The New England Patriots beat the Miami Dolphins 24-19 on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium, outscoring Miami 21-6 over the final two quarters behind two touchdown passes from Drake Maye. The win pushed New England to 5-3, while Miami fell to 1-6.
New England trailed 13-3 at halftime after Malik Willis found Malik Washington for a 1-yard touchdown with eight seconds left in the second quarter. The Patriots responded by scoring on three straight drives spanning the third and fourth quarters, including a 43-yard touchdown pass from Maye to Kyle Williams and a 2-yard touchdown run by Maye himself. Miami’s top performer, Willis, finished 21 of 32 for 211 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
Takeaways From Patriots’ Win Over Dolphins
Maye’s second-half dominance
Drake Maye completed 16 of 20 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, posting a 141.5 passer rating. Both of his touchdown throws came after halftime, a 43-yard strike to Kyle Williams to open the third quarter and a 48-yard score to DeMario Douglas early in the fourth that put New England ahead 24-13.
Patriots ground game wore down Miami
The Patriots ran 36 times for 131 yards, led by Rhamondre Stevenson’s 19 carries for 82 yards. New England also converted both of its fourth-down attempts, a sharp contrast to Miami, which did not face a single fourth down. The rushing output helped New England control the clock in the second half as it built its lead.
Dolphins’ red zone efficiency suffered
The Dolphins managed only one touchdown on two trips inside New England’s 20-yard line, settling for field goals from Zane Gonzalez on drives that stalled. Miami out-gained the Patriots in total plays, 60-59 but trailed in total yards. The Dolphins’ interception by Patriots safety Kevin Byard and a lost fumble limited scoring chances.
Player Of The Game: Drake Maye
Maye completed 16 of 20 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns, adding a rushing touchdown on eight carries for 5 yards. His 141.5 passer rating and zero turnovers were the difference as New England erased a 10-point halftime deficit.
Patriots Vs Dolphins Score By The Numbers
New England out-gained Miami on the ground 131-74 yards, with Stevenson alone nearly matching the Dolphins’ entire rushing total. The Patriots also finished perfect on fourth down at 2-for-2, while Miami did not attempt a single fourth-down conversion. Miami actually led in total yards, 269 to Patriots’ 313 is incorrect, New England actually had more total yards, 313-269, and more yards per play, 5.3 to 4.5.
Each team turned the ball over once, but Kevin Byard’s fourth-quarter interception of Malik Willis for New England came at a critical moment as Miami tried to rally. The Patriots were flagged seven times for 46 yards while the Dolphins committed six penalties for 50 yards.
What’s Next
The Patriots (5-3) sit third in the AFC East behind Buffalo (6-1). Miami fell to 1-6, last in the division.
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