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Tackle Mark Zusevics, cornerback Marquice Cole, rookie backup safety Nate Ebner, rookie project DE Jake Bequette, newly re-added depth wide receiver Kamar Aiken, solid rookie starting cornerback Alfonzo Dennard, and the always versatile interior offensive lineman Nick McDonald are the seven inactive for the Patriots today.

Not on the list? Brandon Spikes and Rob Gronkowski. Some projected that Spikes would be inactive after being nicked up coming into the game and missing the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars last week, but the Patriots star middle linebacker is back. The Pats need him in order to bully the opposing running game and take advantage of a weak interior.

Gronkowski was expected to play per reports from Tom E. Curran and Ian Rappoport, and it was Albert Breer who tweeted this morning that Gronk was medically cleared to play and would indeed play after missing more than a month with a broken forearm. I hope Gronk only plays for a bit to shake off the rust, because there is no sense in getting him injured again leading into the playoffs. His health is of paramount importance as one of the best players in the game.

The inactives are not surprising, with Dennard being the only starter who is inactive. We’ll miss him and possibly the depth lost with Cole’s absence, but the Pats look healthy and ready to lock up a win on a cold, snowy day at Gillette. If the Patriots win, then they will finish undefeated in divisional play for the second time in franchise history and the first since the near-undefeated year of 2007.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

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Scott has been a good pass rusher at points in his career with the Oakland Raiders, and he stepped up in a big way as a situation rusher when Jones went down two weeks ago. Jake Long isn’t what he used to be, but the Dolphins left tackle is still a solid player and will force
Scott to play like he did with Oakland.

Rob Gronkowski is obviously going to be out this week, and I hope he doesn’t try to return next week against the Houston Texans. As ironic as that is to say, he would be rushing from that broken forearm far too early. Gronk will most likely return in Week 16, but it would be great if he had a miraculous full recovery in time for the game against the San Francisco 49ers (or the Texans).

Left guard Logan Mankins has a very low chance of playing against the Dolphins, so we’ll be seeing Donald Thomas lining up as the starter once again. He has been excellent this season and has proven that he is a quality starter in this league. The Patriots are lucky to have him as a backup.

The great news is that Mark Zusevics has returned from a sickness that kept him out of Wednesday’s and Thursday’s practice, and he will be the emergency No. 4 tackle. Sebastian Vollmer did return to practice yesterday, but it’s still good to see that Zusevics is on the mend.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

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Vollmer has been the best right tackle in the NFL this season and one of the most valuable players on the Patriots this year, so his return is definitely huge. The Pats will be facing an elite Miami Dolphins pass rush on Sunday that features the destructive Cameron Wake, so they cannot afford another surprise inactive listing for Vollmer this week. Second-year right tackle Marcus Cannon filled in admirably for Vollmer last week against the New York Jets, but the Dolphins pass rush is clearly better than New York’s.

Dan Connolly has been dealing with some injuries throughout this year, and he is listed on the injury report with a back injury after being pulled in the fourth quarter last week.

Rob Gronkowski is still not practicing.

Mark Zusevics, Logan Mankins, and Chandler Jones were unable to practice for the second straight day, which is terrible news for the Pats. Zusevics is out with an illness, but the real concern is the continued absence of top pass rusher Chandler Jones. The star rookie’s return is even more important now that Jermaine Cunningham has been suspended.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.