The Miami Dolphins kept it close but ultimately fell to the New England Patriots, 24-19, on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.
Miami's defense set the tone early, holding New England's offense to a field goal on its opening possession behind a pair of stops from defensive lineman Zach Sieler. On the Patriots' following series, inside linebacker Jacob Rodriguez stripped wide receiver Efton Chism III and cornerback JuJu Brents recovered the ball to set the Dolphins up at New England's 19-yard line. Miami turned the takeaway into points, with kicker Zane Gonzalez connecting on a 31-yard field goal attempt to even the score at 3-3.
The pressure continued when edge Josh Uche sacked Patriots' quarterback Drake Maye on third down for a loss of 10 yards to close out the first quarter.
The Dolphins moved the ball efficiently to open the second quarter despite New England's tight man coverage. Running back Ollie Gordon II paced the offense on the ground before wide receiver Malik Washington hauled in a 23-yard reception to set up a scoring opportunity. Gonzalez then converted a 51-yarder to give Miami the lead, 6-3.
The Patriots put together a lengthy 12-play, seven-minute march downfield, but Miami's defense stood firm and kept them out of the end zone. Kicker Andres Borregales' 40-yard field goal attempt went wide right, leaving the score 6-3.
Miami seized control late in the first half. Quarterback Malik Willis connected with tight end Greg Dulcich for 19 yards and wide receiver Jalen Tolbert for 23 more to move the Dolphins deep into Patriots territory. Receiver Caleb Douglas then added an 18-yard reception to keep the chains moving before Willis found Washington for a 1-yard touchdown pass. Gonzalez converted the extra point to hand the Dolphins a 13-3 advantage.
New England had one final chance before halftime, but edge rusher Chop Robinson cut the possession short with a 2-yard sack of Maye. He picked up right where he left off after the break, helping force a quick three-and-out with another sack that dropped Maye for a 5-yard loss.
New England adjusted quickly, scoring on three consecutive possessions. Maye first connected with receiver Kyle Williams for a 43-yard touchdown and Borregales' extra point pulled the Patriots within three. The Patriots maintained momentum as they marched down the field on their longest drive of the game; Maye capped the series with a 2-yard touchdown run, and the extra point put New England ahead, 17-13.
The Dolphins' next drive showed promise but was cut short by an interception on a pass intended for Douglas. New England capitalized on the takeaway when wide receiver DeMario Douglas broke free for a 48-yard touchdown, extending the Patriots' advantage to 24-13.
Facing an 11-point deficit late in the fourth quarter, Miami answered quickly. With just over two minutes remaining, Willis connected with receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. on a 35-yard touchdown pass to pull the Dolphins within one score at 24-19.
Willis finished 21-of-32 (65.6 pct.) for 211 passing yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. Gordon II led on the ground with 69 yards on 19 carries, and Coleman Jr. led through the air with 3 receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown. Inside linebacker Jordyn Brooks finished with a team-high 11 tackles including 6 solo stops, while Robinson contributed 2.0 sacks for the third multi-sack game of his career. The Dolphins' defense combined for 69 total tackles and three quarterback hits.
Miami's homestand continues next weekend as the Dolphins welcome the Detroit Lions to Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 1 p.m.
