Patriots Sunday: Is Miami Tanking?; I’m Walking a Marathon!

The New England Patriots (1-3) host the Miami Dolphins (1-3) today at 1:00. Both teams are riding a three-game losing streak into the game. New England winning their first game comes as more of a surprise to many than them losing three straight. Projections had the Patriots finishing outside the playoff picture in 2024 and selecting early in the 2025 NFL Draft. Expectations for the Dolphins were higher.

Vegas set Miami’s over/under for wins before the season at 9.5. The Dolphins went 11-6 in 2023 and were expected to be in the thick of the AFC playoff picture once again. Their Week 1 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars did nothing to alter those expectations. But starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was injured in Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills and suddenly everything changed.

Post-Tua Struggles

After losing 31-10 to Buffalo in Week 2, Miami got embarrassed in consecutive weeks by Seattle (24-3) and Tennessee (31-12). For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, the Dolphins look like a team that could be battling for the No. 1 pick in April. Is this intentional?

The offense has skill position players like Tyreek Hill (voted by his players as the No. 1 player of 2024), Jaylen Waddle, and De’Von Achane. Pro Bowl left tackle Terron Armstead has missed one game so far, but Austin Jackson remains on the right side. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey anchors a defense that still has significant talent. So why are the Dolphins suddenly so bad?

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross was accused by former head coach Brian Flores of wanting to lose games on purpose. Is that the case in 2024? Tua Tagovailoa is an excellent quarterback and a huge loss, but how does a team wanting to win a championship have nobody better than Skylar Thompson and Tyler Huntley to turn to?

Tua Tagovailoa’s NFL future is very much in doubt. Is it possible Miami Dolphins are looking ahead to drafting his replacement instead of attempting to salvage their 2024 season already? Anything is possible. The answer to whether or not it’s a reality will become a lot clearer in the coming weeks, beginning today. Stay tuned.

2024 Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk

While you are reading this, I will be somewhere on the Boston Marathon course between Hopkinton and the finish line. For the seventh straight year, I’ll be walking 26.2 miles to raise money for cancer research. This means I will not be live for the start of Sunday’s game. I will listen along to the start and hop on X as soon as I return. If anyone wants to read more about my reason for walking, here is my post on X from last night:

Tomorrow is my #JimmyFundWalk. Hoping to leave as close to 5:30 AM as possible from Hopkinton to avoid missing as little of the #Patriots game as possible. I'll check back in at the finish line, assuming I finish all 26.2 miles. If I miss the start of the game, @BobSocci and… pic.twitter.com/75V9F8IyjQ

— Dan Kelley (@DanKelley66) October 6, 2024

Patriots Fact/Trivia of the Day

New England Patriots legend Richard Seymour turns 45 today. Seymour made five Pro Bowls, was named first-team All-Pro three teams, and won three Super Bowls during his eight seasons (2001-2008) in New England. Seymour leads all Patriots defensive players in first-team All-Pro selections. His five NFL Pro Bowl nods are tied with Andrew Tippett for second among New England defenders behind Mike Haynes (6). Seymour, Tippett, and Haynes are all members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Post of the Day

AndreaWBZ gets the nod for covering my daughter’s return to school after a 15-month absence due to her cancer treatment:

This is the best story of the year and it will be hard to top it! -> Quincy's Merrymount Elementary School welcomes 8 year old back to school after 15 months of cancer treatment via @PaulaEbbenWBZ @JoeGiza pic.twitter.com/eoCfTeeqDw

— AndreaWBZ (@AndreaWBZ) January 2, 2018

More From Patriots Football Now

Five Roster Moves for the New England Patriots on Saturday – Two of the three PUP players return for New England in Week 5. One practice squad player got signed to the 53-man roster and two others got elevated for Week 5. See what Eliot Wolf was up to yesterday.

Jabrill Peppers Downgraded to Out for Sunday – If New England can beat Miami today, they’ll do so without Jabrill Peppers. The safety went from questionable to out on Saturday. It’s a key loss the Patriots cannot afford.

2025 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: QB Cam Ward, Miami (Fla.) – The 2025 draft class is unlikely to see six quarterbacks go in the first 12 picks like in 2024. In fact, nobody appears a lock for Round 1. But Hurricanes QB Cam Ward is rocketing up draft boards.

Dan Kelley’s Week 5 NFL Winners and Survivor Pool Picks – The Falcons got me off to a 1-0 start. Hopefully, the Vikings make it 2-0 with a win in London this morning. Will a New England Patriots victory help out my Week 5 record?