#R miami dolphins mac#

The Patriots defense has done a great job of containing the running game when it does not involve the quarterback, and Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater (more on that in a bit) aren't not much of a threat with their legs. Miami rarely allows that to develop, though, and ranks 27th in the league in average rushing yards per game (95.9) and 19th in yards per carry (4.3). Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson provide a solid one-two punch with the speed to make big plays on the ground. Miami can't seem to consistently commit to running the football, but when it does it generally has some success. If Jones gets the time he should be able to find favorable matchups against a largely inexperienced secondary. Aside from Holland, it's a group that has struggled, especially when Jaelen Phillips, Bradley Chubb and the pass rush haven't provided enough pressure. Xavien Howard remains one of the better cover men in the league but he's joined by Noah Igbinoghene and Kader Kohou at corner and Eric Rowe, Jevon Holland and Keion Crossen at safety. A big reason for that has been the absence of starters Byron Jones, Brandon Jones and Nik Needham, who are all out. Miami allows 244.7 yards per game through the air (28th in the league) and 6.6 yards per pass, which ranks 16th. However, Kendrick Bourne did emerge from the doghouse to create some excitement in the second half, catching six passes for 100 yards and a touchdown, and the Dolphins defense has been decimated by injuries. Taking away the 48-yard touchdown on a third-and-29 heave, Jones passed for 192 yards against Cincinnati. Jones was completely shut down by the Bengals on Saturday, and other than a fluky deflection for a long touchdown the production showed.

#R miami dolphins mac#

The Patriots passing game hasn't been much better as Mac Jones continues to struggle to find the form he showed early in his rookie season. The late fumble against the Bengals overshadowed the trouble New England was having finding daylight near the goal line, and Miami's run defense won't make that an easy trend to break. It's a solid group against the run and will give the Patriots offensive line some trouble.

Inside the Dolphins boast Raekwon Davis and Zach Sieler in front of linebackers Jerome Baker and Elandon Roberts. Christian Wilkins is one of the most active defensive linemen in the league and he's effective against the run.

Miami is solid against the run as well, ranking 10th in the league allowing 109.1 rushing yards per game and 11th at 4.2 yards per carry. It was a continuation of the subpar ground game that we've seen over the past two months as aside from a couple of breakout games Stevenson hasn't been able to muster much consistent production. He added a costly fumble at the 5-yard line as the Patriots were threatening for the go-ahead score. Stevenson, once again forced to carry the load without Damien Harris (thigh), was bottled up throughout and finished with just 30 yards on 13 carries. After a career-high 172-yard rushing performance by Rhamondre Stevenson in Las Vegas, the Patriots ground game went back to its previous pedestrian levels in the loss to Cincinnati on Christmas Eve.