The New England Patriots suffered a devastating and incredibly uncharacteristic loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, resulting in the Patriots losing out on a first-round bye.

The Dolphins have been sort of a thorn in the Patriots' side for quite some time, but generally, that has only been the case when the games have taken place in Miami.

This time, the Dolphins beat the Pats in Foxborough, and given the implications of the contest, that does not bode that well for New England heading into the playoffs.

Still, the Patriots are the Patriots, and they should be feared in January.

Here are three burning questions for the Pats as they get set to battle the Tennessee Titans in the Wild Card Round and aim to win their seventh Super Bowl:

3. Can Sony Michel carry over his recent play into the postseason?

One of the main bright spots for the Patriots over the last few weeks has been running back Sony Michel, who has put together several solid performances to salvage what was a rather poor 2019 regular season overall.

Michel logged 89, 96 and 74 carries over his last three games, averaging over four yards per carry all three times.

The second-year back was instrumental in New England's Super Bowl run last year, scoring six touchdowns in the playoffs.

With the Pats' aerial attack lacking this season, Michel will be even more integral to the Patriots' success this time around. The good news is that his recent play indicates he may be on the upswing at the perfect time.

2. How badly is Julian Edelman hurt?

Julian Edelman is playing through knee and shoulder injuries, the latter of which is reportedly pretty severe.

The issues haven't stopped him from getting on the field every week in 2019, but they have caused his production to dip, specifically over the last three games where he has totaled just 10 catches on 18 targets.

Another interesting tidbit is that Edelman has been targeted in the single digits in all three of those contests, but in the eight games prior, Edelman recorded double-digit targets each week.

Edelman is easily Tom Brady's most important pass-catcher, so if he isn't close to 100 percent, not even Tom Terrific himself may be able to lift the Patriots.

1. Can Tom Brady do it again for the Patriots?

The things we are hearing about Brady now are the same things we heard about him last season.

He's too old. His skills are deteriorating. He's cooked.

Of course, Brady embraces that sort of criticism and uses it as ammunition to further his cause, but at 42 years old, there are legitimate reasons to wonder whether or not he can summon his greatness again, especially in a tough AFC that will likely include matchups with the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens if the Patriots want to reach the Super Bowl.

It would be silly to write Brady off, as he has made a career out of proving everyone wrong, but with Edelman hurting and Rob Gronkowski not walking through that door, there seems to be more responsibility on his shoulders this year than there even was last season.

That being said…doubt Tom Brady at your own peril.