Welcome to Season 14, Episode 17 of the Unconventional Preview, a serious yet lighthearted, nostalgia-tinted look at the Patriots’ weekly matchup . . .
In a way, it’s fitting that the Patriots wrap up their remarkable regular-season against the Dolphins, against whom they first showed flashes of excellence way back in Week 2.
Oh, no one expected this way back then: A 13-3 record, which included 10 straight victories at one point, an (outside) shot at the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and the emergence of second-year quarterback Drake Maye not just as a Most Valuable Player candidate, but the front-runner heading into the final week.