One Key Area For Patriots To Exploit Vs. Dolphins

The New England Patriots’ offense had a difficult time moving the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders at times during week one. While they connected on a few big plays, penalties and negative plays prevented them from sustaining drives.

Their week two opponent, the Miami Dolphins, had a hard time defensively in their season opener. They allowed 33 points on three touchdowns and four field goals against the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts moved the ball at will, totaling 418 yards and converting 27 first downs.

The Patriots will hope for similar success offensively, and one area might be key in doing so. According to NFL Pro Stats, Miami blitzed at a league-high 48.5% rate in week one. Despite this, their pressure rate was just 24.2%, 29th in the league.

The Colts hurt the Dolphins in multiple ways. They used Michael Pittman and Tyler Warren in the quick passing game, as well as Alec Pierce on intermediate and deep routes. Stefon Diggs and Demario Douglas excel in short routes, while Kayshon Boutte was excellent in one-on-one matchups near the boundary.

On top of that, Miami lost starting cornerback Storm Duck to injury. He’s expected to miss two to three weeks. Veteran CB Rasul Douglas will be his replacement. Douglas is past his prime. Last season for Buffalo, opposing quarterbacks had a 116.9 passer rating when targeting him. Drake Maye looked to tight end Hunter Henry over the middle three times against the blitz last week, but should have more opportunities on the outside against Miami.

Maye struggled against the blitz last season. He completed 51 of 93 passes with six touchdowns and five interceptions. The Patriots’ offensive line didn’t help him in those situations, though, as he was pressured on 54.5% of dropbacks. Still, his completion percentage over expected was -4.5%, among the worst in the league.

In a small sample this season, there have been signs of improvement. The offensive line still had issues picking up blitzes, allowing pressures on 50% of dropbacks, but Maye himself was more composed. He was 8-14 for 70 yards and a touchdown when the Raiders sent an extra pass rusher.

With injuries in the secondary, the Dolphins may back off the blitz some. If they don’t, the Patriots will have an opportunity to expose it. They’ll need the offensive line to keep Maye on his feet, but the quarterback showed good pocket mobility and kept his eyes downfield against the Raiders. He was still shaky in the face of pressure, throwing off his back foot on multiple occasions, but more time in the offense should bring improvements.