The New England Patriots had a chance to lock up home-field advantage last week against the New York Jets but were defeated in overtime. Now, they have another chance at it as they pay the Miami Dolphins a visit.
A win will force the AFC to go through Foxborough until the Super Bowl, something the Patriots would love to have. The Dolphins have nothing to play for in this one and will likely give their young players some extra time on the field as they look towards the future.
Here are three keys to the game for both the Patriots and the Dolphins.
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1. Attack the Dolphins' secondary
The Dolphins' secondary hasn't played well this season, as they've allowed at least one touchdown pass in every game but one. They've also allowed the fourth-most touchdown passes in the league and are 25th in yards allowed per game. The Patriots don't have the best wide receiver group in the NFL due to injuries, but they have the ability to make plays downfield with Brandon LaFell and Rob Gronkowski. New England should have success taking deep shots on Miami's cornerbacks.
2. Shadow Jarvis Landry with Logan Ryan
Logan Ryan has seemingly taken over as the Patriots' best cornerback and has shadowed opponents' No. 1 wideouts in recent weeks. The Dolphins have a very talented wide receiver in Jarvis Landry, who should draw Ryan in coverage. If the Patriots can limit Landry for the most part, they should have success defending the pass.
3. Pressure Ryan Tannehill up the middle
Miami's offensive line has been a mess of late, with Sunday's game-ending sack being the latest example. Jamil Douglas has taken over for the injured Mike Pouncey at center, a position he's only played a handful of times thus far. The Patriots should be able to get pressure on Ryan Tannehill up the middle with their big defensive tackles and blitzing linebackers. Force Douglas into tough spots, which often makes a rookie uncomfortable.
1. Give Jay Ajayi the majority of the carries
Entering 2015, the Dolphins made it clear that they believed Lamar Miller could handle a bigger workload. The only issue is they've done the opposite. He's 41 carries shy of his 2014 total with one game to play, proving they don't have a ton of confidence in him. He's also reportedly dealing with an injury, which should lead the Dolphins to give rookie Jay Ajayi the majority of the carries. He's played well in limited action and he'll be a big part in whether or not the Dolphins re-sign Miller in the offseason.
2. Protect Ryan Tannhill better than last week
Tannehill was sacked a season-high six times last week and never looked comfortable in the pocket. Despite being under pressure all game long, he was able to throw for 329 yards, though he didn't find the end zone once. If Miami wants Tannehill to have time to complete passes downfield, it'll need to do a better job of protecting him. He's a bit banged up and will need his offensive line to do more to protect him -- even if that means using tight ends as extra blockers.
3. Use gadget plays to get Jarvis Landry the ball
Landry has been the team's most consistent player this season, setting a franchise record for the most catches in a single season. It's almost guaranteed that he's going to see the ball thrown his way at least seven times a game, and there's no reason to change that now. Getting him the ball on end-arounds and screen passes can only help the offense and the pass game.
