Heat’s on Brady, Pats vs. Miami
FOXBORO — Quarterback Tom Brady is always concerned about the effects of climate change — whenever the Patriots play the Dolphins in Miami.
The forecast for South Florida calls for temperatures in the 80s at kickoff when the Patriots take on the Dolphins tomorrow at Hard Rock Stadium.
It will be Brady’s 33rd start against the Dolphins. He is 22-10 overall, but just 7-9 in Miami. So, regional climate changes in this annual home-and-home series has had a great effect. The Dolphins are 5-1 at home this season and 1-5 on the road — including a 38-7 pasting in Foxboro on Sept. 30.
“When you look at those stats, it is pretty interesting,” Brady said yesterday. “The way some of those teams from the south come up and play in the north and when the north plays in the south so there has to be something to it.”
Miami has been an unwelcome destination for the Patriots this decade. The Pats are 1-5 in the past six meetings, including a devastating 20-10 loss in the final game of the 2015 season which cost them the No. 1 seed in the AFC. They went on to lose the AFC Championship Game in Denver.
“They play well and we don’t but the reality is none of that stuff matters,” Brady said. “This week is this team against that team and we are going to have to play well. They play good at home, they are 5-1 and they have good defense. It’s going to be a big challenge and should be fun.”
Brady discussed the various methods the Patriots have employed in the past to get acclimated to the heat and humidity of Miami.
“We have done a bunch of different things over the years,” he said. “We have gone down there on Thursday night and practiced on Friday. We have gone down there Friday nights after practice and stayed there Saturday. It’s just really about playing good when it comes down to it and there’s no magic formula for that. It is just to going to take us playing a great game of football.”
The Patriots have a chance to clinch their 10th straight division title and 16th on Brady’s watch. They need a reversal of fortune in Miami to remain in contention for the No. 1 seed and homefield advantage in the playoffs.
“There is a lot on the line for both teams and it’s a tough place to play obviously but that is a good challenge for us too,” Brady said. “That would be pretty sweet and obviously trying to win the division is a great step and this would allow us to do that.
“They are going to really challenge us. It’s is going to be a physical game and they have been talking about that. I know we are prepared for that and having the right mindset to go down there and play a real great complementary game. There is no one phase of our team that is going to win it.”