NFL Schedule Week 17
week

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins, 1p.m. EST

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The Dolphins are ecstatic that this January matchup is happening in South Beach. Traveling north to take on their division rivals (Buffalo, New York, New England) late in the season generally means disaster for them in the bitter cold. Miami won this matchup last year heading into playoff time, will they do it again or will Brady have other plans?

Keys to the Game

New England

Protect Brady. This is really their mantra in every game, but it’s even more pressing when Ndamukong Suh is lining up across the ball. He’s the baddest defensive lineman in the league and he’s got a mean streak that keeps quarterbacks up at night. Keeping Brady safe will work two-fold for New England, not only will he stay healthy and finish the game, but he’ll have the time to slice and dice that Miami secondary.

Miami

This whole game will be Suh vs. Brady and the NE offensive line. There’s not a secondary in the league that can survive against Tom Brady with protection, we’ve seen it for more than a decade. For Miami to earn a victory here, they’ll have to make Brady’s vacation in South Beach as miserable as possible and that starts with Suh. His effectiveness will determine this game for both sides.