The New England Patriots are set for a Sunday afternoon matchup with the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium. It is go time for the Patriots, as it’s a must-win game. With just under an hour until kickoff on New Year’s day, the Patriots and Dolphins have released their lists of inactive players.
There aren’t many surprises for the Patriots, as they listed WR DeVante Parker, CB Marcus Jones, and TE Jonnu Smith as OUT earlier in the week. This morning, they listed CB Shaun Wade, Sam Roberts, and Kevin Harris as healthy scratches, while CB Jalen Mills will have to wait for another game to return from his groin injury.
On the offensive side of the ball, TE Hunter Henry will play through an injury he suffered last week when he ran into a fellow tight end, Jonnu Smith. Henry will lead the tight ends, and TE Matt Sokol will be active after being elevated from the practice squad elevation. The 2019 draft pick has been absent since Week 5 against the Lions.
RB Damien Harris will be active after missing the last four games with a thigh injury he suffered on Thanksgiving night against the Vikings. Harris has already missed six games this season, and the running back duo between Stevenson and Harris should see a much-needed boost.
Onto the defensive side of the ball, where there is a surprise as cornerback Shaun Wade will be a healthy scratch. With cornerbacks Marcus Jones, Jack Jones, and Jalen Mills inactive, it shows how the Patriots think of the 2021 draft pick. In addition, veteran Jalen Mills will miss his fifth consecutive game with a groin injury. Mills participated in practice for the first time on Friday and was listed as questionable for Sunday.
The Patriots will receive some help in the secondary as the team signed CB Tae Hayes to the active roster and elevated CB Quandre Mosley from the practice this week. Hayes recorded an interception this preseason against the Patriots when he was with the Panthers. Mosley is a lengthy quarterback and will likely see action on the outside. If anything is for sure, the Patriots should go zone-heavy today to limit explosive passing plays.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins listed Pro Bowl rusher Bradly Chubb and star cornerback, Xavien Howard as inactive, giving the Patriots a needed offensive boost. Furthermore, as predicted, starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will be inactive due to a concussion.
The Patriots must win Sunday to keep their playoff hopes alive. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET.
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My name is Ben Belford-Peltzman and I am the creator and writer of The Patriots Beat. I am a 17-year kid who is an optimistic pessimist about the City of Champions. I started The Patriots Beat in August of 2022 and never expected to grow so much but here we are. Feel free to email Thepatriotsbeat@gmail.com with any inquires.
