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DOLPHINS (8-7) vs. 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 straight 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 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 was learned to have suffered a 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.
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