As the Miami Dolphins continue to finalize their offensive game plan install for Week 1 against the New England Patriots, mystery remains amid the preparations. We’ve had no opportunities to see the Dolphins operate to this point in the season — the lack of preseason games offers little clues to how Miami will look to operate. Just like their opponent, the New England Patriots. But looking over the roster, we can begin to anticipate what the Dolphins’ game plan will look like and where the Dolphins will focus their energy.
Where should we anticipate the Dolphins attacking the Patriots when Miami has the ball?
Attack the middle
The Patriots will sorely miss linebacker Dont’a Hightower on Sunday. The same can be said for hybrid safety Patrick Chung. And with nose tackle Danny Shelton now in Detroit, the Patriots’ interior will need to prove they’re up to the task. Miami would be wise to test their competency early and often — and if Miami find success up the middle, they’d be wise to not let their foot off the gas, either.
Isolate Kyle Dugger in coverage
One of the key replacements for the Patriots’ defense is rookie Kyle Dugger. Dugger played at Lenoir Rhyne, a small school that will force Dugger into a big leap in the level of competition. Dugger will help cover the loss of Chung on defense — but how competent and confident will he be in his first NFL game? Dugger made a huge impact as an athlete in college but you’ll need more than just athleticism to be a plus contributor in the NFL. Miami should find out just how ready he is for the pro game.
Force tackling in space
Miami’s offensive concepts under Chan Gailey are expected to be rooted in spacing the field. Miami’s ability to create after the catch will be key in creating the chunk plays necessary to avoid having to play a perfect game from a quarterbacking perspective — and so Miami should emphasize mismatches they like in the spaced field and task their players with forcing a missed tackle to create extra production for the unit.