Pats Pulpit

TreVeyon Henderson is questionable for Week 8 against Miami due to illness and was not spotted for back-to-back practices. The sophomore running back has logged 203 rushing yards, 45 receiving yards, and one touchdown through 57 touches this season on a depth chart also featuring Rhamondre Stevenson and Corey Kiner.

A.J. Brown is questionable for Week 8 against Miami after progressing from limited participant to missing consecutive practices; the three-time All-Pro is managing a knee issue that flared up while working back from a high ankle sprain that sent him to injured reserve in September. Brown has played 101 of 122 offensive snaps since activation midway through October and caught six passes for 75 yards through two starts. Head coach Mike Vrabel indicated the team will evaluate him Saturday before making a final decision.

TreVeyon Henderson did not practice Thursday due to an illness; his status for Week 8 is uncertain.

Eli Raridon is the rookie tight end the Patriots have been looking for years; he is featured prominently in team coverage and represents a long-sought prospect addition to the offense.

Drake Maye's scramble drill capability is a superpower the Patriots are capitalizing on; he has earned high praise for his tight end connections and the great chemistry they share; Colby Shannon notes that the third-year QB was stellar in October performance reviews.

A.J. Brown missed practice Thursday due to a new knee ailment; his status is uncertain heading into Week 8 against the Patriots, demanding respect from the opposing defense.

Drake Maye is performing at the top of his game heading into Week 8; this strong quarterback play is cited as a key reason the Patriots should win against Miami with a comfortable cushion, though injury depth and divisional matchup context temper the margin slightly.

A.J. Brown is among the extensive injuries affecting the Patriots heading into Week 8 against Miami; this injury context is cited as a limiting factor on New England's margin of victory despite being favored, though the source still expects a Patriots win.

Mentioned as a potential trade target for wide receiver depth. The Patriots have invested heavily in both wide receiver and offensive guard from a financial and draft-capital standpoint, making a significant investment in another receiver like Downs unlikely before the trade deadline.

On injured reserve with uncertain availability due to a knee injury that hampered him throughout the season. While the Patriots would likely want to bring back Gilliam, his return designation candidacy is complicated by the lingering knee issue.

On injured reserve but expected to return; listed as a clear-cut lock for return designation. Doubs' return will help the Patriots get healthier at wide receiver, where the team has invested heavily in both financial and draft-capital standpoint.

On injured reserve but expected to return; listed as a clear-cut lock for return designation. Hollins' return will help the Patriots get healthier at wide receiver, where the team has invested heavily in both financial and draft-capital standpoint.

Despite underwhelming early production and injury setbacks, Patriots coaches remain confident in Brown's long-term potential. Wide receivers coach Todd Downing stated: "I'm not worried about where A.J. is at at all. Certainly haven't had the results that we had hoped for, but that doesn't mean that they aren't right around the corner." Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels emphasized the small sample size (8 quarters in nearly two months, 4 practices) and framed Brown's integration as a process, noting "Love his attitude and his approach. He's been here working his tail off to put himself in a great position to help our team."

A.J. Brown missed four weeks due to high ankle sprain and has a knee injury that flared up; he did not practice Thursday and his status for Sunday's game against the Dolphins is in question. In two games back (Weeks 7-8), he caught 6 passes on 14 targets for 53 combined yards, averaging 3 catches per game.

The Dolphins running back had full participation in Thursday's practice despite foot and quad injuries.

The Dolphins quarterback had full participation in Thursday's practice despite a groin injury, indicating availability for Sunday's game.

The Dolphins tight end had limited participation in Thursday's practice due to a hamstring injury.

The Dolphins tight end had limited participation in Thursday's practice due to an ankle injury.

The Dolphins wide receiver had limited participation in Thursday's practice due to a knee injury.

The Dolphins wide receiver had limited participation in Thursday's practice due to a knee injury.

The Patriots quarterback had full participation in Thursday's practice despite a right shoulder injury, indicating he is healthy and available for Sunday's matchup against Miami.

The June trade acquisition did not participate in Thursday's practice due to ankle and knee issues. Brown was previously limited due to a knee flare-up and a high ankle sprain that sent him to injured reserve in September. Since being activated back to the 53-man roster after four games away, he has played 101 out of 122 offensive snaps but has just six receptions for 75 yards through those recent starts. His status for Sunday's AFC East matchup is reportedly up in the air.

The No. 38 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft did not participate in Thursday's practice due to illness. Henderson has 203 rushing yards, 45 receiving yards and one touchdown through 57 touches this season, but saw a season-low three carries in his most recent outing, signaling reduced usage heading into the Patriots-Dolphins matchup.

