The Miami Dolphins entered into Tuesday’s roster cuts not just facing their own difficult decisions with the roster, but also facing the challenges that come with squaring off against the New England Patriots in Week 1 of the regular season. Any time you catch Bill Belichick and company with this much time to prepare, you’d be wise to be on high alert for unique wrinkles and challenging looks. But the Dolphins had a different challenge at hand, too.
They were going to have to prepare for two separate quarterbacks. Because while the Patriots resigned Cam Newton this offseason as the incumbent starting quarterback, they also drafted Alabama’s Mac Jones with a top-15 selection — making pregame preparations next to impossible to sort out without more clarity from New England.
Well, consider the quarterback situation in New England clear.
Because the Patriots cut Newton on Tuesday, leaving no doubt as to who is the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots in Week 1 against the Dolphins: it’s rookie Mac Jones.
The Dolphins will have the chance to welcome the Alabama standout to the NFL in an AFC East divisional clash that will feature the last two starting quarterbacks at Alabama in Jones and Tua Tagovailoa going head to head for an early slice of divisional superiority. That offers a fun layer to Miami’s season opener against New England, but it isn’t the only bit of clarity Miami got regarding their rivals to the north.
It was also announced that Patriots star cornerback Stephon Gilmore will start the year on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, meaning he will not be eligible to play in the first six weeks of the regular season and will miss Miami’s visit to Foxborough this year. That loss will help Miami neutralize the status of WR Will Fuller for Week 1 — he’s serving the final game of a six-game suspension from 2020.
Week 1 for the Dolphins is now a week and a half away. But the Patriots have provided some key intel on the game out of necessity — and now Miami must work to be ready to take advantage.