Last meeting
Ronnie Brown scored five touchdowns (four rushing, one passing), accounting for 113 of Miami's 216 rushing yards in a 38-13 win at Gillette Stadium.
Last week
Miami won their fourth game in a row, a 17-15 win at home over the Raiders. ... The Patriots rallied back from a 24-6 deficit against the visiting Jets, but ultimately lost, 34-31, in overtime.
Keep your eye on ...
The AFC East race: The stakes may not seem as high as their tussle with the Jets for control of the AFC East last week, but the Patriots cannot afford to get swept by Miami. A Dolphins win on Sunday would give Miami sole possession of second place as well as the head-to-head tie breaker.
The Wildcat: The Dolphins caught the Patriots off guard in Week 3, unveiling their Wildcat, single-wing offense on six different plays -- three of which contributed to Ronnie Brown's five scores. Bill Belichick will be ready for it this time, but knows that Miami likes to add new wrinkles to the Wildcat every week.
Cassel's comfort in the pocket: A lot has been made of Matt Cassel's 400 yards passing against the Jets last week, but lost in all the hype is the fact that Cassel struggled with the deep ball, including a long throw to a wide open Randy Moss that would have given New England a lead in the fourth quarter. Cassel's overall improvement can't be ignored -- he's using his legs inside and outside of the pocket to make plays -- but he's yet to prove that he can make the big throws downfield.
Did you know?
Wes Welker aims for his third consecutive game with at least 100 receiving yards. ... Patriots rookie LB Jerod Mayo posted a career-high 20 tackles last week and leads the team with 94 tackles. ... Miami is aiming for its fifth consecutive win for the first time since December of 2005.