Defense preparing to face WR Brown

Antonio Brown’s status with the NFL may still be in limbo, following accusations of sexual assault in a civil lawsuit filed this week by his former trainer.

But the Miami Dolphins are preparing for Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots with the expectation Brown will make his debut with his new team at Hard Rock Stadium.

“We’re preparing for everyone,” Dolphins coach Brian Flores said Thursday. “[Brown’s] as dynamic as they get from a receiver standpoint. But they’ve got a lot of good players there. We’ve got a big task ahead of us.”

Brown, through his agent Drew Rosenhaus and lawyer Darren Heitner, has denied the allegations against him, saying his relationship with his accuser Britney Taylor was both consensual and personal.

Brown is expected to practice with the Patriots again on Thursday, following his first practice with the team on Wednesday.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick did not say whether Brown, who signed with New England on Monday after his release from the Oakland Raiders last week, would play against the Dolphins.

“On Antonio’s situation, both Antonio and his representatives have made statements, so I’m not going to be expanding on any of them. They are what they are. We’ve looked into the situation. We’re taking it very seriously all the way through the organization,” Belichick said Wednesday.

When asked directly about the possibility of Brown playing Sunday, Belichick said, “We’re taking it one day at a time, just like we always do.”