The Patriots changed their Week 1 schedule against the Dolphins in Miami

A trip to Miami is usually a vacation for most people, but not for the New England Patriots. Honestly, the trip to South Florida has been a total nightmare for the Patriots over the last decade.

After a road fight against the Dolphins, Patriots coach Bill Belichick decided to change his team’s travel plans this week. Normally when the Patriots have a road game, they go out on a Saturday for a Sunday game. But for the opener, the Patriots will travel to a game against the Dolphins on Tuesday, meaning the team will have a full five days in Miami before kickoff.

Belichick was asked about his strategy over the weekend, and while he didn’t elaborate on why he made the change, he certainly thought about the decision.

“I think there’s a combination of factors, but in the end everything seems to have lined up pretty well here,” Belichick said via team quotes. “So make the trip on Tuesday instead of Saturday. We’ll be down there, we can just focus on the dolphins.”

The reason Belichick wanted to get to Miami early has something to do with getting his players acclimated to the heat and humidity. Patriots pass rusher Matthew Judon said this week that everyone knows the problem with Miami is that there is no way around the heat and humidity.

“It’s going to be hot. I think it’s a really kind thing to think about. You can’t really do anything different,” Judon via Audacy. “It’s going to be hot. It’s going to be humid. It’s going to be muggy. Everybody’s going to feel it. So hydrate and do what you can. But it’s going to be hot in Miami.”

Playing in Miami has been a total disaster for the Patriots in recent years. Since 2013, the Patriots have played at Hard Rock Stadium a total of nine times and have gone 2-7 in those games. In Week 14 of the 2018 season, the Dolphins pulled off a miracle to beat the Patriots in their final game.

The Patriots have lost two straight games in Miami in recent years and both losses were by multiple scores, so Belichick is hoping the team’s five-day trip to South Florida will help them end their bad luck. Dolphins.