Monday could be a hat and T-shirt day for the New England Patriots.
The Patriots can assure their ninth afterwards AFC East appellation with a win over the Miami Dolphins on “Monday Night Football.” New England and Miami aftermost met aloof two weeks ago, with the Patriots canoeing to a 35-17 achievement at Gillette Stadium.
Here’s a attending at what to watch for in the rematch:
INJURY REPORTThe best important accident for the Patriots this anniversary isn’t injury-related, as bound end Rob Gronkowski is confined the one-game abeyance he accustomed for cheap-shotting Tre’Davious White during aftermost Sunday’s win over the Buffalo Bills.
Replacing Gronkowski will be a accumulation effort, but apprehend No. 2 bound end Dwayne Allen to comedy a added arresting role. He logged a season-high 50 snaps aback Gronkowski sat out with a thigh abrasion in Anniversary 5. Third bound end Jacob Hollister should see added arena time, as well.
The Patriots acceptable will accept one of their top abhorrent weapons back, though, as advanced receiver Chris Hogan accomplished all anniversary and fabricated the cruise to Miami afterwards missing the accomplished four amateur with a accept injury.
Hogan is one of the eight players listed as ambiguous for New England. The others: arresting end Deatrich Wise, cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore and Eric Rowe, abhorrent accouterment LaAdrian Waddle, active aback Dion Lewis, linebacker Marquis Flowers and appropriate teams captain Matthew Slater.
Defensive end Trey Flowers, linebacker Kyle Van Noy, abhorrent accouterment Marcus Cannon, active aback Mike Gillislee and appropriate teamer Brandon King all accept been disqualified out, while quarterback Tom Brady and cornerback Malcolm Butler accept been austere to comedy afterwards missing convenance beforehand in the week.
The Dolphins will be after active aback Damien Williams, acceptation Kenyan Drake will spearhead Miami’s arena game. New England additionally will see a altered Dolphins quarterback, as Jay Cutler is aback from his blow and Matt Moore has been disqualified out with a bottom injury.
PATRIOTS’ OFFENSE VS. DOLPHINS’ DEFENSEDespite his four touchdown passes, Tom Brady didn’t comedy his best bold aback the Dolphins visited Gillette Stadium two weeks ago. He didn’t charge to, though, because Miami’s aegis artlessly could not stop Lewis, who racked up 112 yards on 15 carries.
The Patriots as a aggregation totaled 196 yards on the arena — their accomplished single-game absolute this division – afresh went off for 191 added the afterward anniversary adjoin Buffalo. Attending for New England to afresh accent the run with Gronkowski unavailable.
It’ll be absorbing to see how absolutely the Patriots alter Gronk’s production. Allen didn’t accept a distinct ambition aback Gronkowski sat out in Anniversary 5, but he’s been abundant added complex in the breach during the additional bisected of the season, communicable at atomic one canyon in anniversary of New England’s aftermost four games.
Having Hogan aback would be a huge boost, abnormally in the red zone. He’s still angry for additional on the aggregation with bristles touchdown catches admitting not arena back Anniversary 8.
New England’s abhorrent band charge do a bigger job of attention Brady this week. The 40-year-old quarterback was sacked aloof already but hit eight times — including bristles times by Cameron Wake — in the aftermost Patriots-Dolphins tilt.
PATRIOTS’ DEFENSE VS. DOLPHINS’ OFFENSEDefensive end Eric Lee afresh will be an important amateur for the Patriots this anniversary with Flowers, the team’s best canyon rusher, sidelined. The above Bills convenance squadder has looked like a gem so far, tallying 2 1/2 sacks, four quarterback hits, two tackles for accident and an interception in two amateur for the Pats.
New England’s canyon blitz has appear animate over those two contests (11 sacks in wins over the Dolphins and Bills), but injuries are actively testing its depth.
Linebacker Jonathan Freeny, who rejoined the Patriots aftermost anniversary with Van Noy hobbled, could see some time on the edge, too, abnormally if Wise is beneath than 100 percent.
The Dolphins avowal one of the NFL’s bigger accepting trios in Jarvis Landry, DeVante Parker and Kenny Stills, but Jonathan Jones, Gilmore and Butler did a acceptable job of attached them two weeks ago. Gilmore, in particular, has looked absurd back abiding from a blow aftermost month.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
