Thursday Night Football Week 8: Dolphins vs. Patriots TV Schedule, Live Stream

History says the New England Patriots shouldn't have any problems taking down the Miami Dolphins in an AFC East battle hosted on the Week 8 edition of Thursday Night Football.

Tom Brady and the Patriots sit at 12-1 when hosting the Dolphins at home. This time around, they are the league's best team, 6-0 and posting gaudy stat totals, even with a littered stat sheet.

But history might not apply on this short turnaround. The 3-3 Dolphins are winners of two straight under interim coach Dan Campbell and suddenly feature the balance and attitude of a team hungry for an upset.

Below, let's take a look at everything to know about the surprisingly important matchup.

Viewing Info

When: Thursday, Oct. 29, at 8:25 p.m. ET

Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Television: CBS, NFL Network

Live Stream: NFL Game Pass

Tickets: ScoreBig.com

Betting Lines (via Odds Shark):

• Over/Under: 50.5

• Spread: New England (-9.5)

Team Injury Reports

Player	Position	Status
Brice McCain	CB	Questionable

Player	Position	Status
Jabaal Sheard	DL	Out
Keshawn Martin	WR	Questionable
Brandon Bolden	RB	Questionable
Dion Lewis	RB	Questionable

Injury reports courtesy of ESPN.com.

Bucking History

This isn't the same team that started the season 1-3.

The Dolphins look quite different and have to hope a historical change in Foxborough comes along with it.

While the two wins only came against the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans in 38-10 and 44-26 fashion, respectively, it's impossible to ignore the areas of improvement.

In that span, Miami has shown it still cares about the rush, with back Lamar Miller gaining 288 of his 419 rushing yards and both touchdowns, and Ryan Tannehill looks more comfortable, with six of his 13 scoring tosses and just two of his seven picks coming over the last two games.

Despite the improvements, Campbell won't allow his team to celebrate, as he told ESPN.com's James Walker: 

"

I would say it’s easy right now. When you’re going into play New England on a Thursday night you don’t have to be worried about being grounded. We know we’ve got our hands full. So to me, patting yourself on the back and all that -- we know what we have in front of us. We know it’s not going to be easy, and overconfident is the last thing we are going to be doing when we walk in Thursday.

"

This is a chance at a new season for Miami, a team that always had the talent on paper but head-scratching decisions on the field. While Campbell and Co. sit at 0-2 in the division, they're just one spot out of second place in what now looks like an interesting race in perhaps the league's best division.

If Campbell's defense can fluster Brady (10 sacks since Campbell took over) and Tannehill and his offense can remain grounded and control the clock, the state of the playoff race might get much, much more interesting.

Scratching and Clawing

Winslow Townson/Associated Press

Only one team could post 30 points and have its quarterback lead the team in rushing with four carries for 15 yards while enduring 11 dropped passes to pull out a win in a tough divisional matchup.

So it went for the Patriots last week against the New York Jets, a true testament to the team's quality. With big names such as back Dion Lewis hurt and receiver Brandon LaFell's gloves painted in a fresh coat of butter, the Patriots made a statement with a scrappy win.

On a short turnaround, coach Bill Belichick wants his players focused on the red-hot Dolphins, though, as he told ESPN.com the challenges the Dolphins present: "The Dolphins have played great the last two weeks in all areas of the game. They've got plays coming from everywhere. They're playing faster. They are more aggressive."

New England may once again have to go without Lewis, meaning another emphasis on LeGarrette Blount and a short passing game to neutralize a suddenly potent Miami rush.

The Patriots shouldn't have to worry much about moving the ball, at least not after last week. More concerning is a defense that has let up 23 or more points in the last two games and has prohibited the team from blowing away opponents like it did earlier in the season.

This game looks like a much bigger test than it did just a few weeks ago.

Prediction

Remember the history mentioned in the intro?

Feel free to tack on the fact that Brady is 8-0 in Thursday games.

The Dolphins look great and will be able to keep this game closer than Las Vegas anticipates. Leaning on one of the league's most talented backs instead of ignoring him certainly helps. Playing a defense to its actual strengths does, too.

But if the Patriots pulled out last week's contest with so many injuries, they will here, too, on a short turnaround that will favor a signal-caller like Brady. Look for him to lead a scoring drive late to put the Dolphins further in a hole.

Prediction: Patriots 33, Dolphins 28

Statistics courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.