Dolphins look to build momentum against defending AFC champion Patriots as Willis faces former coach

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Most of the current players on the Miami Dolphins roster haven't faced the New England Patriots very much.

But coach Jeff Hafley wants his young team to understand the significance of divisional matchups — especially Sunday's game against a Patriots team that has accomplished nearly everything Hafley hopes the Dolphins will some day.

“I’d be lying to you if I (said I) didn’t feel like I had to teach them about division play and the division,” Hafley said. “All these guys watched them play in the Super Bowl last year. I mean, we have 15 rookies. I hope they all watch the Super Bowl — who knows nowadays — but I’d imagine they all understand that team just went to the Super Bowl and they’re the reigning champs in our conference.”

Vrabel had praise for Hafley and the Dolphins, who are coming off their first win of the season after beating the New York Jets . It was the best game of the season for quarterback Malik Willis, who threw for 208 yards, two touchdowns and rushed for a score.

“They play extremely hard. I have a lot of respect for what Jeff’s done,” Vrabel said, “and probably a unique set of circumstances, which they’ve kind of admitted to. ... I think that they’ve continued to improve, and I know that they’re probably — and they should be – excited to play at home in front of their crowd. We’ll have to go on the road inside the division here and continue to improve.”

Vrabel coached Willis in Tennessee during the Miami quarterback's first two seasons in the NFL.

The Titans traded up in 2022 to draft Willis out of Liberty in the third round while Ryan Tannehill was still the starter. Willis made three starts as a rookie, never throwing for more than 99 yards. The following season, Tennessee drafted Will Levis, and Willis was eventually traded to Green Bay.

“I can’t say anything but great things about Coach Vrabel,” Willis said. “He taught me a lot about ball in general in this league, at this level. So I can’t be any type of way toward him. Obviously, he had to do what the best thing was for his team at that point, in his opinion. You can’t control other people’s opinion. All you can do is keep working and when your opportunity arises, take advantage of it.”

The Patriots haven’t been quite as dominant this season as they were last season, when they went 14-3 en route to a Super Bowl appearance.

They’re coming off a loss at Chicago that snapped a three-game win streak, and Vrabel said this week there may be some things the team isn’t able to improve on this season.

“When I look at it from my perspective, it’s like, this is what we’ve seen from seven weeks,” Vrabel said Wednesday, “and we can yell and scream about it till we’re blue in the face, or we can coach it, and it’s maybe not going to change.”

New England (4-3) at Miami (1-5)

When/where to watch: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST, CBS.

Latest odds: Patriots by 7 1/2.

Against the spread: Patriots 4-3; Dolphins 2-3-1.

Last week: Patriots lost to the Bears 30-24; Dolphins beat the Jets 28-25.

Last meeting: Patriots beat Dolphins 38-10 on Jan. 4, 2026, in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Series record: Dolphins lead 63-55.

Dolphins rushing offense vs. Patriots run defense. Miami enters Sunday with the seventh-best rushing offense in the league, averaging 131.5 yards per game, but they're going against a tough opponent in the Patriots who have the eighth-best run defense in the NFL. New England is allowing just 95.3 yards per game but is coming off an outing in which it allowed the Bears to rush for 116 yards as a team. The Dolphins as a team have rushed for more than 100 yards in five straight games, which is the longest streak in the NFL. Running back Ollie Gordon has a rushing score in each of the past four games, and Willis has elevated the run game with his scrambling ability.

— Since 2000, the Patriots are 113-49 against AFC East opponents and 29-33 against the Dolphins over that span.

— The Patriots scored more than 30 points in both wins against Miami last season. It was just the sixth time in the series that New England has done that.

— New England is expected to have its starting secondary of cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III, and safeties Kevin Byard and Craig Woodson available for the first time since Week 1. Gonzalez has missed two games with a shoulder injury, Davis four games with a neck injury and Woodson one game (shoulder). Byard is the lone member of the group to start all seven games.

— Hunter Henry (28 touchdown receptions) needs one more to move into sole possession of third place on the team’s all-time list for TDs among tight ends.

— Miami's defense has not allowed a rushing touchdown in three consecutive games, the longest such streak in the league, while ranking fifth in goal-to-go defense and ninth in third down defense against the run.

— The Dolphins do not score a lot of points — their 16.3 points per game is 30th in the league — but of their six drives that have covered 70 or more yards, they've scored touchdowns on each one, including three against the Jets on Sunday.

— Hafley coached Vrabel’s son, Tyler, for three years at Boston College.

— Left guard Kadyn Proctor and cornerback JuJu Brents are in the concussion protocol after reporting symptoms earlier this week. Neither player practiced on Wednesday.

AP Sports Writer Kyle Hightower in Foxborough, Massachusetts, contributed to this report.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here