PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Jarvis Landry has spoken. Now, it's up to the wide receiver and the rest of the Miami Dolphins to back it up.
The two-time Pro Bowl player told Sports Illustrated's Peter King that he believes the Dolphins will win both games against AFC East Division rival New England this season.
"If you're a competitor, that's the way you should feel, and I don't mind saying it," Landry said. "It's time for a change. I have all the respect in the world for the Patriots, and I respect (New England quarterback) Tom Brady tremendously. But they're not our big brother anymore."
The Dolphins made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2008, but they lost both games against the Patriots, who went on to win the Super Bowl.
New England has won the division 13 of the last 14 years. The lone team to claim the AFC East during that span was Miami.
The Patriots are the only team that hasn't been swept by a divisional opponent since the NFL expanded to 32 teams in 2002.
"It's ridiculous. It's a problem," Landry said of New England's dominance. "We cannot let that happen anymore. What I've seen is, when we play that game, sometimes we focus on the guys on the other side of the line instead of just focusing on us, and I want to be part of that change. I want to go into the games against New England expecting to win. That's something we need to do."
Landry is entering his fourth season with the Dolphins, who selected him in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft. He has 288 catches for 3,051 yards and 13 touchdowns in his NFL career.