In a little over 48 hours, the New England Patriots will kick off their Week 8 divisional battle with the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium in the Sunshine State.

Numerous storylines trickle into this one. The Patriots come off a tough loss last Thursday night to the Chicago Bears. It was a game where two equally matched teams played great football, but in the end, the Bears moved up in the standings, and the Patriots now have questions to answer as they shift into midseason mode.

Traditionally, no, this is not a "trap game" for the Patriots when they square off against the 1-5 Dolphins. A trap game is usually a term used when a team picks up steam after a big win and then plays an inferior team the next week.

With the Patriots coming off a loss, that term doesn't apply. Still, the Dolphins may be motivated after their first win over the Jets and shouldn't be taken lightly. Let's not forget the Patriots' struggles in South Florida as the weather gets colder in New England. This is oddly a "must-win" game for Drake Maye and company.

Brown's 3 catches for 48 yards last Thursday against the Bears is still a far cry from what many expected from him so far this season, injury or not. If there was ever a game for him to get into a rhythm, it was this Sunday evening against the Miami Dolphins.

Things have changed, though. Brown's status is up in the air at the moment, as a knee issue flared up on top of his lingering right ankle sprain.

Brown has dealt with knee issues; the Patriots knew that going in, and there is an argument to be made that the recovery from an ankle injury for a wide receiver is extensive, even if he's back on the field. Either way, the question is starting to rise: Is New England getting their bang for their buck so far this season with Brown?

As it stands, the Patriots may not make any drastic moves as the trade deadline nears, at least not as of now, of course. Although players like Christian Barmore have been tied to rumors, the Patriots have made it clear they want to focus more on getting healthy rather than making big trade moves.

That being said, if the Patriots decide to buy, rather than sell, anytime soon, players like wide receiver Josh Downs, who requested a trade from the Colts and has strong college chemistry with quarterback Drake Maye, have emerged as a name with a ton of buzz. These are all rumors for now, though.

If you go back and read this week's Stock Watch article, you'll see that Marcus Jones and Charles Woods were two of the three players on the Stock Down list. The reason was a lot of failed open-field tackles that could've gotten the Bears offense off the field.

In Week 6 against the New York Jets, the Patriots missed 8 tackles; they doubled it five days later against the Bears, missing a season-worst 16.

For the Dolphins, rookie Caleb Douglas and slot threat Malik Washington average 6.5 yards after the catch per reception (4th in the NFL). That means that despite the Dolphins' doldrums, they know how to stay on the field and keep drives alive.

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