Patriots playing role of spoiler
NEW ENGLAND (6-7) at MIAMI (8-5)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS OPENING LINE — Dolphins by 3 RECORD VS. SPREAD — Patriots 6-7; Dolphins 10-3
SERIES RECORD — Dolphins lead 5654
LAST MEETING — Patriots beat Dolphins 21-11 on Sept. 13, at New England LAST WEEK — Patriots lost at Rams 24-3; Dolphins lost to Chiefs 33-27
AP PRO32 RANKING — Patriots No. 18, Dolphins No. 13
PATRIOTS OFFENSE — OVERALL (25), RUSH (5), PASS (29). PATRIOTS DEFENSE — OVERALL (10), RUSH (23), PASS (8). DOLPHINS OFFENSE — OVERALL (27), RUSH (27), PASS (22). DOLPHINS DEFENSE — OVERALL (18), RUSH (22), PASS (18). STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — The Patriots intercepted Ryan Fitzpatrick three times when the teams met in Week
1. Rookie Tua Tagovailoa has since replaced Fitzpatrick, and his first career interception came last week on his 153rd pass. ... The Dolphins gave up 217 yards rushing in that game, including 75 by QB Cam Newton. ... This will be the first time since Bill Belichick’s first season in New England in 2000 that an AFC East foe finishes with more victories than the Patriots. In 2008, both New England and Miami were 11-5, but the Dolphins won the division on a tiebreaker. The Patriots missed a wild-card spot by losing other tiebreakers. … New England has a league-low 50 penalties, and Miami ranks third with 60. ... The Patriots are 53-3 since the 2000 regular season when a player rushes for at least 100 yards. … Damien Harris (3) and Sony Michel (1) have combined for four 100-yard rushing games this season, the most by the Patriots since 2007 (5). … QB Cam Newton has 11 touchdowns rushing in 2020, tied for third in the NFL overall. With one more rushing touchdown he will tie Steve Grogan for the team record in a season by a quarterback. … P Jake Bailey leads the NFL with an average of 46.1 net yards per punt. ... The Dolphins rank second in points allowed. ... Miami is tied for the NFL lead with 25 takeaways, and tied for second in turnover differential at plus
10. ... Miami ranks worst in the league with an average of 3.6 yards per rush. ... Xavien Howard’s nine interceptions are the most in a season in the NFL since Chicago’s Tim Jennings had nine in 2012. Howard is tied for the league lead with 17 passes defended. ... Patriots CB J.C. Jackson is second in interceptions with seven . … Miami’s Jerome Baker had a career-high 2 1/2 sacks last week, including a 30-yarder against Patrick Mahomes, the longest in the NFL in five years. ... Three Dolphins tight ends have combined for 11 touchdown receptions. ... Miami’s 10-3 record against the spread leads the NFL. ... The Dolphins’ streak of at least one takeaway in 19 consecutive games is the longest in the NFL. ... Fantasy tip: Dolphins rookie Lynn Bowden Jr. had a season-high seven catches for 82 yards last week and could be busy again with several pass catchers nursing injuries.