FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady sat out practice Wednesday with what the team says is an Achilles tendon injury.

Brady has started all 10 games this season for AFC East-leading New England (8-2). He also has yet to miss a game because of an injury since 2008, when he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opening game.

The 40-year-old has thrown for 3,146 yards, 22 touchdowns and just two interceptions this season.

Tight end Rob Gronkowski (illness), receiver Chris Hogan (shoulder), center David Andrews (illness), offensive lineman Marcus Cannon (ankle), and safety Patrick Chung (ankle) also missed practice on Wednesday.

New England has won six games in a row and hosts Miami on Sunday.

THE PATRIOTS cut defensive end/linebacker Cassius Marsh on Wednesday and signed defensive lineman Eric Lee off the Bills’ practice squad.

It was a bit of a surprising move considering New England traded two draft picks to acquire Marsh this preseason, but Marsh had struggled in run defense in recent games.

Why did the Patriots make the move? Patriots Coach Bill Belichick kept his answer simple.

“We felt like that was the best move to make for the football team,” Belichick said.

The Patriots saw Lee this preseason during joint practices with the Houston Texans. Belichick said their experience with Lee was not necessarily a significant deciding factor in the move, but helped them collect information on the player.

“He kind of played outside linebacker for Houston, defensive end in their sub package, so there’s some relevance there for us, similar to the position that was vacated,” Belichick said. “We’ll see how it goes.”

Good showings by linebackers Marquis Flowers and Trevor Reilly in recent games may have affected New England’s decision. Flowers was another preseason acquisition, while Reilly looked strong in a Patriots uniform as a practice squad player last season.

“Trevor was here last year and Trevor, I think, did a really good job for us,” Belichick said. “We were pretty healthy last year and never really had an opportunity to move him up. When an opportunity came for him to be a roster player and play in games and so forth, he took that. But I think that he was playing at a pretty good level last year. We just didn’t have the spot. This year it was a little bit different. … I wouldn’t say I’m surprised at the way he’s performed. He’s done a good job for us. He probably would’ve done that last year for us if we had the opportunity to get him in there, but we had other guys that we don’t have this year and so, as I said, we just didn’t have room.”

THE PATRIOTS have to be happy with what Brandin Cooks has brought to the team in his first season in New England. He is tied for fourth in the NFL in receiving yards (786), third in yards per reception (17.5) and has four touchdowns on the season.

And Cooks has no reason to complain about his time in New England. It looks as though he will reach similar statistical marks to what he had in New Orleans, and he continues to grow as a member of the Patriots’ offense.

Perhaps that’s why he told CBSSports.com that he hopes to stick around here.

“The goal is to play the rest of my career here,” Cooks said. “That’s God willing. I don’t know what the future holds, but this is a special place.”

Cooks is 24 years old, and just entering the prime of his career. While he is likely to earn a big contract next season, the offseason trade that brought Cooks to New England appears to have worked out.

PENALTIES CONTINUE to be a problem for Miami – and one that needs a rapid remedy if the 4-6 Dolphins, 16½-point underdogs, are to have any chance Sunday at New England.

“It’s something we can fix,” Coach Adam Gase said.

They haven’t fixed it yet. And the Dolphins have dropped four in a row. They’ve been flagged for 42 infractions during the skid, including 17 last week, one shy of the franchise record.

Their season total of 84 penalties ranks second behind only the Seattle Seahawks, and they’re on pace to set a team season record.

Infractions cost Miami a season-high 123 yards in Sunday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That might have been the difference in the outcome, given that the Bucs kicked a field goal to break a tie with 4 seconds left.

“I wouldn’t say we’re playing undisciplined,” defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh said. “I’d say we’re making mistakes in tough situations.”

MATT MOORE was under center when the Dolphins practiced Wednesday with starting quarterback Jay Cutler still in concussion protocol, according to Gase.

It remains unknown when Cutler might return to practice or whether he’ll be able to play Sunday. Gase said Monday that Cutler would remain the starter if he’s healthy.

“I’m sure there will be a point I make a decision,” Gase said. “I don’t really know what the timetable is right now. I’m just kind of taking it day by day right now.”

Gase said the decision, ultimately, is out of hands.

“When you’re in the protocol, as coaches, we remove ourselves and let that process kind of take care of itself.”