The Miami Dolphins are back in South Florida this weekend with a little momentum finally behind them, and they’ll try to build on it against another AFC East opponent. After beating the New York Jets in Week 7, Miami heads into a late-afternoon Week 8 matchup with the New England Patriots.
That win got the Dolphins to 1-5 on the season, and it came after their Week 6 bye, which gave the team a chance to reset and keep developing as the league’s youngest roster. It also delivered the first victory for head coach Jeff Hafley. New England, meanwhile, enters the game at 4-3 after a Thursday night loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 7.
The Patriots at Dolphins matchup is one of just two late-afternoon games this week, but most of the country will not see it. Instead, the Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos game is nearly a national broadcast, leaving Miami-New England mostly in the hands of local CBS affiliates.
The game will air on CBS with Andrew Catalon, Logan Ryan, and A.J. Ross on the call.
Right now, the broadcast is set to reach Miami, West Palm Beach, and Fort Myers in Florida. On the New England side, the game is scheduled to air across Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
For everyone else, the Chiefs and Broncos are the featured attraction. CBS can still change its local affiliate assignments, but as things stand, the Dolphins-Patriots game is being carried in a very small window.
The early afternoon slate brings its own patchwork across Florida. On CBS, South Florida markets including Miami, West Palm Beach, and Fort Myers, along with Tampa, will get the Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens game. The rest of the state, from Orlando north through the Panhandle, will carry the Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars matchup.
FOX’s coverage is split even more dramatically. Miami will get the Las Vegas Raiders at New York Jets game.
West Palm Beach is set for the Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions game, while most of the rest of Florida will see the Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers game. Jacksonville will not receive a FOX game because of the local CBS broadcast conflict, and the western edge of the Panhandle will carry the Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys game.
In the late window, CBS does not have the doubleheader this week, but Jacksonville will get the Los Angeles Chargers at Los Angeles Rams game.
In Other News...
Ollie Gordon II Is Giving The Dolphins A New Backfield Debate
When De'Von Achane went down with a torn ACL in Week 3, the Dolphins suddenly had to rethink the shape of their ground game. Since then, second-year back Ollie Gordon II has stepped into the lead role and given Miami more than just survival production, helping keep the rushing attack moving at a level the team could hardly have expected after losing its star runner.
Gordon has rushed for 291 yards on 52 carries over his last three games, averaging 5.6 yards per attempt, and the bigger picture has been just as encouraging for Miami. Since Week 4, the Dolphins have ranked No. 1 in rushing EPA per play with Gordon as the lead back, which leaves the team with a real backfield debate once Achane is healthy enough to return. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Edge Rush Question Just Got Even More Telling
The Dolphins made another small but revealing move along the edge, claiming defensive end Jamree Kromah off waivers and opening a roster spot by parting with Robert Beal Jr. Kromah has already bounced through stops with the Bears and Patriots, and now gets a chance to see if he can carve out a place in Miamis front after the team decided to make room for him.
Beals exit adds another layer to a position group that has been under the microscope all season. He came to Miami this offseason after spending time with the 49ers, but the Dolphins moved on as they continue sorting through their edge-rush depth and trying to find the right combination on the outside. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins May Be Much More Protective Of Key Veterans Than Expected
Around the league, the trade market is starting to heat up as teams like the Colts, Titans and Chargers make moves or prepare to do so before the Nov. 10 deadline. Miami, even with its disappointing record, does not appear eager to join the sell-off. The Dolphins have taken a more guarded approach than some expected, treating a few established players as part of the solution rather than pieces to be flipped for future assets.
That stance says a lot about how Miami views the next stage of its roster build. Instead of stripping the locker room down and starting over, the Dolphins seem intent on keeping certain veterans in place while they sort out the bigger picture. There is still deadline pressure in the air, of course, and the possibility of movement remains, but the front offices early posture suggests it will be selective rather than aggressive as the clock winds down. [Read more 🡒]