The Dolphins welcome the Patriots to South Florida for their annual visit from up north. Consecutive wins over have given the Dolphins a 4-6 record and considerable momentum aided by the NFL's most efficient offense since the return of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
The Patriots are excited about a quarterback as well. Rookie Drake Maye has guided New England to a 2-4 mark (3-8 overall) since taking over in mid-October for Jacoby Brissett, who had the Patriots at 1-4 to begin the season.
This series presents multiple streaks. With a win, the Dolphins can secure a sweep of New England for the second straight season. The last time Miami swept New England in back-to-back campaigns was the turn of the century (1999 and 2000). A fourth straight win over the Patriots would give the Dolphins eight of the last nine in the series.
Tagovailoa has a chance to extend his perfect record against New England to seven wins without a defeat. His performance over the last month has sparked excitement in South Florida as the Dolphins are pacing the league in a lot of offensive categories, such as drive success rate (60 percent).
Miami is on a serious scoring streak, too. The last nine drives – sans possessions that resulted in the end of the half or kneel downs – have produced points. The Dolphins were a perfect six-for-six against the Raiders after scoring on the final three drives against the Rams. Those drives have averaged 55 yards, 4.88 points and 5:22 of game clock.
In his fifth year, Tagovailoa has expanded his arsenal of ways to win. He's leading the NFL in two critical stats. His passer rating against pressure is the best in football at 126.3, up from 52.8 last season and 23 points better than Joe Burrow's second-place mark. Tagovailoa also has the best passer rating among qualified passers when he throws outside of the pocket (120.3).
This is all a feather in the cap of the fifth-year signal-caller, but it also ties back to the performance of the offensive line. Tagovailoa's creativity means his time to throw average has gone up, and the front has afforded him time to do so, led by veteran left tackle Terron Armstead.
According to Pro Football Focus, Armstead's pass block efficiency score (98.4) ranks fifth among all tackles in the NFL. Armstead and the Miami offensive line held Raiders three-time All Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby off the pressure stat sheet (no sacks, hits or tackles for loss). This week, the Dolphins are hoping to replicate that performance against a Patriots defense that surrendered 295 passing yards and four touchdowns to Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford last week, without a quarterback sack.
With a win, the Dolphins would get to 5-6 and just one game behind the Denver Broncos for the final playoff spot in the AFC. Then, it's on the road on a short week for a Thanksgiving night duel with the Green Bay Packers.
Make sure to check out the Injury Report and the team's official social media accounts 90 minutes before kickoff to see who is active for the game.
Watch the game live on Sunday, November 24 at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS, and listen on the Dolphins Radio Network and view the Game Center for the latest coverage.
