A couple of Alabama quarterbacks will be kicking off the Baez El Mago Jersey 2021 regular season for the and on Sunday. While Miami proved loyal to second-year quarterback this offseason after an uninspiring rookie campaign, the pre sure is on for the former No. 5 overall pick to take a second-year leap and help the Dolphins reach the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Patriots are coming into this year after an unprecedented offseason where they spent big in free agency and drafted with the No. 15 overall pick in the draft. Jones was able to beat out for the starting job out of the gate and will now go up against Tagovailoa, who he played behind during their shared time with the Crimson Tide.That's quite the head to head that we'll be able to sink our teeth into and should be appointment viewing for the afternoon slate on Sunday. Below, you'll find our preview for this AFC East showdown. Date:Sunday, Sept. 12|Time:4:25 p.m. ETLocation:Gillette Tony Kemp Jersey Stadium (Foxborough, Ma sachusetts)TV:CBS|Stream:Paramount+ ( )Follow:Odds:Patriots -3, O/U 43.5Excited for the biggest in history? . If you already have the CBS Sports app, make sure to favorite the your favorite team so you don't mi s a thing! Mac Jones vs. Dolphins secondaryWhile Jones' regular-season debut is certainly exciting, he does have the tough task of facing a strong Dolphins secondary headlined by corners and . Last season, Miami was the sixth-best defense in the NFL in DVOA against the pa s, only looking up to the , , , Washington Football Team, and . As for Howard, he's coming into this season after ranking as Pro Football Focus' second-highest graded corner in the entire NFL in 2020. Needle s to say, this is going to be quite the test for Jones right out of the shoot. That said, the rookie did show a lot of command in the Patriots' famously complex offense, running no-huddle and two-minute drills succe sfully throughout the preseason. So long as he can absorb the coaching that he'll receive for offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and others on New England's staff, he should be put in a position Willson Contreras Jersey to move the ball on this unit, despite some heavy-hitter lurking in the secondary. Tua Tagovailoa vs. Patriots pa s rushWhile Jones has to deal with some star corners on Sunday, Tagovailoa will primarily be focusing on New England's pa s-rushing attack, especially with starting left tackle (COVID) po sibly sidelined for this game. David Bote Jersey The Patriots will be rolling out a revamped front seven in 2021 with the return of (opt-out in 2020) and the arrival of being the primary additions to his unit. Throughout the preseason, Judon -- who signed a four-year, $56 million contract with New England in free agency -- was jumping on the tape for his ability to get after the quarterback and into the opposing backfield. He should be a che s piece for Bill Belichick that he can use off the edge or in the middle of the field, which will be fascinating to watch unfold, but likely a problem for Tagovailoa.That said, the Dolphins second-year quarterback did find succe s in 2020 with le s time in the pocket. When he had le s than 2.5 seconds in the pocket, Tagovailoa completed 70% of his throws for an average of 6.4 yards per attempt and a 92.8 pa ser rating. Latest Odds: New England Patriots -3.5 While I like the direction the Dolphins are heading, it's hard for me to fade Belichick here. Not only is the Patriots' overall roster improved from a year ago during their 7-9 campaign, but they should be getting much more efficient quarterback play with Jones under center. So long as Jones can limit the rookie hiccups, New England's defense at home should make life difficult enough for Tagovailoa that the scoring will be kept to a manageable number for the first-rounder to keep pace.Pick: 24, 20If you're a Patriots fan, you need a Cole Hamels Jersey Mac Jones jersey before the new era starts! .