Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
On Sunday night, New England Patriots’ players and coaches gathered at the home of owner Robert Kraft to receive their rings for winning Super Bowl XLIX. The last time the Miami Dolphins handed out diamond jewelry was over 40 years ago. While the Dolphins have done a decent job this offseason acquiring the talent they need to challenge the Pats, did they do enough to overtake them?
Miami made the most headlines at the start of free agency when they shelled out an astronomical amount of cash to bring in defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. In order to sign Suh, the Dolphins had to let veteran defensive linemen Randy Starks and Jared Odrick walk away. The presence of Suh should shake up Tom Brady’s ability to sit back in the pocket and fling footballs all over the field, because the best way to beat the superstar is by rushing him straight up the gut. New England may have to use two offensive linemen to stop Suh, so that should make defensive ends Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon more valuable pass rushing the future Hall of Famer from the outside. That plan better work or the New England nemesis will have his way picking on the cornerback who is lined up opposite Brent Grimes in the Miami secondary.
A glaring need for the Dolphins heading into March was improving the linebacker group. Aside from a few undrafted free agents, the Dolphins decided what they have was better than what was available. The quartet of Koa Misi, Jelani Jenkins, Chris McCain and Kelvin Sheppard will be the ‘backers who see the most playing time. Will any of them be able to cover Rob Gronkowski enough to at least offer some resistance to the terrific tight end? Gronk has socked the Dolphins so much in the past so neutralizing him is imperative.
An area where Miami may have caught up to the Patriots is on the offensive side of the ball. Miami sent receivers Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson packing and replaced that trio with Kenny Stills, Greg Jennings and rookie DeVante Parker. Another swap was made at tight end where the larger and faster Jordan Cameron takes over for Charles Clay
New names don’t necessarily equal better production, but there is no argument that the Dolphins got younger and more athletic at each skill spot. Taking over a more resounding role in the receiving game will be second-year star Jarvis Landry, who had eight catches for 99 yards in the only game he started against New England in his rookie campaign. If you concentrate solely on the wide receivers, the Dolphins have undoubtedly the better bunch. There isn’t quite the gap between Gronkowski and Cameron as there was between Gronkowski and Clay either. One thing to keep an eye on is how well Gibson plays for New England against the Dolphins. Hopefully, it’s less painful than when Wes Welker was terrorizing his former team.
Miami is banking that the running game has gotten better with the addition of rookie bulldozer Jay Ajayi. The combination of Lamar Miller and Ajayi should make it easier for Dolphins offensive coordinator Bill Lazor to lean more on the rushing attack. Over the past few seasons, the Dolphins have proven they can score points against the Pats, but holding a lead is another story. It would be nice if Miami could be ahead in the fourth quarter and keep Brady off the field by pounding Ajayi.
The way to keep the running backs booming is by getting great blocking from the offensive line. That is a unit which is still a work in progress for both teams. Neither squad has solidified the blocking brigade, so this comparison has to be considered a wash. Perhaps a race to reel in free agent guard Evan Mathis is in the offing for both rivals.
Enough steps were taken by the Dolphins on offense to make the two tilts with the Patriots exciting. The only way to beat Brady and his mates, however, is to suffocate them with dominating defense. Maybe Miami has made things tougher for New England to manipulate the scoreboard, but in the grand scheme of things, the Patriots are certainly closer to hosting another ring ceremony next season.
