Rodney Harrison Concerned Tom Brady Will Take 'Cheap Shot' from Dolphins Defense

Former New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison believes AFC East rivals Miami Dolphins will target legendary quarterback Tom Brady in Week 8's impending edition of Thursday Night Football.

Harrison voiced his concerns for Brady's safety in an interview with WEEI on Wednesday, per the Boston Herald's Chris Mason:

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I believe Dan Campbell comes in instantly, he has credibility, they respect him. They know he played the game, and he came in with a no-nonsense attitude and he said, 'Hey, guys, I know what we're going to do. We're not going to play dirty, but we're going to play close to that line as possible.' And you saw what (defensive end Olivier) Vernon did to (Titans quarterback Marcus) Mariota -- hit him low.

Ndamukong Suh has a reputation for being dirty. Cameron Wake is their best pass rusher. So if I'm concerned about anything, I'm concerned about Tom Brady taking a cheap shot from one of these guys.

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There is some validity to what Harrison is saying, especially with regard to Suh's reputation as a dirty player.

Miami has been revitalized since firing head coach Joe Philbin. Interim boss Dan Campbell boasts a 2-0 record and has the Dolphins playing a much more physical brand of football. That's translated to results from their talented defensive front and rushing attack led by Lamar Miller.

To give credence to both Harrison's comments on Brady and the vastly improved play by the Dolphins, one other significant factor looms large ahead of Thursday's contest. The Patriots' offensive line is depleted, with Shaq Mason questionable and Marcus Cannon already declared out for Week 8, per the team's Wednesday injury report.

Cannon was the backup to typical left tackle Nate Solder before the latter went down for the season with a torn biceps muscle in Week 5's win over Dallas.

With all the positive momentum and lackluster New England personnel in the trenches, though, it's worth bearing in mind the Dolphins haven't faced an opponent like the Patriots under Campbell. The temporary coach has yet to prepare on a short week in his abbreviated tenure either.

Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman adds a noteworthy anecdote about Brady's history of success in these particular games:

Campbell acknowledged the tough mission ahead to even slow down Brady, per CSNNE.com's Tom E. Curran:

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He's a unique quarterback and he presents problems. He's seen everything. What has he not seen? There's only so much you can do. Everything has been done at one time or another and he’s seen all of it. At some point, you gotta just line up and play football. Ultimately, that's what we gotta do. We gotta play our style of football and do our best to just contain him or limit him.

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Thursday's game is also at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, making the task all the more difficult for Campbell's current roll to continue. Plus, Brady faced a stout New York Jets defense this past Sunday and managed to throw for 355 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns to lead the Pats to victory.

Brady often mitigates the opposing pass rush with his precision on short throws and a quick release. He's even become noticeably more nimble and mobile in and out of the pocket this season, and he should be able to protect himself well enough to stay healthy before an extended break until Week 9.