The New Year’s Day clash between the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins comes with huge playoff implications on Sunday afternoon.
A win for the Patriots would keep them in the hunt to sneak in through the backdoor of the postseason, but a loss would nip any such plans in the bud. It would ultimately seal coach Bill Belichick’s fate as having his second losing season in the last three years.
The Dolphins will be entering the game without their starting quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, who is currently in concussion protocol. So backup Teddy Bridgewater will be the one taking snaps under center.
At first glance, that would seem like a huge advantage for the Patriots at home, but Miami is clearly loaded at the receiver position. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle will be a handful regardless of who is under center. But to make matters worse, the Patriots’ defensive secondary has been banged up beyond recognition.
As of Thursday, Marcus Jones, Jalen Mills and Jack Jones have not been practicing, which puts their availability for this game in doubt. Being shorthanded defensively could be a big problem for a Patriots team that has yet to take flight on the offensive side of the ball.
Here’s how to watch the game.