The Miami Dolphins' Week 2 game scheduled against the New England Patriots is an early AFC East rivalry that should garner a lot of people's interest. The Dolphins, led by starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, are coming off a thrilling victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. The Patriots, however, are coming off a tough-fought loss to the Super Bowl runner-up Philadelphia Eagles.

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It was only game one, but Dolphins' head coach Mike McDaniel's offense looks to finally be coming up to speed, literally. The Dolphins are already looking like they could have one of the fastest offenses in the entire league this season, with most of that coming from wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who caught 11 balls for 215 yards and two touchdowns against the Chargers last Sunday.

The Patriots, who are still trying to find themselves post Tom Brady, came out looking a bit surprising against last year's NFC Champions. They definitely had their moments, particularly offensively with quarterback Mac Jones, who went 35-of-54 for 316 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. But they also stayed within reach the entire game, losing 25-20 in the end.

The Patriots, under head coach Bill Belichick, are historically always a tough team to play. More than likely, the future hall of fame coach will have something up his sleeve for the Dolphins' speedy offense. But will McDaniel have something up his own sleeve to counter? Let's get into some Dolphins' Week 2 predictions.

4. The Dolphins' defense continues to struggle with the run

The Dolphins' defense has been an issue going all the way back to last season. Most thought that they would struggle through the air, particularly with Jalen Ramsey's absence last Sunday. But Chargers offensive coordinator Kellen Moore decided to expose the Dolphins at another level: running the ball. The Chargers rushed for 233 yards and three touchdowns against the Dolphins, per ESPN stats. In comparison, quarterback Justin Herbert had a fairly mild day, only throwing for 229 yards and a touchdown.

The verdict is still out on Mac Jones as the starting quarterback for the Patriots. Most Patriots' fans don't trust him. And at this point, we're not even sure if Belichick trusts him. Nonetheless, that's who he's more or less stuck with for the foreseeable future. But the Patriots may not have to rely much on Jones if they can run the ball, thus bleeding the clock. Ezekiel Elliott certainly didn't show up in his first game against the tough defensive Eagles front, rushing for only 29 yards on seven carries. But that could all change this weekend against the Dolphins. Elliott isn't the back he used to be, but there's still a little left in the tank. He'll get his first 100-yard game and touchdown as a Patriot. Overall, the Dolphins give up a total of 150-180 on the ground.

3. Tua Tagovailoa still throws for 300 yards

It will be hard for the Dolphins and quarterback Tagovailoa to replicate days like they had against the Chargers last Sunday. That's not to say that Tagovailoa won't have some more 400-yard games this season if this offense and all its weapons continue to blossom. It just won't be against the Patriots. Tagovailoa looks sharp early on, but he'll be facing what looks to be a tough Patriots secondary that kept the Eagles' receivers in check most of the day. I think Tagovailoa looks good once again, although he may throw a pick, but still gets to 300 yards.

2. The Dolphins running game has another bad outing

The Dolphins did virtually nothing on the ground against the Chargers, only rushing for 70 yards on 20 carries. As of now, Raheem Mostert is dealing with a knee injury and could be questionable for Sunday's game. Jeff Wilson Jr. is also on injured reserve, so the running back position is looking pretty thin at the moment. Salvon Ahmed would likely be the starter at running back should Mostert be unable to play. He only had three carries for 11 yards versus the Chargers. There are still other options, like De’Von Achane and Chris Brooks, but McDaniel doesn't seem too keen on putting them in that position yet. The Dolphins will have another day of under 100 rushing yards.

1. The Dolphins lose to the Patriots

This is basically a pick'em game, with the Dolphins only favored by a field goal, according to FanDuel. The last time the Patriots started the season 0-2 was all the way back in 2001. They also went on to win the Super Bowl that season. Regardless, 0-2 starts have not been a thing for the Patriots under Belichick. The Dolphins have weaknesses with the run on both sides of the ball, which I believe Belichick will expose. Mostert possibly not playing makes this even more of an issue for Miami. The Patriots win a close one at home, just containing the Dolphins enough.