Sunday marks the 101st meeting between the Dolphins and Patriots. The AFC East rivals will square off at Hard Rock Stadium in this Week 15 matchup.
Friday Injury Report
Miami listed nine players as QUESTIONABLE for the game Sunday.
New England listed 14 players as QUESTIONABLE for Sunday's game.
You can access the Dolphins-Patriots Week 15 injury report here.
Scouting the Opponent
Head Coach Brian Flores is very familiar with the Patriots, spending his entire professional career with the organization until joining the Dolphins in 2019. This week, he provided his take on the tough test that lies ahead for the Dolphins.
"They are well coached. They do a good job in situational football," Flores said. "They run the football well. Cam (Newton) is athletic and he – just as far as extending plays and giving his receivers time to get open, he's done a very good job at that this season. Defensively, they've got a lot of good players, they limit big plays and they make it hard for offenses. I think they've done a very good job in the kicking game. It's a good team. They play well in all three phases and this is going to be a tough test for us."
Center Ted Karras is also familiar with this week's opposition, as he was drafted by the Patriots. Rather than looking back at the Week 1 game against New England, Karras is studying more recent, relevant film.
"I think it's hard translating from Week 1. Obviously there's still some of the cast of characters, but everyone's been season-hardened now," Karras said. "We're three months into the season. Everyone's evolved, like you said, and put little nuances in. I already went back and watched that game, but I'm really more focused on what they've done the past six weeks and they're probably doing the same for us."
Along the offensive line, veteran Jesse Davis broke down what makes the Patriots pass rush a challenge.
"They do a good job spacing wise and disguising some things they do," Davis said. "They have some big bodies, they've got fast guys. For us, it's staying together, not setting too far away from each other and keeping Tua clean but not getting picked."
On the other side, Emmanuel Ogbah talked about the Patriots offensive line, particularly tackles Jermaine Eluemunor and Michael Onwenu and the challenges he'll face trying to track down Patriots quarterback Cam Newton.
"They're big strong guys and they want to grab you," Ogbah said. "You have to have a good rush plan for them and try to get their hands off you."
Video Game Numbers
Pro Bowl voting is a wrap. At press time, Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard is leading all AFC cornerbacks in the fan vote. His performance and production is also catching the eye of Chad Johnson and the EA Sports Madden franchise.
Tua Goes Back to Back
With a career-high 316 yards passing and three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing), Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was named Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week. It's his second time winning the award in as many weeks.
In Case You Missed It
The Week 15 preview is available on MiamiDolphins.com in conjunction with the Drive Time Podcast with Travis Wingfield breaking down this matchup. Plus, on Thursday's podcast, we met with Austin Jackson, Solomon Kindley and Rob Hunt to catch up on their rookie seasons and life in the NFL.
This week's Fins Flashback takes us to 2006 when Miami shutout Tom Brady and the Patriots 21-0. Wide receiver Marty Booker recalls the victory, his touchdown in the game, and perhaps the best defensive season in team history.
John Congemi's three keys are also up on MiamiDolphins.com. As always, John will join Travis on the Sunday night recap podcast as they break down the game. Plus, the game recap story and Sunday spotlight will be available on the MiamiDolphins.com postgame.
