Vic Fangio speaks on Jalen Ramsey’s odds of playing in Miami Dolphins-New England Patriots game

Jalen Ramsey is inching toward making his debut for the Miami Dolphins, and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said it hasn’t been determined if that could come as soon as Sunday against the New England Patriots.

The star cornerback, who was acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams in the offseason, has been recovering from a knee injury he suffered in practice early in training camp. The 29-year-old was placed on injured reserve and had his 21-day window to return opened last Wednesday.

A report from earlier this week suggested the Dolphins are looking at the game on Nov. 19 against the Las Vegas Raiders for Ramsey’s return. That would give him extra time to recover as the Dolphins face the Kansas City Chiefs and then have a bye week following the game against the Patriots.

But following a 31-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles this past Sunday, Miami may be looking for a spark, something the dynamic All-Pro would certainly provide. Fellow cornerback Xavien Howard did not play against the Eagles because of a groin injury, but he was able to practice to start this week.

Miami is 5-2 and leads the AFC East but has struggled against the tougher teams on its schedule so far. The Dolphins lost to the Buffalo Bills 48-20 in Week 4 and have not defeated a team with a winning record this season.

Miami topped New England 24-17 in Week 2. The Patriots raised their record to 2-5 with a surprising 29-25 win against the Bills last week.

The Dolphins have had a good recent run of success against their AFC East rivals, and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is 5-0 against Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

The Miami offense had been outstanding before managing just one touchdown against the Eagles. The defense under Fangio in his first season as coordinator has not been as strong, but it also has been dealing with injuries to Ramsey, Howard and pass rusher Jaelan Phillips, among others.

Getting Ramsey back against the Patriots could help turn around the fortunes of the unit, which will be necessary as the season moves along with playoff and Super Bowl dreams.