Former Patriots cornerback and current television analyst Logan Ryan said he planned to highlight Dolphins receiver A.J. Brown when preparing for Sunday’s broadcast but that Brown’s knee problem kept him out of practice and ultimately ruled him out for the game. Running back TreVeyon Henderson was also ruled out Saturday with an illness, part of a broader pattern of roster management driven by injuries, according to ESPN.
Ryan called New England a “well-coached and balanced team” but flagged uncharacteristic turnover problems and tackling issues. The Patriots have committed 14 turnovers, second most in the NFL, and their defense has forced just seven turnovers, Ryan said. New England’s 34 missed tackles rank 14th most in the league and sit just above the league average of 33.4 missed tackles per team, per ESPN Research.
The Patriots registered a season-high 11 missed tackles against the Chicago Bears last week, but Ryan noted the team had a 10-day stretch since that game to address fundamentals. He said he will be watching how those adjustments show up against a Miami team that entered the week 1-5 and coming off a 28-25 road win over the Jets, according to ESPN.
Ryan also cautioned about the challenges posed by scrambling quarterbacks. Malik Willis has 223 rushing yards, second most among quarterbacks, and Drake Maye has 211 rushing yards, fifth among quarterbacks; Ryan said the mobility of those signal-callers can disrupt the structure and discipline of a Vrabel defense, per ESPN.
Ryan pointed to an historical struggle for New England in Miami — an 18-43 all-time record in the city — and questioned the team’s performance in the heat, noting personal experience in that environment. The Patriots finished the week with just three healthy receivers on the 53-man roster, though veteran Mack Hollins was active in Week 7 and is eligible to be designated for return from injured reserve after Sunday. Hollins had led the team with 15 receptions and 209 receiving yards when placed on IR, according to ESPN. The Dolphins’ head coach, Jeff Hafley, also has a personal link to Patriots coach Mike Vrabel after coaching Vrabel’s son, Tyler, at Boston College; the two meet for the first time as NFL head coaches, per ESPN.
