A look at the connections between the Patriots and the Dolphins as they get ready to head into their 2016 regular season finale.
NEW ENGLAND TIES
- Dolphins LB Kiko Alonso was born in Newton, Mass.
- Miami special teams coordinator/assistant head coach Darren Rizziplayed at the University of Rhode Island from 1988-91 and later returned to the school to coach, in addition to stints at New Haven and Northeastern.
- Dolphins defensive backs coach Lou Anarumo was the assistant head coach/defensive backs/special teams at Harvard from 1995-2000.
- Miami tight ends coachShane Day coached the quarterbacks at Connecticut from 2012-13.
- Dolphins assistant wide receivers coach Ben Johnson worked at Boston College from 2009-11.
- Miami defensive quality control coach Rusty McKinney coached at Bentley College in Waltham, Mass. for five seasons and also spent time working at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H.
SOUTH FLORIDA TIES
- Patriots QB* *Jacoby Brissett is from West Palm Beach, Fla.
- Patriots DL Jabaal Sheard is from Hollywood, Fla.
- Patriots RB James White is from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
FORMER PATRIOTS
- Miami wide receivers coachShawn Jefferson played for the Patriots from 1996-99.
- Dolphins LB Trevor Reilly spent much of the 2016 season on the New England practice squad before he was signed by Miami on December 19.
FORMER DOLPHINS
- Patriots tight ends coachBrian Daboll was the Dolphins offensive coordinator in 2011.
FORMER NFL TEAMMATES
- Miami S Isa Abdul-Quddus played with New England OL LaAdrian Waddle at the Detroit Lions.
- Dolphins T Branden Albert played in Kansas City when Patriots tight ends coach Brian Daboll was the offensive coordinator for the Chiefs.
- Miami LB Kiko Alonso, C/G Kraig Urbik and DE Mario Williams played with Patriots DL Alan Branch and WR Chris Hogan at the Buffalo Bills.
- Miami OL Jermon Bushrod played with Patriots TE Martellus Bennett and LB Shea McClellin at the Chicago Bears.
- Dolphins TE MarQueis Gray played with Patriots RB Dion Lewis and DL Jabaal Sheard at the Cleveland Browns.
- Gray also played with Patriots WR Chris Hogan at the Buffalo Bills.
- Miami DE Jason Jones was teammates with New England DL Alan Branch at the Seattle Seahawks and OL LaAdrian Waddle at the Detroit Lions.
- Dolphins CBByron Maxwellalso played with Branch the Seahawks.
- Dolphins DT Ndamukong Suh and Patriots OL LaAdrian Waddle were teammates at the Detroit Lions.
- Miami head coach Adam Gase was the wide receivers coach at the Broncos when Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was the head coach in Denver.
- Gase also coached Patriots TE Martellus Bennett when he was the offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears in 2015.
- Miami quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree was an offensive assistant for the Bears when Patriots TE Martellus Bennett and LB Shea McClellin played in Chicago.
- Dolphins offensive quality control coach Chris Kuper played for the Broncos when Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was the head coach in Denver. Kuper played for the team from 2006-13 and was an offensive co-caption in 2010 under McDaniels.
FORMER COLLEGE TEAMMATES
- Miami special teams coordinator/assistant head coach Darren Rizzi worked at Rutgers when Patriots DB Devin McCourty played for the Scarlet Knights.
- Dolphins defensive backs coachLou Anarumocoached at Syracuse with Patriots running backs coach Ivan Fears in 1990.
- Dolphins senior defensive assistantJim Washburn worked with Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia at Southern Methodist University in 1976.
- Miami LB Kiko Alonso and LB Spencer Paysinger played with Patriots RB LeGarrette Blount and S Patrick Chung at Oregon.
- Dolphins S Michael Thomas and Patriots OL Cameron Fleming were teammates at Stanford.
- Miami T Ja'Wuan James played with Patriots DB Justin Coleman at the University of Tennessee.
- Miami T Branden Albert and New England DE Chris Long played together at Virginia.
