The Miami Dolphins are getting a break in Week 8.
When they host the New England Patriots on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium, the Patriots will be without two of their top offensive threats: A.J. Brown and TreVeyon Henderson.
Brown, 29, came into the league as a second-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Ole Miss. His résumé is loaded - three Pro Bowls, two All-Pro selections and a Super Bowl title across three seasons with the Tennessee Titans and four with the Philadelphia Eagles. He has 533 catches for 8,130 yards and 56 touchdowns in his career.
Even so, the Patriots haven’t gotten much out of him this season. Brown has played in only three games and has hauled in nine of 20 targets for 101 yards. Still, he remains the kind of player who can flip a game in a hurry.
Henderson, 24, was a second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after his run at Ohio State from 2021-24. He put up 911 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 5.1 yards per carry last season, while also adding 35 receptions for 221 yards and a score. This year, he has 203 rushing yards and a touchdown on 3.9 yards per attempt, plus five catches for 45 yards.
With Henderson sidelined, Miami won’t have to deal with his burst in space, the sort of trait that can turn a routine touch into a big play. That shifts more of the backfield burden to Rhamondre Stevenson and Corey Kiner.
In Other News...
Dolphins Secondary Is Feeling The Pressure Around Jason Marshall Jr
Jason Marshall Jr. has quietly become a bigger part of the Dolphins secondary in his second season, and the added workload has come with the usual growing pains of a young cornerback. Through six games, the former second-round pick has been on the field far more often than he was as a rookie, and he has piled up 21 tackles while taking on tougher assignments in Miamis defense.
The numbers around his coverage have been less encouraging, which is why the conversation around Marshall has started to broaden beyond just his own development. Defensive coordinator Sean Duggan recently pointed to the cornerback spot as one of the leagues hardest jobs, and the Dolphins know the answer is not as simple as asking one player to play better. There is still plenty of work to do on both the coaching and execution side, and Marshalls progress will remain one of the more important subplots in Miamis secondary. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Uche Just Sent A Strong Message About Miamis New Culture
Josh Uche has only had a short window to take in Miamis new setup, but the linebacker is already making it clear he notices a difference. With the Dolphins reshaping the roster and leaning into young talent under head coach Jeff Hafley, Uche pointed to the energy around the building as a sign the team is moving in the right direction. He described the atmosphere as disciplined and connected, the kind of environment that can matter as much as any depth chart move this time of year.
For a team trying to reset its identity, those comments carry some weight. Uches praise suggested the Dolphins are not just talking about a culture change, they are trying to live it every day, and players are responding to the tone Hafley has set. In a season where roster turnover can easily create uncertainty, Miami appears to have at least one veteran who sees enough in the direction of the program to want to be part of what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Malik Willis Gets His Best Chance Yet To Silence Old Doubts
Malik Willis has spent much of his career fighting the same old questions, and his most recent outing offered a cleaner answer than he had been giving earlier in the season. The Dolphins quarterback looked more decisive with the ball and benefited from better protection around him, a combination that helped him settle in and show the kind of command Miami has been looking for.
The timing makes the next test even more interesting, because the Patriots are up next and Mike Vrabel is on the other sideline. Vrabel has been among the voices most associated with Willis lingering doubts, so this matchup gives the quarterback a chance to keep building on his recent progress and prove that the sharper version of his game can hold up when the pressure rises again. [Read more 🡒]