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New England Patriots(5-2) vs.Miami Dolphins* (3-4)
*Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009 - Gillette Stadium - 1:00 p.m. EDT
The New England Patriots return from the Bye Week to face AFC East Rival Miami at Gillette Stadium. New England owns a 40-12 record in regular season AFC East games since the beginning of the 2001 season, compiling the best intra-division record of any team in the NFL over the last eight seasons.
After starting the season with an 0-3 record, Miami has registered a 3-1 record in their last four games, including a 30-25 victory at the New York Jets on Sunday, to head into this week's game with a 3-4 record.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TELEVISION: This week's will be broadcast to a regional audience by CBS and can be seen in Boston on WBZ-TV Channel 4. Greg Gumbel will handle play-by-play duties with Dan Dierdorf providing color.
RADIO: 98.5 FM, The Sports Hub, is the flagship station for the Patriots Radio Network. A complete listing of the network's 36 stations can be **found here**. Play-by-play broadcaster Gil Santos is in his 33rd season as the voice of the Patriots and will call the action along with Patriots Hall of Famer Gino Cappelletti. Santos and Cappelletti are celebrating their 26th season as a tandem.
SERIES HISTORY
The New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins will square off for the 88th time in their history (44th year as division foes). New England has won 10 of the last 15 games against Miami. The Patriots have had the upper hand at home against Miami, as they hold a 25-17 record in games played in New England in the regular season, including a 5-2 record at Gillette Stadium. Last season the two teams split the annual series with each team winning on the road. Miami snapped New England's NFL record 21-game regular season win streak with a 38-13 victory at Gillette Stadium on September 21, 2008. The Patriots beat Miami in the rematch 48-28 on Nov. 23. The two have played three times in the postseason.
CONNECTIONS
- Dolphins CEO Mike Deeserved as Executive Vice President of Business Affairs and Chief Operating Officer of the Boston Red Sox from 2002-09.
- Miami Executive Vice President of Football OperationsBill Parcells served as Head Coach of the New England Patriots from 1993-96.
- Miami Dolphins Head Coach Tony Sparano was raised in West Haven, Conn. and was a four-year letterman at the University of New Haven. Sparano later became the offensive line coach/recruiting coordinator at the University of New Haven from 1984-87 and its head coach from 1994- 98. Sparano was also the offensive line coach/recruiting coordinator/academic liaison at Boston University from 1988-89 and BU's offensive coordinator from 1990-93.
- Dolphins Offensive Line Coach Dave DeGuglielmo is a Lexington, Mass. native and earned four letters as an offensive lineman at Boston University (1987-90). DeGuglielmo also spent two season as a graduate assistant coach at Boston College (1991-92), four seasons as offensive line coach and assistant head coach at Boston University (1993-96) and two seasons as offensive line coach at Connecticut (1997-98).
- Miami Offensive Coordinator Dan Henning was the head coach at Boston College from 1994-96.
- Miami Assistant Special Teams Coach Dan Rizziplayed tight end at University of Rhode Island, served as New Haven's special teams/defensive line coach and defensive coordinator from 1994-97 and head coach from 1999-2001, was Northeastern's special teams/linebackers coach in 1998 and Rhode Island's head coach in 2008.
- Miami Director of College Scouting Chris Grier is a native of Holliston, Mass., son of former Patriots' Vice President Player Personnel Bobby Grier, played football at UMass and was a Patriots' intern/regional scout from 1994-99.
- Patriots WR Wes Welkerand RB Sammy Morris played for the Miami Dolphins from 2004-06.
- Patriots LB Jerod Mayo and Dolphins CB Jason Allen were teammates at Tennessee from 2004-05. Dolphins DT Tony McDaniel was also a teammate from 2004-05.
- Patriots LB Derrick Burgess and Dolphins LB Charlie Anderson were teammates at Mississippi in 2000.
- Dolphins LB Akin Ayodele was teammates with Patriots T Matt Lightat Purdue from 1999-2000. Ayodele also played on the Jacksonville Jaguars with RB Fred Taylor, P Chris Hanson and OL Dan Connolly.
- Patriots LS Jake Ingram and Dolphins WR Davone Bess were teammates at Hawaii from 2005-07.
- Patriots CB Jonathan Wilhite and Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown played together at Auburn in 2005.
- Patriots WR Julian Edelman and Dolphins WR Greg Camarillo both claim Redwood City, Calif. as their hometown.
- Patriots NT Vince Wilfork and Dolphins T Vernon Careywere teammates at the University of Miami from 2001-03. S Brandon Meriweatherwas also a teammate from 2002- 03.
- Patriots G Logan Mankins, S James Sanders and Dolphins S Tyrone Culverwere teammates at Fresno State from 2002-04.
- Dolphins DT Jason Fergusonand Patriots TE Chris Baker player for the New York Jets from 2002-04.
- Patriots backup QBBrian Hoyerand Dolphins P Brandon Fields were Spartans together at Michigan St. from 2004- 07.
- Patriots LB Pierre Woods and Dolphins WR Ted Ginn, Jr.were teammates at Glenville (Ohio) High School and played under Head Coach Ted Ginn, Sr.
- Patriots WR Randy Moss and Dolphins C Jake Grove were teammates on the Oakland Raiders from 2005-06. Grove was also on Oakland with New England LB Derrick Burgess (2005-08). Dolphins S Gibril Wilson played with Burgess on the Raiders in 2008.
- Patriots QB Tom Bradyand Dolphins QB Chad Henne and T Jake Long played their college ball for Michigan.
- Patriots TE Benjamin Watson and Dolphins LB Quentin Moses were teammates at Georgia in 2003.
- Dolphins QB Chad Pennington and Patriots WR Randy Mossand P Chris Hanson played together collegiately for Marshall from 1996-97. Hanson and Pennington were also teammates in '95 and '98.
- Patriots FS Brandon McGowan and Dolphins FB Lousaka Polite were teammates on the Chicago Bears in 2007.
- Patriots G Kendall Simmons and Dolphins LB Joey Porterwere teammates on the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2002-06.
- Patriots LB Tully Banta-Cain and Dolphins G Justin Smiley were teammates on the San Francisco 49ers in 2007.
- Patriots LB Gary Guyton and Dolphins T Andrew Gardner were teammates at Georgia Tech from 2005-07.
