The Patriots will have a shot to split the season with the Dolphins on Sunday as they face off against their divisional foe in their final matchup of the year. They last played in Week 5, ultimately losing a much closer game than expected since the Dolphins' were a mess of a team, and the Patriots should have swept the floor with them.
But they can finally right their wrongs now with quite a different team than seven weeks ago.
Both teams look dramatically different from the last time they met. Jacoby Brissett was still in at quarterback, and we were still waiting for the rise of DeMario Douglas within the new offense run by Alex Van Pelt. Kendrick Bourne hadn't returned yet, and the run game began to go downhill, but much of that has improved in the time since.
The Dolphins were also quite different. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was sidelined with a concussion in Week 5, but he will be back in the lineup on Sunday. His presence is a significant change for the Patriots' defense to navigate, and the recent success of Jonnu Smith means they'll have even more firepower to overcome, too.
Announcers for Patriots vs. Dolphins
- Lead Play-by-Play Announcer: Spero Dedes
- Color Commentator(s): Adam Archuleta
- Sideline Reporter(s): Aditi Kinkhabwala
Referees for Patriots vs. Dolphins
- Umpire: Tab Slaughter (#110)
- Down Judge: Derick Bowers (#74)
- Line Judge: Derek Anderson (#66)
- Sideline Judge: Dale Shaw (#104)
- Field Judge: John Jenkins (#117)
- Ball Judge: Greg Meyer (#78)
Alan Eck will be the head official for the Patriots' Week 12 matchup with the Dolphins. He began his NFL career in 2016 as a side judge and became a referee in 2023.
So far this season, Eck and his crew have called equal penalties on home and visiting teams, tied at 59 a piece, and average about 12 flags a game. That could easily skyrocket with the Patriots on the docket, as they continue to be a highly penalized team this year, which has hindered much of their progress in games.
The last time Eck called a Patriots game was in Week 17 of the 2023 season when the Patriots played the Bills in Buffalo. They lost a much closer game than expected, 27-21, and were only hit with two penalties for a loss of 20 yards.
Time & Channel for Patriots vs. Dolphins
- Date: November 24, 2024
- Time: 1:00 pm EST
- Location: Hard Rock Stadium
- Channel: CBS