When: Sunday, 1 p.m.

Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough

TV, radio: CBS, WBZ-FM (98.5)

When the Dolphins run

Arian Foster is a big body (6 feet 1 inch, 227 pounds) with good power and deceptive speed. He has taken a beating over the years and has had trouble staying healthy because of it; he has played a full 16-game slate only twice. Foster is far removed from his dominant days (the man had a combined 5,702 rushing and receiving yards from 2010-12) but is still a viable weapon. He’s not as quick to the hole as he once was, but he’s an instinctive, strong runner and has excellent balance. Foster can absorb hits and still keep chugging. Jay Ajayi is a good-sized athletic back with quick feet and toughness. Ajayi (6-0, 229) attacks the line of scrimmage, and his lateral movement allows him to slide through openings and make yards at the second and third levels. Center Anthony Steen, who is subbing for the excellent Mike Pouncey (hip), is tough but inconsistent. Rookie Laremy Tunsil (he’s strong but lacks stamina) mans the left guard spot while Jermon Bushrod (he’s powerful but will get sloppy) is at right guard. Powerful Patriots Alan Branch and Malcom Brown will clog the middle and give the heat seekers room to attack.

EDGE: Patriots

RUSHING YARDS PER GAME

Miami offense: 64 (27th)

New England defense: 92 (16th)

When the Dolphins pass

Ryan Tannehill has great physical skills. He has the perfect size (6-4, 216), a great arm, and outstanding athleticism for the quarterback position. Tannehill can stand in the pocket and deliver deep rockets, frozen ropes across the middle, and soft tosses on screens. He can also roll out and deliver his throws on the run without losing much accuracy. Tannehill also can break a defense’s heart on third down with his ability to turn a broken play into a big gain with his scrambling ability. He is fiery and will make some head-scratching decisions, but he continues to cut down on those, and playing under QB guru Adam Gase should only help. Tannehill has some dandy receivers in Jarvis Landry, DeVante Parker, and Kenny Stills. Landry consistently finds open spots with excellent quickness and route running. He has great body control, really strong hands, and toughness after the catch. Parker (6-3, 212) is huge but hurting (hamstring). When healthy, he’s a beast with soft hands. Stills is small (6-0, 195) but sneaky and speedy. Jordan Cameron is a big (6-5, 265) and athletic tight end. The New England secondary is loaded with ball-hawking playmakers.

EDGE: Dolphins

PASSING YARDS PER GAME

Miami offense: 150 (30th)

New England defense: 252 (18th)

When the Patriots run

LeGarrette Blount had a solid but not spectacular season opener. He had some negative plays, including a costly fumble. The muscular tailback also had some impressive runs and helped keep the Arizona defense honest. Blount runs with good pad level and power; he went pure beast mode on his 8-yard touchdown run, carrying a flock of Cardinals into the end zone. When Blount gets into a rhythm and gets up a head of steam, he can batter a defense. James White won’t do a ton of damage as a runner, but he’s a demon in space. His receiving skills have improved immensely, and he’s instinctive and shifty sifting through traffic. David Andrews is a technically sound center with underrated athleticism and strength. Left guard Joe Thuney is a rock. He’s consistent throughout the play and demonstrates power and athleticism. Fellow rookie Ted Karras had some hiccups in the opener but showed excellent toughness at right guard. Shaq Mason’s time here will increase; he’s rugged. The Miami front is fearsome. The tackle duo of Ndamukong Suh (he’s powerful and plays with an edge) and Jordan Phillips (he’s massive and quick) is formidable. Middle linebacker Kiko Alonso is instinctive and tough. On the outside, Koa Misi (he’s relentless) and Jelani Jenkins (he’s athletic) will make beelines to the ball.

EDGE: Dolphins

PASSING YARDS PER GAME

New England offense: 106 (14th)

Miami defense: 112 (20th)

When the Patriots pass

Jimmy Garoppolo found a comfort zone pretty quickly in a hostile environment last week. Should be a piece of cake at friendly Gillette, right? Well, the Dolphins have some pretty hostile pass rushers who will be out to make Garoppolo uncomfortable in his first home start. Ndamukong Suh has the strength and suddenness to pressure the pocket up the middle. Mario Williams and Cameron Wake can be terrifying off the edge. But both are at less than 100 percent, as Williams was concussed last week and Wake has been on a pitch count as he recovers from Achilles’ surgery. Williams (6-6, 300) is swift and strong but he often loses stamina and interest. Wake (6-3, 263) is lightning off the snap and pursues the ball with reckless abandon. End Andre Branch (6-5, 263) beats his block with great burst. Patriots tackles Cameron Fleming and Marcus Cannon must build on solid efforts in the opener. Julian Edelman (he’s quick and tough), Danny Amendola (he’s sneaky fast and clutch), Chris Hogan (he’s so versatile), James White (he’s so sweet), and Martellus Bennett (he’s so big) will provide quick targets for Garoppolo. Safety Reshad Jones is the leader of the Miami secondary. He’s instinctive, physical, and rangy.

EDGE: Patriots

PASSING YARDS PER GAME

New England offense: 257 (14th)

Miami defense: 240 (16th)

Dolphins’ key player: LB Kiko Alonso

The 6-foot-3-inch, 239-pound middle linebacker has excellent instincts and recognition skills. He’s always around the ball, and if it weren’t for a series of injuries, the four-year vet would be among the league’s elite.

How he beats you: By knowing where you are. Alonso breaks down plays quickly and has great closing speed. His hits are jarring and nobody slips through his grasp.

How you shut him down: By getting a hat on him — or at least in front of him. You can’t give Alonso a straight path to the ball carrier because he will struggle to fight through traffic.

Dolphins’ keys to victory

1. Miami pound machine: Arian Foster and Jay Ajayi must make a dent and keep the attack balanced. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill is better as a caretaker than a game changer.

2. Miami heat: Pressure up the gut from Ndamukong Suh and Kiko Alonso prevents Jimmy Garoppolo from stepping up and extending plays with his feet.

3. Miami hurricane: Jarvis Landry needs touches. An outstanding receiver and an electric return man, he’s a man of a million moves in the open field and has impressive acceleration.

Patriots’ keys to victory

1. Don’t touch Jimmy: The tackles must backpedal smoothly, get their hands on the ends, and get help from every available hand to protect quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

2. Let Jimmy go: Garoppolo had a great debut, but there were some conservative moments. Time to open the complete playbook and let him be an aggressive leader of this offense.

3. Jimmy likes it: The defense must contain Ryan Tannehill because he’s a pretty good improviser. He can throw on the run effectively and is among the best scrambling QBs around.

Prediction: Patriots 27, Dolphins 16

Jim McBride can be reached at james.mcbride@globe.com