By most measures, the 2016 NFL season was a successful one for the Miami Dolphins. They won 10 games, finished second in the AFC East and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
But they did not beat the New England Patriots, who have ruled the AFC East with an iron fist for the last decade-and-a-half. The Dolphins have defeated the Patriots just once in their last five meetings — a meaningless Week 17 win in 2015 — and dropped both of their games this past season against the eventual Super Bowl champions.
Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry believes that’s about to change, however. Speaking at an NFL event in Nottingham, England, Landry predicted Miami would knock off New England not once, but twice this season, something the Dolphins have not done since 2000.
“Landry predicted the Dolphins would beat New England twice this season, and that doing it with Tom Brady still in his prime would add to the satisfaction of his predicted sweep,” Peter King, who attended the event, wrote Wednesday on The MMQB. “I told Landry that was quite a bit of bravado. And he said that was good, and he wanted people to know how he felt.”
The Patriots have won the AFC East in 14 of the last 16 seasons, including every one since 2008. Landry, who is entering his fourth NFL season, believes it’s time for a shakeup.
“If you’re a competitor, that’s the way you should feel, and I don’t mind saying it,” Landry told King. “It’s time for a change. I have all the respect in the world for the Patriots, and I respect Tom Brady tremendously. But they’re not our big brother anymore.”
He added: “New England’s won the division 14 of the last 16 years, something like that? It’s ridiculous. It’s a problem. We cannot let that happen anymore. … I want to go into the games against New England expecting to win — that’s something we need to do.”
Thumbnail photo via Reinhold Matay/USA TODAY Sports Images
