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FOXBORO - The last time the Patriots played a team with two rookies starting at cornerback, they scored 59 points against the newcomers' team.

Don't expect a repeat performance on Sunday, Wes Welker said.

"It's a different situation," Welker said of the 3-4 Miami Dolphins, who come to Gillette Stadium on Sunday (1 p.m.; Ch. 4, 12) with a pair of rookie corners, Sean Smith and Vontae Davis. "The front seven they have and the type of athletic ability that those corners have, it's going to be a challenge for us."

As opposed to the ease of moving the ball that the Patriots enjoyed against the Tennessee Titans and their experience-challenged secondary in the snow last month, Miami appears to be able to put more pressure on the quarterback up front, and thus protect the rookies by forcing hurried, inaccurate throws.

"Yeah, they're big guys," Welker said Thursday. "Smith is 6-3 (and 214 pounds) and Davis is a good-sized guy (5-11, 203) and athletic. They're young guys that are hungry and we're definitely going to have our hands full against them." Smith, the rookie from Utah, has 17 tackles and eight pass defenses to his credit, while Davis, an Illinois product, has 13 tackles, four pass defenses and one interception returned 23 yards for a touchdown. But they, too, can consider Welker a handful.

The diminutive Patriot is tied for fourth in the NFL in receptions (with Indianapolis' Dallas Clark) with 46, and is 20th in yardage with 484 yards - and all of that despite missing two games in September due to a sore knee.

Welker is quite adept at gaining yardage after the catch, something that Dolphins' coach Tony Sparano has undoubtedly tried to drill into the heads of Smith and Davis.

"I'm sure it's a thing that the coaches talk about and tell the players," Welker said, "but for me, it's just to go out there and do the best I can with each situation and trying to make those yards after the catch.

"If you watch them on film, they're gaining a lot of confidence as the year goes on," he added. "They're really starting to understand the defense and what the coaches want them to do, and it really shows up on film. They're doing a great job, and we're going to have to play well."

Welker, a former Dolphin, elevated his game last year in the second meeting of the two teams. After catching six passes for 55 yards in the 38-13 loss in Foxboro, Welker pulled in eight passes for 120 yards as the Patriots throttled Miami, 48-20, at what's now called LandShark Stadium two months later.

"Every game's pretty much the same," Welker said. "You've got to prepare the same, you've got to make sure you're ready to go and understand what they do as a defense, and from there, just go out and execute."

Tom Brady has traditionally struggled against Miami, so Welker knows that all aspects of the offense will have to be playing at peak efficiency to sidetrack the Dolphins' recent improvement.

"They're a veteran-type team, and they're playing good football," Welker said. "So we're going to have to bring our best game just to have an opportunity to win."

Simmons released When he became available earlier in the year following offseason surgery, the Patriots jumper at the chance to sign veteran Kendall Simmons, a former starter on the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive line - and gave him a three-year contract to boot.

Friday, the Patriots booted Simmons, releasing him after he saw action in only one game (and that, on special teams) through the first seven.

Simmons spent seven seasons with the Steelers after joining them as a first-round draft pick (30th overall) out of Auburn in 2002.

Out and about

As expected, the Patriots have ruled out Julian Edelman, Matt Light, Fred Taylor, Jarvis Green and Sammy Morris for Sunday's game against the Dolphins.

Cornerback Jonathan Wilhite, absent most of the week with flu-like symptoms, was listed as questionable, along with defensive tackle Ty Warren (ankle) and tight end Benjamin Watson (back). Tom Brady and Randy Moss, sporting matching sore shoulders, are probable.