The New England Patriots have a unique challenge in front of them on Sunday when they host the Miami Dolphins.
Tyreek Hill leads the way for a high-flying Dolphins offense, recording 11 receptions for a whopping 215 yards and two touchdowns in their thrilling, season-opening win over the Los Angeles Chargers. As Hill presents a unique combination of being one of the league's fastest players while holding a smaller 5-foot-10 frame, pairing him with fellow speedy receiver Jaylen Waddle, it's easy to wonder what the Patriots will do to try and slow them down on Sunday night.
Well, Matthew Judon gave a taste as to how the Patriots might approach the Dolphins on Sunday.
“When you look at this offense, you see a lot of speed,” Judon told reporters. “It’s made for a street-ball kind of a game. … It’s kind of playing a game of freeze-tag with these guys. You try to get your hands on them but they are so quick, so athletic.”
“When you look at this offense, you see a lot of speed. It’s made for a street-ball kind of a game … It’s kind of playing a game of freeze-tag with these guys. You try to get your hands on them but they are so quick, so athletic…” — Patriots OLB Matthew Judon, on the Dolphins pic.twitter.com/2oTtEYmiWo
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 14, 2023
If that was the Patriots' approach to stopping the dynamic receiver duo last season in their first year together, it didn't work too well. Tyreek Hill had eight receptions for 94 yards while Waddle had four receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown in the first matchup between the two teams. New England had them in check in the second matchup, allowing Hill to post four receptions for 55 yards and Waddle to have three receptions for 52 yards, Teddy Bridgewater and Skylar Thompson played at quarterback in the game for Miami with Tua Tagovailoa out due to injury.
The Patriots have a bit of a different look they can throw at the Dolphins' speedy receivers in 2023 though. First-round pick Christian Gonzalez adds a mix of size and speed that the Patriots haven't had in a few seasons, making him a possible strong matchup against either receiver.
Gonzalez showed out in his NFL debut last week, allowing just 71 receiving yards as he mostly lined up against A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith in the Patriots' loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, per Pro Football Focus. If Gonzalez ends up living to the billing as the second-best corner in the 2023 draft class with shutdown potential, Sunday's game could be the best time for him to show that.
With Gonzalez in the mix, the Patriots can play Jonathan Jones against a lighter matchup, if they so choose. However, the veteran corner is dealing with an ankle injury that's kept him out of practice twice this week, leaving his status for Sunday's game in question. They also have fellow speedster Marcus Jones, who played well at nickel last season with two interceptions. They also moved Jalen Mills to safety, giving them more coverage options.
There's been some speculation that the Patriots could double Hill with the increased number of options they have in the secondary. If they do that, Hill doesn't see it as a problem.
“I'm still going to dominate that no matter what,” Hill told reporters. “I still got a job to do, and that's to run my routes. You put two guys on me, one guy on me, or three guys on me I'm still going to run my route to get open.”
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