While your Miami Dolphins have most likely played themselves out of the playoffs for this season (although a tiny sliver of hope still remains if they win out) they can at the very least play spoiler this evening against the New England Patriots. The Pats, as has become all too often the case in recent years are once again firmly in control of first place in the AFC East, with a three-game lead over the Buffalo Bills with only three more games to play after tonight's game.
In addition to winning their division, New England is also looking to maintain their eventual playoff seeding and possibly cement a week one playoff bye and even home field advantage. Coming into this game the Pats are 10 and 2 but must win to keep pace in the AFC with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who after yesterdays one-point win over the Baltimore Ravens, sit at 11 and 2, giving them the current best record in the AFC.
While the Dolphins proved to be not much of a match for the Patriots in the first meeting in New England the Dolphins have over the last several years still managed to be a spoiler at times, splitting the series in many of those years. While Miami will be looking to not only even the score on the season they will also be looking to buck an even larger trend with the team which has seen them lose 16 of their last 19 prime time games as well as having managed only one win in their last 8 appearances on Monday night.
Winning the game tonight will not only send a message to the Dolphins fans that maybe things are going to get turned around, even if it's too late this season, but it might also tell us something about Phins head coach Adam Gase and his maturing into the role as head coach. Gase clearly knows that to be successful long-term in Miami that he will need to eventually win the division which means defeating New England or at the very least splitting the series each season. Gase, coming into tonight's game is 0 and 3 against the Patriots as a head coach...
Please use this thread as a live thread for this evenings game. Please remember to follow all site rules. As always there is not sharing, discussing or providing of illegal game streams allowed on any SBNation site.
New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins
- When: Monday, December 11th @ 8:30 PM EST
- Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
- TV: ESPN
- Odds: New England Patriots 10.5
- Over/Under: 48.5
- Patriots SBNation Blog: www.patspulpit.com