Dolphins lead Pats 17-10 to start 4th quarter

A Caleb Sturgis FG, followed by a Cam Wake third down sack has turned momentum in Miami's favor.

And they took advantage to begin the fourth quarter, as a long, methodical Dolphins drive, that included big passes to Brian Hartline and Mike Wallace, ended with a TD pass to Daniel Thomas.

Dolphins lead 17-10

Can they hold on?

Pats lead Dolphins 10-7 at halftime

Well, thanks to a Ryan Tannehill last minute TD to Mike Wallace, we have a ball game.

Following a NE touchdown (a great one handed catch by a TE whose name I'm not going to attempt to spell), Miami took over with no timeouts at there own 18.

Tannehill took over from there, hitting Matthews on a big third down, and then Marlon Moore to bring them into NE territory.

Tannehill then hit Wallace over the middle on third and two, and Wallace would break a tackle and take it to the house

Tannehill finished the half 12-19, 171 yards, and the TD.

Wallace has 4 catches for 83 yards and a TD.

There are, however, several issues Miami MUST fix.

Tannehill has been sacked THREE times.

Brady has had a clean pocket all day.

New England is running the ball effectively.

Those things must change if Miami is to win this game.

To the third.

Pats lead Dolphins 3-0 after first quarter

Not a good first quarter at all for the Dolphins.

After an opening Miami drive stalled at midfield, New England took the ball 16 plays and kicked a chip shot FG.

Both teams then traded punts.

The Patriots are putting a lot of emphasis on Charles Clay and running the ball.

So far Miami has had no answer.

To the second.

Dolphins, Pats 90 minutes away from kickoff; the inactives

Just. A. Little. Bit. Longer.

Just about 90 minutes to go, folks, as the ONLY battle of above .500 teams is about to get going down in South Beach.

Inactives?  I got em' for you, don't worry.


Miami:

CB Jamar Taylor, QB Pat Devlin, S D.J. Campbell, OL David Arkin, DB Justin Rogers, DL AJ Francis, OL Danny Watkins.


New England:

DE Bequette, LB Beuaharnais, WR Dobson, WR Thompkins, TE DJ Williams, OL Barker, DE Buchanan.


Dolphins in all white.  Patriots in navy and grey.

Kickoff is at 1:05!

Live blog starts shortly after.

GO FINS

Gameday: Five Keys To A Dolphins Win PLUS Prediction

If you're not ready for this one, then you don't have a pulse.

On that note, a very warm good morning to everybody!

And a good morning it is, as the Dolphins and Patriots are just about three hours away from kicking off a HUGE divisional matchup down in Sun Life Stadium.

No Gronk?  No Dobson?  No Thompson?

No win?

Hold your horses.  Tom Brady's still alive, right?  Bill Belichick too?

Yeah, better get to the keys before we get ahead ourselves.  Enjoy.


1.  Intensity, intensity, intensity.  I've said it all week, I have NEVER seen a Dolphins team this confident, or this focused, heading into a Patriots game.  The game is sold out, it's the premiere game of the day, and everything is on the line for the Miami Dolphins.  They need to harness this energy early, and all day long.  You may not be able to out coach Bill Belichick, but you can be more intense than him.

2.  Don't lose sight of Vereen.  Shane Vereen, for all intents and purposes, IS the New England offense right now.  He can run the ball, he can catch the ball, and he can be a matchup nightmare for this Dolphins defense.  It will be PIVOTAL for the Miami Dolphins to keep an eye on Vereen, especially in the passing game, and ESPECIALLY in the screen game.

3.  Make New England one-dimensional.  What's the biggest reason for letting up that 17-3 lead back in week 8?  The Patriots had no run game in the first half.  But in the second half?  Well over 150 yards on the ground.  This will be the most critical aspect to today's game, folks.  IF Miami can make Tom Brady and that Gronkowski-less offense one-dimensional, they will win this game.

4.  Get pressure, then stop the pressure.  Jared Odrick, Cam Wake, and Olivier Vernon had success last time in getting after Tom Brady.  They MUST keep this up today.  It's no secret that the best way to beat the Patriots is to consistently put pressure on Brady with a four men front.  Can't blitz too much.  Can't give him too much time.  On the other side, Ryan Tannehill was sacked SIX times in week 8.  Now, that was a much different offensive line, and a much different Ryan Tannehill.  Put Brady on his back, Keep Tannehill off his, and do it all day long.

5.  Run, run Ryan.  Hey, look at you Ryan Tannehill, look at you USING YOUR FEET!  I don't want to say I've said it all year, but, uh, I've said it all year long.  This offense is BETTER, more SUCCESSFUL, and AT IT'S BEST, when Ryan Tannehill utilizes his athleticism.  I'm not saying run the read option every down, and I'm not saying take off at the first sign of trouble.  But if there is field open ahead of you, RUN, Ryan!  RUN!!


PREDICTION

I'm going to be honest with you guys, I have no idea what to do here.  If the Miami Dolphins are ever to beat the Patriots, TODAY is the day.  No Gronkowski.  No Dobson. No Thompson.  Who's catching passes in a navy uniform that scares you today?  The problem I have is, the man throwing those passes, Tom Brady, hasn't lost to this team since 2009.  Miami has SO much going for them today- they're at home, it's hot, they've won back to back games- so I really, really want to pick them here.  HOWEVER, I've told you this before, and I'm going to stick to my guns here:  I cannot pick the Miami Dolphins UNTIL they actually beat the Patriots.  I just can't do it.

