I'm not going to put too much into the Dolphins' loss at Tennessee last week. The Titans might be the best team in the AFC right now. Prior to that loss Miami had won seven straight games and had been playing excellent defense. And even though the Patriots have a lot to play for on Sunday, they might let off the gas in the second half with one eye on next week's playoff game. A backdoor cover is certainly a possibility.

In the unpredictable NFL world, it seems almost unimaginable for a playoff-bound team coached by Bill Belichick to stumble against an eliminated opponent. Now, the defensively solid Dolphins could cover in a straight-up loss, but New England has blown out several foes during an 8-2 straight-up run stained only by acceptable defeats to Indianapolis and Buffalo. The Patriots have an outside shot of overtaking the Bills for the AFC East title, and Belichick will convince his team to give a full effort, even though it also would require a Bills loss to the Jets.