The Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots come off of respective wins on Sunday and make the quick turnaround to this upcomign Thursday when the two AFC East division rivals will kickoff Week 8. Most teams around the NFL have Monday as an off day, giving the players a chance to recover after the previous day's game, but Monday also puts teams with a Thursday night game within the league's injury reporting window. That typically turns a Monday injury report into an estimation of what players would have done if the team had held a real practice.
(Of note, the Dolphins did hold a walkthrough on Monday night, but it was after the injury report release.)
The estimated injury report for the hometown Patriots this week is a little surprising. After years of seeing lists with 20-odd players listed, New England only has 10 players on the injury report, as of Monday. Offensive lineman Marcus Cannon (toe), linebacker Rufus Johnson (ill), and defensive end Jabaal Sheard (ankle) were all listed as non-participants. Running back Brandon Bolden (hamstring), running back Dion Lewis (abdomen), wide receiver Keshawn Martin (hamstring), and guard Shaq Mason (knee) were all limited on Monday, while defensive lineman Trey Flowers (knee/shoulder), linebacker Dont'a Hightower (ribs), amd guard JOsh Kline (shoulder) were all full participants.
The Dolphins listed cornerbackers Zack Bowman (shoulder), Brent Grimes (knee/ribs), and Brice McCain (knee), as well as quarterback Matt Moore (nose) and linebacker Spencer Paysinger (groin) as limited. Defensive tackle Jordan Phillips (ankle) and center Mike Pouncey (hip) were both considered full participants.
Both teams should release a real injury report later today, providing a more accurate representation of who was able to fully participate in practice and who was limited or held out of the workout. The AFC East divisional showdown will kickoff on Thursday at 8:25pm ET.