It’s that time of the year where we break out our best pipedream pairings between the opposing team of the week and the New England Patriots. What better way to kick things off in 2022 than snagging a player from a division rival?
The Miami Dolphins have an embarrassment of riches on the offensive side of the ball, including one of the greatest deep threat receivers to ever play in the NFL.
So it should come as no surprise that I’d want “The Cheetah” Tyreek Hill in a Patriots uniform.
For so long, coach Bill Belichick has whiffed on receivers in the draft, while signing middle-of-the-road veteran talents for exorbitant prices. Mac Jones is throwing passes to Jakobi Meyers, Nelson Agholor and DeVante Parker, while his former teammate, Tua Tagovailoa, is throwing to Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
Calling the Patriots’ receiver strategy disappointing is a massive understatement at this point.
But let’s throw on our rose-colored glasses and pretend the Patriots, not the Dolphins, pulled off the blockbuster trade with the Kansas City Chiefs for Hill. The mere arrival of a player of that caliber would unlock the Patriots offense in a way we haven’t seen in years.
It would be like Dr. Strange opening the door to the quantum realm for the very first time.
Tua to Tyreek to open the game ‼️@tua @cheetah
📱: Stream #PHIvsMIA on NFL+ https://t.co/6NpGYjnh74 pic.twitter.com/UPBQ8lzHTy
— NFL (@NFL) August 27, 2022
Endless possibilities would fall into the lap of Belichick, Matt Patricia, Joe Judge—wait, who’s the offensive coordinator, again?
Hill could stretch the field with the best of them, but he can be just as deadly in the slot as well. He would also excel with screen passes, which have been treated as an extension of the run game for the Patriots over the years. There’s always the chance of defenders getting left in the dust and choking on smoke every time he has the ball in his hands.
Even the mere threat of a player like Hill on the field would unlock other areas as well. Meyers would feast on short-to-intermediate routes, along with tight ends Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith.
And just imagine a situation with Kendrick Bourne running opposite of Hill. Good luck keeping up with all of that speed.
Whew!
Having that kind of speed on the Patriots’ side would be the pipedream of all pipedreams. But in reality (yes, you can wake up now), they’ll have to defend against it instead.
