Patriots outlast Dolphins 23-16

The offense was just simply not good enough today.

With the exception of two Miami drives, the unit did nothing. Ryan Tannehill had his moments, but was off for most of the day, and the Fins dropped this one 23-13.

Defensively, Miami gave the Pats all they had, sacking Brady four times on the day, and intercepting him for only the fourth tile this year, but still, it wasn't enough.

The Fins made it interesting at the end, driving down the field quickly and hitting a 42 yard field goal with 31 seconds to play, but failed to recover the onside kick.

The Patriots clinched the AFC East with the win.

The Fins drop to 5-7 and will head out to San Francisco next week.

More to come.

Patriots holding 17-10 lead after third quarter

All you can ask of this Miami team is to keep it close till the end, and they've done that today.

The defense has been spectacular, as both teams have traded multiple punts in the third quarter.

The Fins offense must get it together if they are to win this game, as the defense can only hold Tom Brady for so long.

To the fourth.

Patriots lead Dolphins 17-10 at halftime

Well, all things considered, it could be A LOT worse for the Miami Dolphins.

In a half filled with penalties, miscues, and missed opportunities, the Fins went 80 yards and 12 plays to end the half with a Ryan Tannehill TD to pull the Fins within 7.

The defense has held it's own against Tom Brady, even intercepting him for the first time in weeks.

The offense has found a groove with their running game.

Pats get the ball to begin the third quarter.

Lets go their now.

Pats lead Fins 7-0 after first quarter

It was not the start the Fins were looking for.

After a three and out, Brandon Fields couldn't handle the snap, giving the Patriots the ball inside the Dolphins 20.

Steven Ridley would punch it in to out the Pats up.

However, the Fins would pick off Tom Brady, only have to the ensuing TD return by Reshad Jones called back on penalty.

Miami would take over and kick a field goal to close out the quarter.

To the 2nd.

Fins, Pats set to renew AFC East rivalry; the inactives

Kickoff is just about an hour away from steamy Sun Life Stadium.

Dolphins Inactives are P. Devlin, J. Amaya, J. Kaddu, W. Yeatman, M. Egnew, K. Miller, and K. Randall.

Patriots inactives are TE Gronkowski, DE Jones, LG Mankins, TE Shiancoe, RB Develin, OL Petrus, and DB Martin.

Fins are in all white. Pats in the navy and gray.

Live blog starts with the first quarter, so follow along.

Go Fins!

Gameday: Seven players to watch today PLUS prediction

It is gameday here at the Dolphinsider as the Patriots and Dolphins are just a few hours away from kicking it off in South Florida.  Until then, take a look at who I think should be watched closely for both teams today, and, as always, I'll offer up my prediction on the game.

Enjoy.


1) Watch out for Patriots TE Aaron Hernandez.  The third year man out of Florida has been on and off the field for most of the year due to injury, but don't let that fool you, he's still a force to be reckoned with when healthy.  The Fins have ALWAYS struggled with tight ends, and you can bet Bill Belichick knows this. Expect Hernandez to play a big role in this game.

2) Watch out for Dolphins RB's Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas.  The Patriots run defense has been stellar this season, only letting up right around 100 yards a game on the ground, and forcing teams to become one dimensional. This cannot happen today, as the last thing you want to do is force the rookie QB to shoulder the load.  Running backs Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas will have to carry the momentum over from last weeks performance, where they nearly ran for 200 yards against Seattle, and keep it going into todays' game if the Fins are to be successful.

3) Watch out for Patriots WR Wes Welker.  The former Miami Dolphin has quietly put together another solid year, catching 80 passes, and nearing the 1,000 yard mark for yet another season.  Welker has always given the Fins trouble (99 yard TD ring a bell?), and must be watched closely today, especially on third downs.

4) Watch out for Dolphins TE Charles Clay.  The second year man out of Tulsa had an explosive performance a week ago, catching 6 passes for 84 yards, and a huge 29 yard TD in the fourth quarter.  Clay can be a special player in this Miami offense, as he can line up as receiver, full back, or tight end, and can pose matchup problems all day for the Patriots secondary.  Hopefully OC Mike Sherman continues using Clay like he did last week, because this could be the matchup to watch today on offense.

5) Watch out for Patriots LB Brandon Spikes.  The former University of Florida standout has put together another solid season, and is tied for 4th in league in fumbles caused with five through the first 11 games.  Who is he tied with?  Teammate Rob Ninkovich.  Yikes.  Spikes has a knack for finding the football, and with Reggie Bush known to cough one up from time to time, don't be surprised to see this come into play today.

