3 things to know about Miami

Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Things have changed somewhat since the last time the Patriots and Dolphins squared off. The Pats struggled right out of the gate and opened the season with a 33-20 loss at Miami, but have figured things out since then. The Dolphins had high hopes after that game, but have been pretty average since then. They sit at 7-6 right now, but are still in the hunt for the playoffs, behind the Chargers, Ravens and Texans right now. They'll need to win out to even have a chance, so they'll probably come to play tomorrow. Here are the 3 things to watch for on Sunday.

1.) No Knowshon Moreno: This will probably be a plus for England, since he ran for 134 yards in Week 1 and over 200 when he came to Foxborough as a member of the Dewnver Broncos last season. Miami's running game will probably be an X-factor in this game. They ran for 194 yards in Week 1, but Moreno had the bulk of that, so it'll be interesting to see who steps up for the Dolphins and how the Patriots handle the run game this time around. Lamar Miller i s the leading rusher for Miami right now, so expect

2.) The Miami pass rush can still be lethal: The Pats learned this back in Week 1 when Tom Brady was sacked 4 times back in Week 1, including a strip sack by Cameron Wake. The Patriots O-line has been up and down this season, so one of the keys will be their ability to protect Brady and give him enough time in the pocket.

3.) Revis Island should be in full effect against Mike Wallace: Darrelle Revis struggled a little against Wallace during the 1st matchup between these 2 teams because Revis was still finding his feet. Now he has, and I think it'll be a good match up for Revis. I still expect it to be a tough match up, but I think Revis can handle him now. If not, the Pats can also put Brandon Browner on Mike Wallace and have him rough Wallace up a little bit. The Pats are in a better place defensively than they were back in the beginning of the season.