The Dolphins amassed 193 yards rushing, led by rookie pair Jaylen Wright and Raheem Mostert. Their running game contributed to their 95-yard drive which propelled them into the lead late in the fourth quarter.
After taking a timeout to regroup after their break-out performance against Huntley in week three, the Patriots defense showed signs of renewed strength after halftime, with Christian Barmore recording his first sack and Marcus Jones making an important pass deflection against him.
| Player | Team | Position | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drake Maye | New England Patriots | QB | 22/37, 221 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 26 rush yards |
| Austin Hooper | New England Patriots | TE | 38-yard TD reception |
| DeMario Douglas | New England Patriots | WR | 5 rec, 25 yards; 1 rush, 4 yards |
| Rhamondre Stevenson | New England Patriots | RB | 10 rushes, 39 yards |
| Ezekiel Elliott | New England Patriots | RB | 7 rushes, 36 yards |
| Antonio Gibson | New England Patriots | RB | 6 rushes, 30 yards |
| Joey Slye | New England Patriots | K | Missed 45-yard field goal |
| Christian Gonzalez | New England Patriots | CB | 63-yard fumble recovery TD |
| Jahlani Tavai | New England Patriots | LB | At least 5 tackles |
| Christian Barmore | New England Patriots | DL | 1 sack |
| Tua Tagovailoa | Miami Dolphins | QB | 29/40, 317 yards, 4 TDs |
| Jaylen Waddle | Miami Dolphins | WR | 8 rec, 144 yards, 1 TD |
| Jonnu Smith | Miami Dolphins | TE | 9 rec, 87 yards, 1 TD |
| De’Von Achane | Miami Dolphins | RB | 2 receiving TDs (9-yard and 11-yard) |
| Tyrel Dodson | Miami Dolphins | LB | 1 interception |
| Jalen Ramsey | Miami Dolphins | CB | 1 interception |
Patriots
The Patriots have not lost at home this season and have scored 40+ points in each of their past five home games – their best stretch ever in team history! Meanwhile, the Dolphins are yet to win an away game this year and have only managed 15 total points across four away contests so far this year.
Miami’s offense found it challenging to gain any momentum without Tua Tagovailoa, with Rahmondre Stevenson averaging less than 4 yards per carry against a staunch Rams run defense. Nonetheless, they found some respite in their passing game where Antonio Gibson stood out with 14-yard rush and 11-yard reception — both signs that his dual threat ability is being utilized effectively by Drake Maye who also threw an important touchdown pass to Austin Hooper.
The Dolphins managed to generate some pressure against the Steelers last week, but it will be key that they maintain that pressure this week against New England. As they are only 20th in pass-rush win rate and only have 17 sacks this season compared with 18 for Tom Brady and New England offense, it will prove challenging for them.
The Dolphins need to improve their rushing attack if they want to win more games this season. De’Von Achane may currently be sidelined due to concussion, but other players like Jaylen Waddle and Jahvid Best may provide production from behind the line. Furthermore, Christian Gonzalez signed with them as cornerback depth. While injuries will limit Patriot effectiveness offensively, but the Dolphins possess a capable group who can contribute offensively.
Dolphins
The Dolphins struggled to establish any sort of offensive rhythm after trading punts on both of their opening drives in the first quarter. Things picked up a little in the second, but penalties interrupted Rhamondre Stevenson’s attempts and caused their drive to end early; ultimately the team settled for Joey Slye field goal attempt instead.
The third drive of the half was marked by Tagovailoa’s triumphant comeback on 3rd-and-8, when he overcame a speed bump by connecting with Jaylen Waddle for 15 yards to set Miami up at New England 37-yard line. Following an initial short gain on first down, Tagovailoa hit Jonnu Smith for 13 yards into Patriots territory; on second down and inches, Tagovailoa then found Achane for nine-yard screen pass to give Miami two-score lead over New England.
After an uneven start to their season, the Dolphins appear to be getting back on track. Over their last seven drives – sans touchdown or kneel downs – they have scored on all but two possessions and now rank third in scoring average during that span – an encouraging sign for a unit which entered with one of the worst offensive outputs in league history. That performance could only get better as time progresses but even at its best won’t be enough against top teams.