6) Watch out for Dolphins DE Cameron Wake.  Everything you need to know here can be found in my article I posted on Thursday.  Wake will absolutely be the difference in this game, and if the Dolphins ever needed a monster game from the for CFL standout, today would be the day.  If Wake can generate constant pressure on Brady, then expect this one to remain close all day.

No, I did not mention Tom Brady, or Ryan Tannehill, as these two should be the obvious players to watch.  But, mark my words, one of those seven up there will make a difference in this game.

Lets just hope it's the even numbers..


PREDICTION

Joe Philbin has said it all week, this game will be a true measure of where this team is at right now.  Win and you get the attention of the entire NFL, not to mention the wild card contenders.  Lose and you're essentially playing for 2013.  I don't see this being the runaway game for the Patriots like some have made it out to be, not after the Fins emotional walkoff win last Sunday.  The key will be to run the ball effectively, not turn it over, and put pressure on Tom Brady.  IF the Fins can do all these things they can absolutely win this game, but, unfortunately, those are a lot of ifs.

Final: Patriots 34 Dolphins 23


Check back in right before game time for any last minute news, including the inactives.

And, as always, follow the live, quarter by quarter, blog of today's game.

Until then, GO FINS!

Week 13 in the NFL: picks and predictions

Big week in the NFL, lets do it.

Last week's record: 10-6

Overall record: 103-62-1


Houston @ Tennessee: Chris Johnson is having a nice season for the Titans, but that defense is awful. Give me the Texans on the road.

Indianapolis @ Detroit:  The Colts seem playoff bound, but I'm still not completely sold. Give me the Lions, especially that offense, to slow down the Andrew Luck train.

Jacksonville @ Buffalo:  Really?  Chad Henne?  The former Fins QB has revived his career over the last two weeks, and seems to be the lock in starter for next season. However, nobody knows "Robot Chad" like us Dolphin fans, and I don't see him keeping it up.  Give me the Bills at home.

Seattle @ Chicago:  This is a big test for Russell Wilson, especially coming off a loss. The rookie QB has guided the 'Hawks to some big wins this season, but, unfortunately, most of them came at home. The kid's on the road here, and I think that leads to a Bears victory.

San Francisco @ St. Louis:  These two played themselves into a tie just a few weeks ago, and the 49ers have been the talk of the NFL ever since, mainly due to 2nd year QB Colin Kaepernick.  The kid earned his third straight start this week, and I think he keeps it up in a big road win in St. Louis.  Give me San Francisco.

Minnesota @ Green Bay:  The Vikings benefited from a soft first half schedule this season, but have struggled of late, dropping three of their last four games, and tinkering on the edge of .500.  I don't see them going on the road and beating Aaron Rodgers, especially after that performance last week in New York.  Give me the Packers.

Carolina @ Kansas City:  This will be an emotional Kansas City team tomorrow, as they will be just 24 hours removed from the tragic murder-suicide of LB Jovan Belcher. I think they'll play hard, but I don't see it being enough against a suddenly revived Cam Newton.  Give me the Panthers.

Arizona @ N.Y. Jets:  These two teams are pitiful, I'm not wasting space.  Give me the Jets.

Tampa Bay @ Denver:  Peyton Manning and company haven't lost a game since that Oct. 7th loss in New England.  In that time span, they've won six in a row, and, besides last week, have put up 30+ points in every game.  The Bucs are coming off a crushing one point loss to Atlanta, but are still in the thick of the NFC wild card race, and could end that six game winning streak.  However, I don't see it.  Give me the Broncos at home.

Cleveland @ Oakland:  Again, not wasting space.  Raiders.

Cincinnati @ San Diego:  A must win game for Norv Turner in December- what else is new?  The Chargers playoff hopes took a devastating hit in last week's OT loss, as they now sit at 4-7 and two games out of the playoff picture.  Sitting in their way?  The Bengals, who have won three in a row.  This will be a good one out west, but I'll take the Chargers in a desperation win.

Pittsburgh @ Baltimore:  Hey Charlie Batch, did you think that Cleveland defense was tough?  Well, that was nothing.  Even with Big Ben I'd take the Ravens here, I think they're just the better team, especially at home.

Philadelphia @ Dallas:  That Monday night performance was nothing short of disgusting.  The secondary is terrible, the QB is raw, and Andy Reid's days are numbered.  Give me the Cowboys at home.

N.Y. Giants @ Washington:  Well, I guess that puts an end to all that "Eli's got a dead arm" talk, doesn't it?  The Giants are back, and what we saw on Sunday night was scary.  RGIII will keep the Skins in it, but I don't see it being enough in this NFC East rivalry.  Give me the Giants in a good one.


Check back in tomorrow morning for all your Miami Dolphins pre-game coverage, including my prediction.  And, as always, follow the live, quarter by quarter blog, of the game.

Until then, Go Fins!