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In not even 90 minutes, the New England Patriots will play their final regular season game this year, trying to improve their record to 13-3: the reigning world champions will square off against a Miami Dolphins team that is entering today’s contest with a 4-11 record. Before getting ahead of ourselves, however, let’s take a look at the players on both sides who have been declared inactive and will therefore not participate in today’s contest:
Patriots inactives
CB Jason McCourty
SS Terrence Brooks
DT Byron Cowart
TE Ryan Izzo
OG Jermaine Eluemunor
QB Cody Kessler
RB Damien Harris
The Patriots entered the weekend with nine players listed as questionable on their injury report — and only two of them will miss today’s game. Cornerback Jason McCourty, who has been on the field for just eight snaps over the last six weeks, will miss his fourth game of the season because of a lingering groin injury. Number four safety Terrence Brooks, meanwhile, will miss his first game of the season after popping up on the injury report because of a groin issue as well.
The other players listed on New England’s injury report, on the other hand, will be active: running back Sony Michel (illness), wide receiver Julian Edelman (knee/shoulder), offensive tackle Marcus Cannon (ankle), linebackers Jamie Collins (shoulder), Ja’Whaun Bentley (knee) and Shilique Calhoun (illness), and cornerback Jonathan Jones (groin) are all ready to go despite being limited in practice throughout the week.
This means that Jones will return to the lineup after missing last week’s game against the Buffalo Bills. He is projected to take over slot duties, which in turn frees up J.C. Jackson to take over for McCourty on the perimeter opposite number one cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
Dolphins inactives
WR Allen Hurns
CB Jomal Wiltz
LB Vince Biegel
OT J’Marcus Webb
OG Keaton Sutherland
TE Clive Walford
DE Taco Charlton
Miami, meanwhile, will be without its number three wide receiver (Hurns) and its most disruptive pass rusher (Biegel).