to start out 1-0. 

Most people expect the Bills to comfortably win the AFC East again this year, but the second spot inside the division is very much up for grabs. Both the Dolphins and Patriots believe they have what it takes to put serious pressure on Buffalo.

At the very least, Miami and New England both fancy themselves as teams capable of securing a Wild Card berth. That’s what makes the opener between the two teams so interesting and important. The winner can seize a crucial advantage over their chief rival before the regular season really gets going.

The Dolphins will need to play something very close to their A-game if they want to steal a win in Foxborough. Here are five big keys for head coach Brian Flores and his staff.

5. Get Jaylen Waddle touches in space

Waddle hasn’t been as consistent as Miami would have liked during the preseason, but there’s no doubting his ability to make big plays with the ball in his hands. He may not get a ton of snaps against the Patriots in the opener, but the Dolphins need to make sure the snaps he gets really count.

The best way to do that is to design plays to get him the ball in some type of space. The Patriots defense is going to do their best to prevent that, so Miami might have to resort to screens and reverses to get their young playmaker the ball. If Waddle can spring a big play or two in his limited action it could lead his team to victory.