Scoring
On their opening drives, both teams exchanged punts without being able to find an offensive rhythm. But Miami’s defense managed to take control of the ground game, taking down New England with force thanks to Zach Sieler, Benito Jones, Calais Campbell’s front seven – including Zach Sieler, Benito Jones and Calais Campbell as well as linebacker Emmanuel Ogbah who made several key plays and one sack.
Miami may have lost, but their performance remains positive. Their offense has improved significantly since Tagovailoa returned, ranking third in average yards per pass (8.5) during non-end-of-half drives and having 25 passing first downs out of 45 dropbacks – an exceptional rate among NFL teams.
Special teams for the Dolphins have been inconsistent. On their second drive, long snapper Blake Ferguson accidentally dribbled a snap back to holder Jake Bailey who failed to get his kickoff off in time and cost them six points – something which could be much more detrimental against a more formidable opponent.
The Dolphins first three-and-out was an eight-play affair, concluding with Jay Sanders’ 30-yard field goal at the end of their first half drive. Following that kick, however, their offense slowly chipped away at New England’s lead through penalties and rookie running back Jaylen Wright’s 12-yard run, eventually reaching midfield where they converted on fourth down – where New England did not convert its fourth attempt at scoring on fourth down.
On the Dolphins’ next drive, Drake Maye provided much-needed oomph with his legs. He ran for 14 yards rushing and added two key scrambles that gained 15 more. Such performances may become key against teams with strong defensive lines.
Defense
The Dolphins boast one of the worst defensive units in the league, so the Patriots should expect plenty of points. Unfortunately for New England though, its offense has struggled this year to move the ball consistently against Miami’s defense; thus third down efficiency may play an integral part of this matchup.
The Patriots offense struggled early against the Jaguars but eventually found its groove and scored 20 points over the final two quarters. Wide receivers Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper had big days, while quarterback Tom Brady completed 75% of his passes, running back Drake Maye provided additional offense with two key scrambles of 15 yards each for total of 40 total gained on two scrambles.
On the other side of the coin, Miami’s defense wreaked havoc against New England’s offensive line. Miami’s front seven recorded nine sacks between them and forced four three-and-outs, with defensive tackle Zach Sieler recording one sack, defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah recovering two fumbles, and linebacker Jordan Poyer also having a recovery.
The Dolphins also made strides against the run, holding New England to just over 100 yards on the ground. Safety Marcus Maye had an exceptional game, totaling 10 tackles and an interception to lead his side against Brady’s ground game. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey recorded one sack – giving him his most in a young career to date; currently tied with former Patriots cornerback Gino Cappelletti for most interceptions by rookie cornerback in a season; as well as only being the fifth NFL player ever to have recorded at least three picks within four games!
Special teams
After an initially poor showing, the Dolphins special teams have seen great improvement since Week 2. Running back Malik Washington has returned punts for two touchdowns and a kickoff return of 22 yards, while DE Dion Lewis and CB Christian Gonzalez both recorded interceptions; Lewis currently leads in interception yards while Gonzalez is tied for third with four picks.
On the other hand, however, the Patriots’ special teams have underperformed. Their punt return yards rank 21st and kickoff return yards come in 25th; furthermore, their special-teams unit has the 27th best rushing defense among NFL clubs.
New England has only permitted opponents to convert three out of 22 third-down conversion attempts during the last two weeks, which highlights an issue in their play-action passing game which has been inconsistent so far this season.
Miami’s run game has been surprising effective recently. Rhamondre Stevenson currently ranks 11th all time among Miami RBs with 2,850 rushing yards – only needing 68 this week to pass former teammate LeGarrette Blount (2,917) for 10th spot on that list!
However, their offensive line has struggled to open holes as efficiently. In fact, the Dolphins rank just 14th in rushing yards per carry compared to New England and Stevenson could see his opportunities increase significantly against their run defense.
At their first encounter, New England’s defense was able to effectively stop Miami’s running game; that shouldn’t be an issue this time as they rank fourth in rush-defense rating and can capitalize on New England’s poor kickoff and punt-return coverage (tied for worst in league), leading to plenty of big plays for them.