Patriots @ Dolphins Half Time Thoughts

As the New England Patriots head into half time of their Week 17 match up with the Miami Dolphins, trailing 10-3, here are some thoughts from the first half:

Close Call- The Patriots and all of Patriots Nation saw the season flash before their eyes for a moment in the second quarter, as quarterback Tom Brady was turned into a human pretzel by defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. The play was a disaster from the start, as Suh blew by the line man and, as he was getting hit in the face, spiraled into Brady's legs. Brady was visibly shaken up after the play, but received attention on the sideline, got his left ankle re-taped and didn't miss a play. So the Patriots seemed to dodge a huge bullet there, but it will be something to watch in the second half.

Conservative An Understatement- To say the Pats are playing conservatively on offense would be a huge understatement. Brady has only thrown the ball five times, through the first two quarters, with just a couple of those attempts actually being down field throws. In the half, Brady is four of five for just 20 yards. Instead, the Patriots are trying to limit the pressure on Brady by running the ball. Backs Steven Jackson and Brandon Bolden have combined for 59 of the team's 62 rush yards on 18 carries. Though the game plan seems to be being used because of the limited options for New England and the need to keep guys like Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski healthy, the team will need to open things up a bit in the second half, to get the win.

No Hightower, Big Problem- Starting linebacker Dont'a Hightower is not playing today due to a knee injury he's been dealing with since Week 12. His absence is apparent in the rush defense for New England. Each game he has missed, the Pats run defense has struggled and today is no exception. Miami has hit some big plays in this game on the ground and in screen pass situations. Hightower's health for the postseason is paramount for the defense's success, especially in the running game.

Get Gronk Involved- At least at the start of the half, the Patriots really need to take a slight risk by getting Gronkowski involved in the passing game. He has yet to be targeted in today's game, but always has the ability to go off and take over the game in a couple of plays.

Let's See More White- Second year back James White saw very limited action in the first half. Utilizing him more in the second half, in the screen or short passing game, could go a long way to coming back and getting a win.