Brady, Pats head to site of struggles at Dolphins
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[December 08, 2018]
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady
(12) reacts after a touchdown during the first quarter against the
Minnesota Vikings at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M.
Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Tom Brady is 7-9 when playing on the road against the Miami
Dolphins.
Let that statistic sink in: Brady, the 13-time Pro Bowl quarterback
who has led the New England Patriots to five Super Bowl titles,
winning MVP honors in four of those ultimate games, has lost more
than he has won at the Dolphins.
The Patriots have no trouble winning at home against the Dolphins,
including 38-7 earlier this season. But, whether it's the humid
weather or the distractions of South Beach, the Patriots have lost
four of their past five games at Hard Rock Stadium.
"It's a big challenge, winning down there," Patriots offensive
coordinator Josh McDaniels told The Boston Herald. "They play
extremely well at home. We haven't played well down there."
Miami won 27-20 last year at home against the Patriots. Dolphins
cornerback Xavien Howard intercepted Brady twice, and the Patriots
went 0-for-11 on third down.
On Sunday, the Patriots (9-3) can clinch their NFL-record 10th
straight division title with a tie or a win. Miami (6-6) is still
alive in the battle for a playoff berth, although the Dolphins are a
bit of a long shot.
New England is a seven-point favorite on Sunday, and Miami's
monumental challenge of trying to knock off the Patriots just got
significantly more difficult.
Howard, a Pro Bowl candidate who leads the NFL with seven
interceptions -- including four in the past two weeks -- won't play
due to injury. He hurt his knee during his second interception in
last week's Dolphins win over the Buffalo Bills. But Howard, perhaps
due to adrenaline, missed just one play and finished the game.
"(Howard) is one of our best players if not our best player on
defense," Dolphins coach Adam Gase said. "If he can't go, we have to
make some adjustments."
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New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) reacts after a
touchdown during the first quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at
Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Brady (knee) and tight end Rob Gronkowski (ankle, back) were limited
in practice on Wednesday, but both Patriots stars were removed from
the report by Thursday.
Even so, the Patriots are wary of the Dolphins defense, which ranks
second in the NFL with 19 interceptions.
"There's a lot to deal with," McDaniels said. "They have an
aggressive, penetrating front, and they mix their calls and
coverages quite a bit."
Offensively, the Dolphins got quarterback Ryan Tannehill back from
the injury list in last week's win over the Buffalo Bills. He had
missed five games due to an injured throwing shoulder.
The Dolphins, who are 5-1 at home this season, have faced numerous
injuries, especially at wide receiver, where they have lost two of
their biggest playmakers: Albert Wilson and Jakeem Grant.
But wide receiver Danny Amendola, who missed last week's game due to
a knee injury, is expected to play against his former team, the
Patriots. Amendola, who has played 11 games this season, leads the
Dolphins in catches (48) and yards (469). He is officially listed as
questionable.
"I think," Gase said, "he wants to play in this game as badly as
anyone."
--Field Level Media
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