The 7-9 Miami Dolphins are out of playoff contention, but will attempt to play spoilers against the New England Patriots, who are in the hunt for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The 13-3 Patriots need a win against Miami along with a Denver Broncos loss to earn a first-round bye.

A loss to the Dolphins could mean New England falls to the No. 3 seed.

So even though the Patriots clinched the AFC East title, they probably won’t take their foot off the gas against the Dolphins. And if Miami hopes to finish its season on a positive note, it’ll have to slow these five Patriots players:

QB Drake Maye

In his second season in the league, Maye is in a two-man race with Matthew Stafford for MVP honors. He leads the NFL with a 71.7 completion percentage and his 112.9 passer rating is also the league’s best. He has thrown 4,203 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and eight interceptions so far this season.

Maye also has 409 rushing yards with four touchdowns on the ground. Back in Week 2 against Miami, he rushed for a score and threw two more in the Patriots’ 33-27 victory.

RB TreVeyon Henderson

Rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson started slowly this season, but has had a tremendous second half to the year. In the matchup against Miami in Week 2, he only had three rushing attempts for 10 yards and added two receptions for 30 yards, but has become much more of a factor for the Patriots since November.

Since Week 9, Henderson has averaged 78.8 rushing yards per game with six rushing touchdowns and one touchdown reception. On the season, the Offensive Rookie of the Year contender has 858 rushing yards, 35 receptions, 221 receiving yards, and eight total scores.

CB Christian Gonzalez

Gonzalez missed the first three games of the season, and did not play against Miami back in Week 2. He is second on the Patriots in passes defended with 10, and has allowed a 66.1 passer rating when targeted. He is allowing a career low 47.3 quarterback completion percentage when thrown at, and has given up just one touchdown all season.

OT Will Campbell

A big part of the Patriots’ success this season can be credited to rookie offensive tackle Will Campbell. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft has been one of the top rookie linemen in the league, and a very solid pass protector for Maye. In 452 pass blocking snaps, Campbell has been credited with allowing only 25 pressures.

OLB Harold Landry

The Dolphins struggled to block Harold Landry earlier this year and the veteran finished with a sack, two quarterback hits, and a tackle for loss. On the year, Landry leads the Patriots in sacks with 8.5, tackles for loss with 10, as well as quarterback hits with 19. He also has three sacks, five quarterback hits, and three tackles for loss over the last four games.