[ad_1]
DOLPHINS (8-7) at PATRIOTS (7-8)
Kickoff: 1 p.m., Sunday, Gillette Stadium
TV: CBS (Chs. 4 in Miami-Dade, Broward; 12 in Palm Beach); RADIO: Sports USA, WQAM (560 AM), KISS (99.9 FM), WQBA (1140 AM, Spanish)
Coaches: The Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel is 8-7 in his first season as a head coach; Bill Belichick is 328-164, including playoffs, in his 28th head coaching season overall and 291-119 in his 23rd season leading the Patriots.
Series: The Dolphins lead the all-time series with the Patriots, 60-54, including playoffs, and have won four games in a row in the rivalry.
Weather: 52 degrees, 57 percent humidity, 12 mph winds, 2 percent chance of precipitation.
Line: The Dolphins are 2 1/2-point underdogs; the over/under is 41.
Injuries: Dolphins — Out: QB Tua Tagovailoa (concussion); Doubtful: OT Eric Fisher (calf); Questionable: OT Terron Armstead (pectoral/toe/knee/hip), CB Xavien Howard (knee) LB Bradley Chubb (ankle/hand), FB Alec Ingold (thumb), WR River Cracraft (calf), OT Greg Little (foot); Reserve/PUP list: CB Byron Jones (lower leg); Injured reserve: RB Myles Gaskin (shoulder), OL Austin Jackson (ankle), DE Emmanuel Ogbah (triceps), S Brandon Jones (knee), CB Nik Needham (Achilles), DE Trey Flowers (foot), TE Cethan Carter (concussion), CB Trill Williams (knee), TE Adam Shaheen (knee), FB John Lovett; Patriots — Out: WR DeVante Parker (concussion), CB Jack Jones (knee), DB Marcus Jones (concussion), TE Jonnu Smith (concussion); Questionable: TE Hunter Henry (knee), CB Jonathan Jones (chest), CB Jalen Mills (groin), RB Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle), WR Tyquan Thornton (knee); Injured reserve: OT Isaiah Wynn (foot), QB Brian Hoyer (concussion), WR Ty Montgomery (knee) among 11 players on IR.
Noteworthy: The Dolphins, looking to snap a four-game losing streak, can clinch a playoff berth Sunday if they win and the New York Jets lose at the Seattle Seahawks. If both the Dolphins and Jets win in Week 17, they create a winner-take-all Week 18 regular-season finale for the final AFC wild-card spot. If Miami loses in New England, the Dolphins need to beat the Jets next week and have the Patriots lose at the Buffalo Bills in their finale. …
Miami will have to go into Foxborough with backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater leading the way after Tagovailoa suffered another concussion in last Sunday’s loss to the Green Bay Packers. Bridgewater, a Miami native with 64 career NFL starts to his credit, will be relied upon to take his hometown team into the playoffs. …
The Dolphins’ game at Gillette Stadium will actually be played in a warmer temperature than last Sunday’s home loss to the Packers, when it was 46 degrees at kickoff, marking the franchise’s second-coldest home game. …
Playing in New England is a homecoming for Massachusetts native in Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, as well as tight end Hunter Long, who is from New Hampshire, and nose tackle John Jenkins, a Connecticut native.
()
[ad_2]
Source link
