Patriots Face 18-43 Record Against Dolphins Without A.J. Brown

The New England Patriots face a difficult road matchup on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, bringing with them an 18-43 record against that specific opponent in South Florida. The team is looking to bounce back from a Thursday loss to the Chicago Bears. Miami enters the game with momentum of its own, having secured its first win of the season with a 28-25 victory over the New York Jets last week.

That Dolphins win marked the first victory for head coach Jeff Hafley. It was also the first time all season that Miami held the lead in a game. The Patriots, however, arrive in the building without their two most prominent offensive weapons. Wide receiver A.J. Brown and running back TreVeyon Henderson were downgraded to the inactives list on Saturday.

Brown is dealing with ankle and knee issues, while Henderson is out due to illness. Neither player practiced on Thursday or Friday. This forces the Patriots to rely on a receiving corps that includes only three healthy wide receivers on the 53-man roster. Those players are Efton Chism, DeMario Douglas, and Kyle Williams. All three are under six feet tall and weigh less than 200 pounds.

To add depth, the team elevated Ryan Miller from the practice squad. Miller is 6-foot-2 and weighs 217 pounds. He signed with the Patriots practice squad just 12 days ago after spending the start of the season with the Dolphins. On the ground, the Patriots will lean on Rhamondre Stevenson. Cory Kiner is expected to see an increased role, and rookie Lan Larison was also signed from the practice squad to the active roster.

Coach Mike Vrabel has been more aggressive on fourth down recently. The team is 3-1 over the last four weeks, leading the NFL in touchdowns with 16 total. They also lead in touchdowns per game at 4.0 and rank second in points per game at 31.0. Vrabel has gone for it on fourth down seven times in that stretch, none of which were obvious situations.

Defensively, the Patriots have a full healthy starting secondary for the first time in several weeks. Carlton Davis, Christian Gonzalez, Kevin Byard, and Craig Woodson are all active. Davis is active for the first time since the Oct. 4 win over the Buffalo Bills after dealing with a neck issue. The team lost three young defensive backs to the inactives list: Elliott Davison, Karon Prunty, and Channing Canada.

Brown has missed five of the team's eight games this season. He was placed on injured reserve after a high ankle sprain in Week 1, played in Weeks 6 and 7, and then aggravated his knee. Vrabel said the knee and ankle are separate issues and that he is focused on preparing the team for Miami. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:25 p.m. on CBS.

The Dolphins are rebuilding and currently sit with a 1-5 record. They are expected to be in the mix for the No. 1 pick in the draft. Their quarterback, Malik Willis, completed 14 of 21 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Jets. Willis also rushed for a third touchdown in that game.