A look at Patriots-Dolphins connections as we head into the home opener on Sunday.
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 coach Shane 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 LB* *Jonathan Freeny is from Coconut Creek, Fla.
- Patriots DL Jabaal Sheard is from Hollywood, Fla.
- Patriots RB James White is from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
FORMER PATRIOTS
- Miami wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson played for the Patriots from 1996-99.
FORMER DOLPHINS
- Patriots tight ends coach Brian Daboll was the Dolphins offensive coordinator in 2011.
- Patriots LB Jonathan Freeny played for the Dolphins from 2011-14.
- New England DL Anthony Johnson played in Miami during the 2014 season.
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 Bushrodplayed with Patriots TE Martellus Bennett and LB Shea McClellin at the Chicago Bears.
- Dolphins TE Jordan Cameron and TE MarQueis Grayplayed 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 CB Byron Maxwell also played with Branch the Seahawks.
- Miami RB Isaiah Pead and Patriots DE Chris Long were teammates at the St. Louis Rams.
- Dolphins DT Ndamukong Suh and Patriots OL LaAdrian Waddle were teammates at the Detroit Lions.
- Miami head coachAdam 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 Hardegreewas 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 and LB Jonathan Freeny played for the Scarlet Knights.
- Dolphins defensive backs coach Lou Anarumo coached at Syracuse with Patriots running backs coach Ivan Fearsin 1990.
- Dolphins senior defensive assistant Jim Washburn worked with Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia at Southern Methodist University in 1976.
- Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski and DTEarl Mitchell were teammates at Arizona.
- Dolphins WR Jarvis Landry played with Patriots DL Anthony Johnson at Louisiana State.
- 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 and GDallas Thomas 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.
