As the clocks fell behind on Sunday, so did the New England Patriots.
But head coach Mike Vrabel’s side went from a 10-point deficit to a 24-19 victory over the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.
Here’s a glance back on the 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff as the 2025 AFC East winners move into November with a 5-3 record.
Maye dries off with three touchdowns after halftime
Drake Maye accounted for 14 touchdowns during the month of October. The efficiency continued as the calendar turned.
The Patriots quarterback completed 16-of-20 throws for 199 yards with two
touchdowns and no turnovers in Miami Gardens. He added his third rushing TD of the season to go with a 141.5 passer rating.
Beginning in “12” personnel with heavy rain and thunderstorms in the forecast, New England’s eight-play, 35-yard opening drive resulted in a field goal. A fumble by Efton Chism III followed on the second snap of the second series, however, with a punch by linebacker Jacob Rodriguez setting the table for a 3-3 game. And on the third series, a third-down sack by an old friend sent the punt unit on.
Down 6-3, Maye evaded pressure and kept his eyes downfield to hit the wide receiver who had fumbled before. But that fourth-and-4 conversion didn’t give way to a tie game. The deficit extended to 13-3 instead.
By halftime at Hard Rock Stadium, Maye stood 7-of-10 passing with just 53 scoreless yards through the air. Coming out of it, the Patriots went from punting to challenging what became a 43-yard, pinpoint touchdown pass to speedster Kyle Williams. There was no more sleepwalking from that point forward. The gap closed to 13-10 against a young Dolphins defense fresh off its first win of the fall. New England then took the lead on the heels of a fourth-and-2 effort from slot target DeMario Douglas, as a speed option brought Maye into the end zone to wrap up the third quarter at 17-13.
The ball soon went back to Douglas, too. As New England’s QB tested the width of the field, so did the Liberty product en route to 48 yards and his fourth touchdown catch of the campaign for a new career high.
Maye did not have pass hit the grass in the second half until 4:20 remained in regulation as three straight drives hit paydirt. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ group finished 6-of-14 on third down, 2-of-2 on fourth down and 1-of-2 in the red zone.
Down No. 1, Patriots’ motley crew of receivers catch all nine targets
The Patriots downgraded A.J. Brown to out on the eve of the divisional meeting after the June trade acquisition consecutive practices with a knee issue as well as the high ankle sprain that previously sent him to injured reserve in September.
In the absence of No. 1, plus fellow veteran targets Mack Hollins and Romeo Doubs, the wide receiver room included three members of the 53-man roster and a former Dolphin checking in as a standard elevation. Two receptions were registered by the depth chart in the first half. Only that didn’t hold.
A motley crew of Chism, Williams and Douglas combined catch all nine passes sent their direction for 156 yards and two sprints to the end zone. Rounding out the position was Ryan Miller, who entered Sunday ranked fifth on Miami in receiving yards despite being on New England’s practice squad.
But attrition persisted on a Sunday that saw rookies Eli Raridon and Tanner Arkin start and false start at tight end. Captain Hunter Henry went to the locker room prior to intermission and ultimately went from questionable to out due a foot injury.
Changing of the left guard
New England’s offensive line conceded a total of two sacks over the previous two games. That was the case despite Alijah Vera-Tucker landing on injured reserve with a hamstring injury and Ben Brown also missing time with a knee injury.
But the latter subbed back in at left guard for the second half of a soggy Sunday.
That’s after the starting five began with a trade pickup from the NFL’s 53-man roster deadline along the interior. The combination included Will Campbell at left tackle, Walter Rouse at left guard, Matt Pryor at right guard and Morgan Moses at right tackle. And Jared Wilson, who had a fumbled snap roll to the QB on third down, was in the middle of things at center.
Three sacks were let up. Former Patriot Joshua Uche hit home for the first with a simulated pressure and a stunt. Fellow Dolphins edge rusher Chop Robinson added two more going in and out of intermission. The heat subsided.
Stevenson’s hard-earned yards close it
An illness kept TreVeyon Henderson sidelined for back-to-back practices before going from questionable to out. Even so, the Patriots’ running backs gained ground to the tune of 126 rushing yards in the absence of the No. 38 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
Rhamondre Stevenson’s hard running was leaned on as Sunday wore on. The starter turned 19 carries into 82 yards, including a third-and-5 plunge with no timeouts remaining for the Dolphins. He preceded that 24-19 moment by recovering an onside kick as part of the hands team.
Corey Kiner rushed for 38 yards over the course of seven handoffs behind him, led by gains of 10 and 20, while 53-man promotion Lan Larison logged his initial NFL carries. Both backups doubled as kickoff returners.
Willis picked once by restocked secondary
Malik Willis had to go against a defensive backfield nearing full strength. He wouldn’t outlast it. The Dolphins quarterback went 21-of-32 passing for 211 yards with two touchdowns and one interception while calling his own number only once as a rusher.
The afternoon kicked off with a pair of three-and-outs and a field goal for Miami. But a drive featuring the offense’s initial four first downs soon made it a 6-3 game in doinking fashion. The final possession going into the break saw it all come together, though, as an 11-play, 60-yard march to the end zone ended in the hands of wide receiver Malik Washington with a boost from unnecessary roughness.
Consecutive three-and-outs were endured heading out of halftime. From there, the Dolphins answered back from a turnover and missed field goal with a 35-yard touchdown to wideout Kevin Coleman. Too little, too late.
Carlton Davis III returned to the secondary after missing three straight games due to a neck injury, and the eldest statesman at cornerback started across from All-Pro Christian Gonzalez on Sunday. Veteran safety and captain Kevin Byard III intercepted his first pass in a Patriots uniform in the fourth quarter, too. The March arrival in Foxborough led the NFL with seven picks in 2025.
New England’s front forges way to five sacks and 3.2 yards per carry
Miami’s QB would be taken down for five sacks against New England’s front. All by halftime.
Cory Durden recorded the first 1.5 sacks of his career in the first quarter with help from linebacker Christian Elliss. No. 55 overall pick Gabe Jacas tacked on 1.5 with help from Christian Barmore. And sack leader Elijah Ponder and safety Jaylen Reed also swarmed for a split of their own.
The Patriots started the divisional matchup with Dre’Mont Jones off the edge and Ponder, a 2025 UDFA out of Cal Poly who now stands with six sacks on the year, off the ball. Defensive tackles in Durden, Barmore and Milton Williams stood between the outside linebackers in the base front. Behind them stood captain Robert Spillane and the team’s omnipresent leading tackler.
The Dolphins managed to turn 23 carries into 74 yards. That ground average of 3.2 yards per was buoyed by a long of 16 from running back Ollie Gordon II.
Eventful kicking game
Special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer’s department made its presence felt early with a tackle on the opening kickoff by Brenden Schooler and then a 26-yard punt return by Marcus Jones. Things didn’t end there.
Patriots kicker Andy Borregales recorded a midfield tackle while in South Florida. The former Miami Hurricane also went 1-of-2 on field goals and 3-of-3 on extra points. He converted narrowly from 34 yards away in the first quarter, but missed wide right from 40 yards away in the second quarter.
His holder had a smoother Sunday. In the first game since Bryce Baringer’s exit from injured reserve, Mitch Wishnowsky averaged 45.7 yards per punt with two inside-the-20 efforts and no touchbacks across three chances.
