The Dolphins return to Hard Rock Stadium for a second straight divisional tilt as they host the defending conference champion New England Patriots on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. And as any resident of South Florida knows, that could come with some moisture.
The weather report in Miami Gardens calls for consistent rain throughout the first day of November. Expected showers and thunderstorms could favor the home team, as Miami is the only team in the NFL to rush for 100 yards in each of its last five games.
The Miami rushing offense ranks seventh in yards per game coming off their most impressive feat of the season. With over three and a half minutes left in the game, the Dolphins ran the ball five times for a pair of first downs to drain the clock and close out the game.
"As an offensive lineman, I think you're just excited," left tackle Patrick Paul said. "You're just proud for that moment. We stepped up to the task. You have to play your best ball when it matters and we did."
The Dolphins will look to replicate that performance against a Patriots defense that ranks 14th against the run. Last week against the Jets, Offensive Coordinator Bobby Slowik leaned on that strong run game to help get the passing game going.
"The starting point for me as a play caller is always do everything you can to keep a defense off balance," Slowik said.
That balance was aided by a peak performance from quarterback Malik Willis. In terms of EPA (expected points added), it was the sixth-best single-game performance by a quarterback in the NFL this season. Willis is utilizing a dual-threat skill set to keep the Miami offense moving.
Willis ranks second in rushing yards by a quarterback this season with 223 yards on the ground (trailing Buffalo's Josh Allen by just 17 yards). However, the league's most efficient scrambling quarterback will be on the visitors' sideline this week.
After a slow start, New England's signal caller Drake Maye has been on fire over the last month. According to Next Gen Stats, Maye leads the league in dropbacks (60), completions (18) and passing yards (259) when scrambling. He's second in rushing yards on scrambles (204) and has a combined, league-leading 27 first downs when he breaks the pocket and goes off script.
Maye could be without several of his top targets and his No. 2 running back. Wide receivers Romeo Doubs and Mack Hollins are on injured reserve, while A.J. Brown did not practice on Thursday and Friday, leaving his status for Sunday as questionable. Running back Treveyon Henderson also missed practice time this week with an illness and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game.
On the Dolphins' side, rookie offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor, who entered the concussion protocol earlier this week, was ruled out for Sunday. Cornerback Juju Brents was also in the protocol but returned to practice on Thursday and is questionable for Sunday's game.
Make sure to check out the complete Injury Report and the team's official social media accounts 90 minutes before kickoff to see who is active for the game.
Watch the game live on Sunday, Nov. 1 at 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS, listen on the Dolphins Radio Network and view the Game Center for the latest coverage.
