The offense was stuck in the mud, and the defense made Daniel<\/strong> Jones<\/strong> look like a future Hall of Famer in Week 1.<\/p>\n Again, it\u2019s unwise to overreact to a one-week sample, but Miami\u2019s dud is a culmination of a downward spiral since they went 11-6, with a +105 point differential in 2023.<\/p>\n They made win-now moves for 2023, weren\u2019t rewarded, and slid to 8-9 with a -19 point differential in 2024.<\/p>\n Sure, Tagovailoa played in only 11 games last year, but Miami was an underwhelming 6-5 in his starts.<\/p>\n Moreover, the Dolphins appear to be paying the piper for their win-now moves before the 2023 season, as roster erosion has turned their current depth chart into a train wreck.<\/p>\n Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked the Dolphins 20th in pass protection last year, and their top offensive lineman, left tackle Terron<\/strong> Armstead<\/strong>, retired in the offseason.<\/p>\n Miami was ranked 22nd in PFF\u2019s pass-blocking grading in Week 1.<\/p>\n Now, they\u2019ll need to navigate the absence of starting guard James<\/strong> Daniels<\/strong> and the likely absence of starting right tackle Austin<\/strong> Jackson<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In fairness, Daniels played only three offensive snaps in Week 1.<\/p>\n Still, losing 40% of starters along an offensive line would be a challenge for most quarterbacks and offenses to work around, and Miami\u2019s offensive line lacks quality depth since the starters were already lousy.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also especially discouraging for Miami\u2019s offensive outlook since Tagovailoa struggles mightily with pressure.<\/p>\n Among 30 quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks against pressure in 2024, Tua had PFF\u2019s 17th-worst passing grade and their third-highest turnover-worthy-play rate (7.5 TWP%).<\/p>\n The lefty\u2019s turnover-worthy-play rate under pressure was lower than only Kirk Cousins<\/strong>\u2019 and Jameis Winston<\/strong>\u2019s marks last season.<\/p>\n Even in Tua\u2019s career year as a passer in 2023, he was just 13th out of 33 quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks in PFF\u2019s passing grade against pressure.<\/p>\n New England\u2019s defense isn\u2019t flush with elite pass-rushers.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, their offseason splashes on defensive tackle Milton<\/strong> Williams<\/strong> and edge rusher Harold<\/strong> Landry<\/strong> (who didn't practice on Wednesday but still has two more opportunities to do so) paid immediate dividends in Week 1.<\/p>\n According to PFF, Williams had 2 hits, 2 hurries, and a 22.6% pass-rush win rate on 31 pass-rush snaps in Week 1, and Landry had 4 hurries, 1 hit, and a 17.2% pass-rush win rate.<\/p>\n Moreover, Landry racked up 2.5 sacks against the Raiders. The Patriots should have enough juice on their defense for Mike<\/strong> Vrabel<\/strong> to push the right buttons to get after Tua.<\/p>\n New England\u2019s offense had a lackluster showing in Week 1.<\/p>\n However, Miami\u2019s pitiful defense is precisely the elixir they need to turn things around in Week 2.<\/p>\n PFF graded the Dolphins dead last in pass rush and 27th in coverage in Week 1, and their secondary will likely be without arguably their best cornerback.<\/p>\n Storm Duck<\/strong> has an ankle injury that\u2019s expected to sideline him this week.<\/p>\n Frankly, the dysfunctional and spiraling Dolphins shouldn\u2019t be laying points to anyone.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll take the 1.5 points with the Patriots offered at FanDuel Sportsbook, which is better than the 0.5-point and 1.0-point options available at other sportsbooks.<\/p>\n Don't Miss Out on the Best Betting Recommendations Available<\/strong><\/p>\n Warren Sharp is entering his 20th year providing winning betting recommendations to clients. He has hit on 57% of his lifetime college recommendations, including 73% of his top selections.<\/em><\/p>\n A $100 bettor was up\u00a0$15,636<\/strong>\u00a0following Warren\u2019s picks for both college and the NFL last season.<\/em><\/p>\n
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![\"Sharp](\"https:\/\/www.sharpfootballanalysis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Sharp-Football-Analysis-Newsletter-Ad.jpg\")
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