Patriots Secondary Not Taking Dolphins WRs Lightly Ahead of Divisional Matchup

FOXBORO — The New England Patriots are 4-3. The Miami Dolphins are 1-5. On paper (and on the football field), the Patriots should easily beat their division rivals in Week 8 on Sunday.

But this is not a Dolphins team that the Patriots are taking lightly. It's a team that's trending in the right direction, winning its first game of the season a week ago and has a quarterback in Malik Willis who can extend plays with his legs.

For Christian Gonzalez, he knows that while this offense might be powered by the running attack, the Dolphins have a crop of talened wideouts that they'll need to deal with.

"I think the receivers, they're young, but they're talented on the outside," Gonzalez said Wednesday. "They've shown a lot that they can go up, make plays, go downfield, make plays, catch the ball, make plays.

"So they got talent over there, and I mean, it's a division game, so we know what those mean. So it'll be (a) fun little matchup."

Jan 4, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers (14) throws a pass intended for wide receiver Tahj Washington (84) against New England Patriots cornerback Carlton Davis III (7) during the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Miami's WRs Aren't Lighting The League On Fire

Through seven weeks, the Dolphins' wideouts aren't among the league leaders in many statistical categories. Malik Washington, who caught a touchdown in the matchup these teams had back in January, leads the team in receptions (26) and receiving yards (289). That group also has rookies Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell that get a good chunk of snaps.

Interestingly enough, to show you have little production this unit has put up, 26-year-old Ryan Miller is Miami's fifth-leading receiver with 92 yards. Right now, he's on the Patriots practice squad.

That's not a unit that most people would feel worried about. That doesn't mean Gonzalez — one of the NFL's best at his position — is taking them any differently than he would another group of pass catchers.

"They've shown they can make plays," he said. "I mean, Bell and Douglas, they look like they're good receivers. I mean, they're out there, they're in the NFL starting for their team. So, they have talent and it's a good challenge, especially when you haven't played them, you haven't seen them. So, I mean, we're looking forward to it as a secondary."

Patriots Preparing For Improving Dolphins Offense

The Patriots should use this trip to Miami as a get-right game, a chance to rebound from their primetime loss to the Chicago Bears. While a secondary that's now getting Carlton Davis (neck) back into the fold will key in on the passing game, the defense will still be prepared to stop Willis and his scrambling ability.

Oct 25, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Caleb Douglas (7) stays in bounds and avoids New York Jets safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (29) for a touchdown reception during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Looking at the stats, he's basically second on the team in rushing," Kindle Vildor told Patriots On SI. "That's a big part of their offense, so we got to make sure that everybody (is) following their keys."

This will be the first time that Mike Vrabel and these Patriots go up against this new-look Miami team, led by first-time head coach Jeff Hafley. The record might not reflect it, but the Patriots are not overlooking what could be a quick-hitting offense on Sunday.

"They create X plays, they're tough to tackle," Vrabel said. "They're doing a really good job of continuing to improve."

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