Five Patriots players expected to play in Week 12 rematch with Dolphins

The Dolphins have historically been one of the Patriots’ toughest opponents during the dynasty era, but Tom Brady and Bill Belichick could usually still be counted on to prevail over their division rival.

My God, how things have changed. The Patriots have lost seven of their last eight games to the Dolphins, including this season’s game at Gillette Stadium. They are 2-7 against the Dolphins since Brady left the team after the 2019 season.

The Patriots played particularly poorly against the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, where they lost six of their last seven games. They are 2-9 in their last 11 games in Miami.

With the way the Patriots have played this season, it’s unlikely their fortunes will change this year in South Florida. The Patriots already lost to the Dolphins without Tua Tagovailoa, and now the starting quarterback is back in the lineup.

But for the 3-8 Patriots to win, these players will need to step up.

RB Rhamondre Stevenson

Stevenson hasn’t been the primary cause of the Patriots’ rushing attack’s problems—we’ll get to that later—but he’s averaging just 3.8 yards per carry and floundering. again in Sunday’s loss to the Rams. Thus, he made up to five unsuccessful attempts during the season.

The veteran running back was benched earlier this season after starting the year with four straight games. The Patriots should keep Stevenson on a shorter leash if the problems continue this time around.

Antonio Gibson is doing well right now. He has 44 yards on nine carries in his last two games. JaMycal Hasty has also proven to be a reliable backup.

Another note about the Patriots’ running backs: They can all catch the ball out of bounds. They were expected to total over 310 yards on 50 catches this season.

If they can get more involved in the passing game, it would be an easy way for Drake Maye to make some easy completions with the potential to gain yards after the catch.

WR Ja’Lynn Polk

We’ve written about this before, but Polk, a 2024 second-round draft pick, is currently on track to have a worse rookie season than Tyquan Thornton, who was cut last week.

In fact, things are getting worse for Polk, who has just 11 catches on 28 targets for 80 yards in 10 games. In his last six games, Polk has caught 15 targets three times for just 19 yards.

He’s last among qualified receivers at 0.38 yards per route run. By comparison, wide receiver Ladd McConkey, who the Chargers selected 34th overall when the Patriots traded him 37th overall to Polk, is averaging 2.27 yards per carry. DeMario Douglas leads the Patriots among qualified receivers with a 1.48 grade, while Kayshawn Boutte has a 1.05 grade.

Polk was also penalized for a false start on Thursday. It looks like the Patriots will continue to give him opportunities to see if they can get him to move on.

Offensive line

Let’s highlight three players in this group: left guard Michael Jordan, center Ben Brown and right tackle Demontree Jacobs.

Jacobs gave up a sack and pressured the Rams six times last week. Brown allowed me to take the bag and hurry. Jordan took his time and has performed better in the last four games.

But they are three players who could be demoted if the Patriots choose to start Cole Strange when he is ready to return from a season-ending knee injury last December.

Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said Strange is being tried at left, center and right guard. Brown could be a one-on-one replacement at left wing for Jordan or at center for Brown. If Jacobs continues to struggle, the Patriots could slot Strange at right guard and move Mike Onwenu to right tackle.

Perhaps the Patriots could surprise us, but it looks like Strange isn’t going to be used as a starter right away. But before the injury last season he was playing the best football of his career. If he were to pick up where he left off, he would provide a boost to an offensive line that is still trying to find its footing.

CB Jonathan Jones

Jones has historically played well against the Dolphins, especially against wide receiver Tyreek Hill. The veteran defenseman is in his ninth season. In Sunday’s game, he earned the lowest single-game PFF grade of his career at 27.1.

PFF had Jones four catches on six targets for 123 yards with three touchdowns and a pass breakup.

Jones will continue to be a mainstay at cornerback, cornerback and slot. He must play better to ensure Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa doesn’t leave.

S. Kyle Dugger

Dugger also struggled in his return to the field from an ankle injury. The PFF blamed him for three missed tackles.

Dugger will play a primary role in limiting Hill and receiver Jaylen Waddle, as well as stopping speedy running backs De’Von Achane, Raheem Mostert and Jaylen Wright. The Patriots may have to lighten up on defense to accommodate the Dolphins’ speed. This could lead to more snaps in the box for Dugger, who can’t be constantly distracted on tackles.

ATH Marcus Jones

Jones has been solid on defense this season and has been one of the team’s brightest spots as a returning starter. He also finally contributed to the offense Sunday for the first time since his rookie season, recording 5 yards rushing.

Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt was previously unaware that Jones was playing on offense. This is not a joke.

But we would like him to play even more in attack. Defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington doesn’t seem concerned about Jones’ workload, saying he’s well-rounded enough to play offense, defense and special teams.

Originally published: November 23, 2024 8:00 AM EST

Five Patriots players expected to play in Week 12 rematch with Dolphins

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