Hightower missed every practice this week, which doesn't bode well for his chances of playing Sunday. If he's out, that takes the control tower of the Patriots defense out of the equation. Additionally, that could potentially open up the possibility of the Dolphins gaining some momentum in the running game (if the rest of the defense doesn't step up).
Right now, the Dolphins starting corners are ex-Seahawk Byron Maxwell and rookie Xavien Howard. It's one of their weakest groups. Meanwhile, the Patriots are fresh off a performance where Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan and Danny Amendola made quick work of a very good Arizona secondary (especially when they tried to blitz).