Final: Patriots 27 Dolphins 24


Just under three hours to go, folks.  Hang in there!

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

Then, as always, make sure to follow the blog throughout the game, starting at the end of the first quarter.

2.5 HOURS

GO FINS

Week 15 in the NFL: Picks and predictions

Three weeks to go.

Buckle up.


Last weeks record: 11-4

Overall record: 122-73-1


Washington @ Atlanta:  Too much disfunction, too much drama.  Give me the Falcons.

San Francisco @ Tampa Bay:  This is a trap game game for Colin Kaepernick and company, ESPECIALLY coming off an emotional divisional win.  However, I think they find a way to get it done on the road.  I'll take the 49ers.

Seattle @ NY Giants:  I just don't think that Giants offense can overcome that Seattle defense.  Give me the Seahawks on the road.

Philadelphia @ Minnesota:  UPSET ALERT!!  I nailed it last week, and I have just as good of a feeling this week.  This Minnesota team has been close lately, and I think they finally put it all together here.  i'll take the Vikings in a close one.

Buffalo @ Jacksonville:  Henne!!! Give credit to Jacksonville, they've turned this into a respectable season after a brutal start.  I'll take the Jaguars here.  They're just the hotter team.

Houston @ Indianapolis:  I don't like what I've seen out of Indianapolis lately.  However, they're not bad enough to lose Case Keenum and Wade Phillips, right?  We'll see.  Give me the Colts.

Chicago @ Cleveland:  Jay Cutler>Josh McCown.  I don't care what his numbers look like.  Give me the Bears.

Kansas City @ Oakland:  I like what I saw out of Kansas City last week.  Meanwhile, Oakland lost to the Jets.  Get where I'm going with this?  Give me the Chiefs.

NY Jets @ Carolina:  Godspeed, Geno Smith.  Godspeed.  Panthers.

Green Bay @ Dallas:  No Aaron Rodgers?  No bueno.  Not on the road, not this late in the season.  I'll take Romo and the Cowboys.

Arizona @ Tennessee:  Give Ryan Fitzpatrick and Mike Munchak credit, despite the losses piling up, they still have this team in every game.  This one's tough for me.  I like both defenses, dislike both offenses, and think both QB's are mediocre.  Everyone cancels everyone out!  When that happens, I go with the home team.  Give me the Titans in a close one.

New Orleans @ St. Louis:  It doesn't matter where this game is, New Orleans is the better team, fair and square.  Give me the Saints.

Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh:  Something just tells me that Big Ben isn't quite ready to be done.  I'll take the Steelers in a good old fashion defensive struggle.

Baltimore @ Detroit:  The Ravens just barrely survived last week.  I don't think they're that lucky on Monday night.  Not against a ticked off Detroit team.  Give me the Lions.


Alright folks, that'll do it for now.

Check back tomorrow for you pre-game coverage, including my prediction.  And, as always, come back during the game for the live, quarter by quarter, blog of the game!

12 hours.

GO FINS

Ellerbe Has Message For Fans PLUS Week 15 Viewer Guide AND Final Injury Report

We have reached the 24 hour mark, as the Dolphins and Patriots are nearing their HUGE matchup at 1:05 tomorrow.

If you read the column from yesterday, than you know just how big this game is for the Miami Dolphins.

Well, not only do I know that (and if you read it, then you too), but the team knows it as well.  More specifically, Dannell Ellerbe.

Take a look:

That was Ellerbe's message to Dolphin fans that has been circulating around social media today.

Brian Hartline has retweeted it.  So has Brent Grimes.

Think this team is ready for tomorrow?  

The field will be ready too.  What do I mean by that?  Take a look for yourselves.  The grounds crew made some changes:

Packed house, aqua end zones, and an enlarged logo at midfield.  What else do you need?!

As I said, this is a HUGE game.

[Update: Apparently this was just a retweet by Ellerbe. Whatever, still got me pumped.]

WEEK 15 VIEWER GUIDE

New York Jets @ Carolina:  Pretty simple here.  While the Jets are a long shot to make the playoffs, they're still technically in the race at 6-7, and could pose some problems for Miami down the stretch in tie breaker scenarios.  Root for the Panthers here, and no, I shouldn't have had to tell you that.

Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh:  Miami's already beat Pittsburgh, so they're in the rear view mirror.  While it's slim, there's still a chance Baltimore could over take Cincinnati in the division, therefore pushing the Bengals down to the wild card race with the Dolphins. Miami owns that tie breaker thanks to a Halloween night win.  Root for the Steelers here.

Baltimore @ Detroit:  Do I really need to explain this one?  REG-GIE, REG-GIE, REG-GIE.  Ya know, just like the old days.

FINAL INJURY REPORT

Questionable: S Reshad Jones (groin), CB Jamar Taylor (hamstring) 

Probable: CB Nolan Carroll (hamstring), S Chris Clemons (knee, hamstring), P Brandon Fields (non-injury), OL Nate Garner (ribs), RB Lamar Miller (concussion), DT Paul Soliai (ankle), C Mike Pouncey (non-injury) 

Expect Jones to play, even though he was limited in practice all week.  It was more of a pre-caution than anything.  IF he can't, then look for Jimmy Wilson to be used a lot at the safety position.

Also expect Lamar Miller to play, as he's passed all of his concussion tests.  Whether or not he starts over Daniel Thomas is another story.  We'll see what Miami does.  My guess is they go with the hot hand, whoever that may be.

Picks and predictions coming up later.

ONE DAY.