5 *New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins -1000 $ pick
What a wild week it was in the NFL in Week 14! A total of 104 touchdowns were scored (an NFL record), and it was almost 105 if not for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Antonio Brown stepping out of bounds at the 13-yard line on what appeared to be an open route to the end zone after a lateral-filled play. It would have been a fitting end for the Miami Dolphins, who have consistently found ways to lose in the forth quarter. Instead they got lucky and remain in contention for the AFC’s sixth seed.
In another wild game, the New England Patriots barely squeaked by the Cleveland Browns in the closing moments thanks to a touchdown pass from Tom Brady to Danny Amendola. Unfortunately, the game cost New England their star tight end, Rob Gronkowski, who was lost for the season due to a leg injury (torn ACL, MCL) in the third quarter. The Patriots are all but assured the AFC title, but they’re still playing for a coveted first-round bye. That means there’s plenty on the line for both teams in the Week 15 matchup between the division rival Fins and Pats.
When the two teams met in Week 8, the Dolphins pulled out to a 17-3 lead and held the Patriots’ offense to just 59 yards in the first half. Then, like I said, the Dolphins found a way to lose as the Patriots scored 24 unanswered points in the second half. It was embarrassing and a missed opportunity for the Fins. So how will things go this go around?
Miami has a few things going for it. They’re playing at home, they won’t have to contend with Gronkowski, and they’ve got a bit of momentum winning two straight when they’ve needed to. Despite being the most-sacked quarterback in the NFL (he’s been sacked 48 times), second-year QB Ryan Tannehill has had a decent year. He’s went 300 of 484 for 3,315 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions – good enough for a 24th-ranked QB rating of 84.0 (not great, but just behind Andrew Luck and in front of RGIII, Joe Flacco, and Eli Manning).
On the ground, the Dolphins are ranked 23rd with an average of 95.8 yards per game (YPG). Lamar Miller is their leading rusher with 142 carries for 567 yards and two touchdowns, but he suffered a concussion against the Steelers and his status headed into Week 15 is uncertain. That forced Daniel Thomas, who was previously thought lost for the season, to step in and he ran 16 times for 105 yards and a touchdown. If Miller isn’t ready to go, Thomas won’t have a problem carrying the load.
On the flip side, the Patriots are ranked 13th rushing with an average of 120.0 rush YPG. That comes courtesy of Stevan Ridley and LeGarrette Blount. The former has carried 143 times for 611 yards (4.3 Avg) and seven touchdowns, while the latter has 102 rushes for 460 yards (4.5 Avg) and three scores. New England is known for their passing attack, but a lot of their success this year has come on the ground.
Gabone's pick : I think this will turn out to be a much closer game than many may think. The loss of Gronkowski hurts the Patriots tremendously, and they’ll need deal with that before heading to South Florida to take on a hungry Dolphins team. The Fins, who scored more than 28 points for the first time all season last week, have a real shot at the Playoffs (they have a softer schedule in the last three games than the Baltimore Ravens, who currently hold the No. 6 seed), and I expect them to rise to the occasion.It’s a tough call, but given how much trouble the Patriots had with the Browns last week, combined with the fact they’re without their star tight end and on the road, I think the Dolphins are going to pull this one out. They stopped the Patriots in the first half in their first meeting, and this week will determine whether or not they learned from their mistakes. I think they have.
Take Miami +2.5
Good Luck !!!