Dolphins (7-9) vs. Patriots (13-3)
Kickoff: 4:25 p.m., Sunday, Gillette Stadium
TV: FOX (Ch. 7 in Miami-Dade, Broward counties; Ch. 29 in Palm Beach); RADIO: ESPN Radio, WBGG (105.9-FM), WIOD (610-AM), WTZU (94.9-FM, Spanish); Palm Beach: ESPN (106.3 FM); WEFL (760-AM, Spanish)
Coaches: The Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel is 35-34, including the playoffs, in his fourth season as a head coach; the Patriots’ Mike Vrabel is 13-3 in his first season leading New England and 69-51 in his seventh season overall.
Series: The Dolphins lead the all-time series, 64-56. Miami had won four straight and eight of nine pairings before the Patriots won the Week 2 meeting this season.
Weather: 28 degrees, 59 percent humidity; 10 percent chance of precipitation, 10 mph winds.
Line: The Dolphins are 11-point underdogs; the over-under is 45 1/2 points.
Injuries: Dolphins — Out: S Minkah Fitzpatrick (calf); Doubtful: RB De’Von Achane (shoulder); Questionable: WR Jaylen Waddle (ribs), C Aaron Brewer (neck), LB Jordyn Brooks (hamstring), RT Austin Jackson (back/groin), OLB Chop Robinson (concussion), OLB Quinton Bell (illness), K Jason Sanders (right hip); Physically unable to perform: OL Liam Eichenberg; Injured reserve: WR Tyreek Hill (knee), RG James Daniels (pectoral), Sanders, TE Darren Waller (groin), DB Elijah Campbell (ankle), CB Storm Duck (knee), CB JuJu Brents (ankle), DB Jordan Colbert (neck), DT Benito Jones (back), WR Dee Eskridge (toe), CB Isaiah Johnson (knee), LB Caleb Johnson (shoulder), CB Kader Kohou (knee), RB Alexander Mattison (neck), CB Artie Burns (knee), TE Jalin Conyers, CB Jason Maitre, OL Obinna Eze, OL Germain Ifedi, OL Yodny Cajuste …
Patriots — Out: OLB Harold Landry (knee), LB Robert Spillane (ankle), DL Khyiris Tonga (foot), G Jared Wilson (concussion); Questionable: FB Jack Westover (ankle), CB Charles Woods (foot); Injured reserve: RB Antonio Gibson (knee), WR Mack Hollins among 13 players on IR.
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Noteworthy: The Dolphins wrap up their regular season already assured to finish with a losing record and were eliminated from postseason contention with three weeks remaining. …
Coach Mike McDaniel’s job may be at risk at season’s end. A win would match his 2024 finish at 8-9. Miami is already bound for a general manager search, with Hall of Fame quarterback and ESPN broadcaster Troy Aikman consulting the team through the process. …
The Dolphins enter Week 18 slotted to have the No. 11 pick in the 2026 draft. With a loss, they can climb as high as No. 8, depending on other results. A win could have the pick drop to somewhere in the middle of the first round. …
While the Dolphins only have pride to play for, the Patriots can obtain the AFC’s No. 1 seed with a win and a Denver Broncos loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. They also must win to stave off the Jacksonville Jaguars for the No. 2 seed. …
A win for New England would also complete a 10-game turnaround from their 4-13 2024 season. It would match the 2008 Dolphins and 1999 Indianapolis Colts as teams with the greatest single-season turnarounds. …
Miami quarterback Quinn Ewers gets his third start to finish out the season after supplanting Tua Tagovailoa as the starter. He is 1-1, most recently throwing his first two NFL touchdown passes in last week’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. …
Assuming Achane doesn’t suit up, he finishes the season with 1,350 rushing yards, which is the third-highest single season total in franchise history, behind Ricky Williams’ 2002 and 2003 campaigns. His 1,838 scrimmage yards rank second for the franchise.