With A.J. Brown's status uncertain for Sunday, the Patriots active roster features just DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism III at wide receiver, positioning Douglas as a primary receiving option if Brown is unavailable.

Since returning from injured reserve in Week 6, Brown's production has been modest, with just six catches on 16 targets for 75 yards over the past two weeks. Brown hinted that his explosiveness had not returned to its usual level but declined to make excuses for his performance, stating 'I'm trying to put my best foot forward. I know obviously I'm working through something, but it's no excuses.'

Wide receiver A.J. Brown was absent from Patriots practice Thursday after being added to the injury report with a knee injury Wednesday; according to NFL Network, Brown missed practice due to a knee issue that flared up, and his status for Sunday is now reportedly up in the air. The 29-year-old has a history of knee issues, and Patriots Executive Vice President of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf acknowledged Brown's degenerative knee condition to Yahoo Sports. Brown was also listed on Wednesday's injury report with an ankle injury as he continues to recover from a high ankle sprain he suffered in the season opener.

Ollie Gordon II has managed to gain 100-plus yards in two of three contests since De'Von Achane went down for the season; led by Gordon, Miami's rushing attack is among the most potent in football right now and poses a significant challenge to New England's run defense, which has not allowed a 100-yard rusher all season.

TreVeyon Henderson remains another week removed from his ankle sprain, continuing to limit the Patriots' rushing attack depth and leaving Rhamondre Stevenson without meaningful backfield support against Miami's strong run defense.

Rhamondre Stevenson is currently a one-man show on the ground for the Patriots, receiving little support from the offensive line and support cast; while Ben Brown's potential return could help, improvements are likely marginal, and TreVeyon Henderson remains another week removed from his ankle sprain, leaving Stevenson isolated in a weak rushing attack against Miami's strong run defense.

Since Week 4, when Drake Maye turned the corner on his early-season issues, New England's 0.423 dropback EPA is ranked first in the league by a significant margin; this elite passing efficiency gives the Patriots a major edge against Miami's 23rd-ranked pass defense (0.174 dropback EPA over the same span).

Swift had 22 carries for 78 yards and one touchdown against the Patriots, dominating the rushing attack as the Bears had 30 total rushes compared to New England's 17. This workload reflects Chicago's offensive dominance, particularly in the fourth quarter.

Maye was the Patriots' leading rusher with 26 yards, beating out three other running backs on the game day roster. This reflects the Patriots' season-low 54 offensive snaps and complete lack of a rushing attack, with New England carrying the ball only 17 times compared to Chicago's 30 rushes.

Maye threw his league-leading third red-zone interception in this game, his first interception since Week 4 at Buffalo. The underthrown ball intended for Eli Raridon came following a scramble for 15 yards and may have decided the outcome in a one-score 30-24 loss.

Brown played in his second game since returning from a high ankle sprain that kept him out for four weeks. The source speculates that lingering effects from this injury may be contributing to his separation issues, though his struggles predate this season (ranked seventh-worst in separation last year).

Brown ranked fourth-worst in average separation (1.5 yards) among 61 receivers with minimum 5 targets in Week 7, and seventh-worst in separation last year (min. 45 targets). This ongoing battle to get open is limiting his production; he has three receptions in each of his three games this season, a concerning trend given he only had four games without at least three receptions in 2025 and hasn't taken this long to reach four-plus receptions to start a season since his rookie year. The source notes this is fair cause for concern about his production for the Patriots this year and rest of his tenure in New England.

Drake Maye is ranked 8th among NFL quarterbacks in Week 8 rankings, reflecting his mid-tier fantasy projection for the upcoming matchup against Miami.

Ethan Hurwitz notes the Patriots might consider using TreVeyon Henderson in a different role, suggesting potential role adjustment. Henderson is also included in broader analysis of what has gone wrong for 2025 running backs, indicating performance concerns.

Rhamondre Stevenson is featured as a key focus in the Patriots' Week 8 game plan against Miami, with the source emphasizing 'Establish the Run' as the primary key to victory. The episode title 'Patriots News: Pats-Dolphins keys to victory – run, run Rhamondre' underscores his central role in the offensive strategy against the Dolphins.

A.J. Brown acknowledged a deficiency from the Week 7 loss to the Bears and admitted his ankle is not fully healthy after his IR stint, stating 'I'm pushing through.' The injury remains a concern despite his return to action.

Despite signing a three-year, $67.5 million contract in March, Willis has not set the league ablaze; he is 87-of-151 passing for 1,057 yards with 4 TDs and 4 INTs plus 3 rushing TDs, while the Dolphins have lost five of six games and rank toward the bottom of the league in several metrics.