There hadn’t been a win at Hard Rock Stadium since 2019. No remnants of that roster remained on Sunday, either.
But the New England Patriots outlasted the Miami Dolphins by a score of 33-27 in the AFC East opener.
Here’s a glance back on what went into the 1 p.m. ET kickoff as head coach Mike Vrabel’s side heads home at 1-1.
Maye starts fast in the heat
There was discussion about too much being on the plate. There was discussion about not needing to be perfect. A week removed from attempting 46 passes in defeat, Drake Maye went
unfazed in the heat. The Patriots quarterback completed 19-of-23 throws for 230 yards in Miami Gardens. He found two touchdowns and no turnovers there.
The matinee got underway in “12” personnel with 10-play, 68-yard drive that ended in the end zone. A fourth-and-3 conversion kept it alive. A third-and-6 scramble did, too. A bootleg throwback to tight end Austin Hooper gained 22 yards down the left sideline then brought the offense to the doorstep. New England’s next series brought an 11-play, 70-yard surge for his next touchdown toss into the bucket. The fast start netted a passer rating of 152.6 through the first quarter. Nine consecutive passes were completed. By halftime, Maye stood 12-of-14 through the air.
Narrowing down both his decisions and his accuracy, the 23-year-old North Carolina product looked far removed from a Sunday ago. Down 20-15 in the third quarter, he kept digging and struck gold with a 55-yard connection. It set up Maye’s third career rushing touchdown on a day that spanned 31 yards across 10 carries. Offensive penalties were overcome.
Boutte, Hollins find the end zone on lone catches
Five wide receivers were again in uniform for New England.
Stefon Diggs sat down over the middle on the first drive to move the chains on fourth down. The 31-year-old finished with 32 yards. Starting alongside him, Mack Hollins secured his first touchdown as a Patriot. It arrived in stride from eight yards away on the former Dolphin’s lone catch of the day. And then there was Kayshon Boutte. On the heels of pacing the room with 103 yards, the 2023 draft flier out of LSU made his only target count. He got into the end zone from 16 yards out underneath blanket coverage. The third-and-6 touchdown gave the divisional visitors a 12-0 lead that would be a 15-14 lead by the break.
DeMario Douglas’ only reception of the afternoon had to wait until the 12:07 mark in the final quarter. Kyle Williams went without a target while fellow rookie wideout Efton Chism III returned to the inactives.
By ground and by air, backs get the ball
New England’s running backs combined to carry the football 13 times in the season opener. Only one of those carries arrived after halftime. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was well aware of the imbalance.
There were no signs of it on Sunday. Rhamondre Stevenson got the initial handoff and soon rumbled through contact. The starter finished the afternoon with 54 rushing yards over the course of 11 opportunities as well as a team-high 88 receiving yards. A two-point conversion for a 23-20 lead was in the cards. So was a third-and-13 shift upfield and a career-long catch of 55 over the shoulders.
TreVeyon Henderson spelled in to lower a shoulder. The rookie out of Ohio State rushed for 10 yards on a trio of carries. He was twice called for holding in pass protection on the way to two sacks and was flagged again on special teams. But the 4.43 speed was utilized out of the backfield for 30 receiving yards, beginning with a picked wheel route from Pony personnel.
Starting five gives way to five penalties
Two rookies on one side. Three veterans on the other. The offensive line kept its arrangement in South Florida, where the temperature at kickoff read 89 degrees.
The Patriots started No. 4 overall pick Will Campbell at left tackle and No. 95 overall pick Jared Wilson at left guard. Next to the SEC alums stood center Garrett Bradbury, right guard Mike Onwenu as well as right tackle Morgan Moses, who had been questionable due to a foot injury and was flagged for three false starts.
There were five penalties charged to the offensive line in all. The third false start of the season was assigned to the newcomer on the blindside. The second hold in as many weeks was assigned to the newcomer at left guard. A bad snap from center led to a third-and-26, too, during a game that featured sacks by the Dolphins’ Bradley Chubb, Chop Robinson and Jordyn Brooks.
Defensive front hits home after halftime
Dolphins running back De’Von Achane ran an angle route into open space for a 29-yard touchdown on Sunday. Off-the-ball linebackers Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss missed multiple tackles on drives that got Miami on the board. By intermission, New England’s defense had hit home for zero sacks and conceded 9.7 yards per play under interim playcaller Zak Kuhr.
But the pass rush began to hit home. After setting the tone with 2.5 sacks in his Patriots debut, Harold Landry III worked back from an early offside to get another takedown. Fellow starting outside linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson got a solo one of his own after hearing his number called for a pair of offside penalties.
The Patriots finished with five sacks altogether. A disruptive interior duo helped set the wheels in motion. Christian Barmore tacked on a hit and a tackle for loss while Milton Williams gave chase with two sacks, including the game’s final snap. And by then, ex-safety Marte Mapu had checked in as a sub-package cover man for a fourth-and-9 interception.
Gonzalez’s absence felt on a 26-of-32 passing day
The hamstring injury that arose in July has kept Christian Gonzalez out through the midway point of September. And in the absence of the reigning All-Pro, as well as defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, the secondary had ground to cover. Especially after letting up nine passing plays of 20-plus yards in the opener.
But the little plays continued to grow into something more. Tua Tagovailoa went 26-of-32 for 315 yards on Sunday. The Dolphins quarterback found two touchdowns and one interception. The track tandem of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle produced 177 yards on 11 catches and 13 targets. The latter broke past Alex Austin’s coverage on a corner route for an 18-yard touchdown in the second quarter. And the former turned back for a 47-yard jump ball over the cornerback in the third quarter.
Carlton Davis III and Marcus Jones started at the perimeter corner spots for the Patriots. They were joined by a big nickel featuring safeties Kyle Dugger, Craig Woodson and Jaylinn Hawkins, whose second pick in as many weeks was erased by offsetting penalties.
Two missed extra points, two touchdown returns
Andres Borregales twice earned first-team All-ACC honors during his tenure at the University of Miami. The former Hurricanes kicker made his way back on Sunday. A clank off the right upright on an extra point was how it got underway. A push wide right on another extra point was how continued.
Previously missing from 40 yards in his NFL debut, Borregales went 2-of-2 when tasked with field goals on Sunday. A 53-yarder sailed through. A kickoff short of the landing zone did not.
His holder would also endure the afternoon. Bryce Baringer had long of 71 yards on the heels of holding penalty, but the next punt off his right foot resulted in a lead change. Dolphins returner Malik Washington ran it back 74 yards for a touchdown with 7:18 left to play. But Antonio Gibson answered only seconds later. The all-purpose running back took the ensuing kickoff 90 yards and to the house to give the Patriots a 30-27 lead that would be sent to 33-27.
