TEAM NOTES
• Patriots end four-game losing streak to Miami.
• Patriots end five-game losing streak in games played in Miami.
• Mike Vrabel earns first win with the Patriots.
• Hunter Henry moves past Ben Watson for fifth place.
• Antonio Gibson returns a kickoff 90 yards for a TD.
• Drake Maye has career-long 55-yard pass and completes 80 percent.
• Milton Williams seals game with his second sack.
TEAM NOTES
PATRIOTS END FOUR GAME LOSING STREAK AGAINST MIAMI
The Patriots snapped a four-game losing streak and earned their first win against the Dolphins since a 23-21 victory on Jan. 1, 2023 after a 33-27 victory.
PATRIOTS END FIVE GAME LOSING STREAK IN GAMES PLAYED IN MIAMI
The Patriots snapped a five-game losing streak at Miami. The Patriots last win against the Dolphins in Miami was a 43-0 win on Sept. 15, 2019.
PATRIOTS SCORE ON FIRST THREE DRIVES OF THE GAME
The Patriots scored on their first three drives of the game with a 10-play, 68-yard touchdown drive, an 11play, 70-yard touchdown drive and a field goal on a 15-play, 71-yard drive. Last season, the Patriots scored touchdowns on their first two offensive drives at Buffalo on Dec. 22, 2024. The last time the Patriots scored on their first three drives was when they scored on their first four drives vs. Indianapolis on Dec. 1, 2024.
PATRIOTS DEFEAT MIAMI QB TUA TAGOVAILOA FOR FIRST TIME
Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa suffered his first loss against New England. He entered the game with a 7-0 record against the Patriots. He was 0-2 against Mike Vrabel while in Tennessee.
PATRIOTS HAVE FIRST KICKOFF RETURN FOR A TOUCHDOWN SINCE 2023
RB Antonio Gibson returned a fourth quarter kick 90 yards for a touchdown, the Patriots first kickoff return for a touchdown since WR Jalen Reagor returned the opening kick 98 yards for a touchdown on Dec. 31, 2023 at Buffalo. It is the 29th kickoff return for a touchdown in team history.
PATRIOTS SCORE 30 FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2022
The Patriots scored over 30 points for the first time since a 38-15 win at Cleveland on Oct. 16, 2022 with the 33-27 win.
GETTING TO THE QUARTERBACK
The Patriots had 4 sacks in the 2025 season-opener vs. Las Vegas (9/7) and followed that performance with 5 sacks against the Dolphins. The last time the Patriots had at least four sacks in back-to-back games was in 2022 with 9 sacks vs. Indianapolis (11/6) followed by 4 sacks vs. the N.Y. Jets (11/20).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
VRABEL WINS FIRST GAME AS HEAD COACH OF THE PATRIOTS
Mike Vrabel, who was hired as the 16th head coach in team history on Jan. 13, 2025, earned his first victory as head coach of the Patriots.
MILTON WILLIAMS HAS FIRST 2-SACK GAME WITH THE PATRIOTS
DT Milton Wiliams finished with 2 sacks, including a 9-yard sack on fourth down with 53 seconds to play to seal the New England win. It is his second career 2-sack game. He also had 2 sacks at the L.A. Rams on Nov. 24, 2024.
HAROLD LANDRY III RECORDS MOST SACKS IN FIRST TWO GAMES FOR THE PATRIOTS
LB Harold Landry III finished with 1 sack in New England's win. He now has 3½ sacks on the season, the most by any Patriots player in their first two games with the team. He previously had 2½ sacks vs. Las Vegas on Sept. 7, 2025. The previous record was set by DL Chris Slade in 1993, with 3 sacks in his first two games with the team.
GIBSON RETURNS KICK FOR A TOUCHDOWN
RB Antonio Gibson returned his first career kick for a touchdown with a 90-yard return in the fourth quarter. It was the Patriots 13th kick returned of at least 90 yards and 12th 90-yard kick returned for a touchdown. Gibson had a 41-yard return in the season-opener vs. Las Vegas. His previous best was a 42-yard kickoff return at Buffalo on Dec. 22, 2024.
WR MACK HOLLINS HAS FIRST TD AS A PATRIOT
WR Mack Hollins culminated the game's opening drive, a 10-play, 68-yard drive, with his first touchdown reception as a member of the Patriots on an 8-yard pass from QB Drake Maye.
BOUTTE HAS FIRST TD CATCH OF THE YEAR
WR Kayshon Boutte closed out the second drive of the game, an 11-play, 70-yard drive with, with his first touchdown of the season on a 16-yard pass from QB Drake Maye.
HENRY MOVES PAST BEN WATSON INTO FIFTH PLACE
TE Hunter Henry entered the game in sixth place among New England tight ends all-time with 2,271. He moved past Ben Watson into fifth place with a 9-yard reception in the second quarter and now has 2,280 yards. Sacks Most Receiving Yards Among Patriots Tight Ends Player Receiving Yards Rob Gronkowski Ben Coates Russ Francis Jim Whalen Hunter Henry 7,861 5,471 3,157 2,487 2,280 Ben Watson 2,275
MAYE HAS LONGEST PASS OF HIS CAREER
QB Drake Maye completed a 55-yard pass to RB Rhamondre Stevenson in the third quarter, the longest ass completion of his career. His previous long was a 40-yard touchdown pass to WR Kayshon Boutte vs. Houston on Oct. 13, 2024.
MAYE HAS THIRD GAME WITH 80% COMPLETION PERCENTAGE
QB Drake Maye had his third NFL game with an 80% completion percentage after completing 19-of-23 pass attempts for an 82.6 pass completion percentage. He was 19-of-23 for 202 yards for an 82.6% completion percentage at Arizona on Dec. 15, 2024, and was 80 percent vs. Indianapolis on Dec. 1, 2024, when he finished 24-of-30 for 238.
BARINGER HAS FOURTH 70-YARD PUNT OF HIS CAREER
P Bryce Baringer's 71-yard punt in the third quarter. It is his fourth of his career of at least 70 yards. He had punts of 79 yards vs. Indianapolis (11/12/23), 75 yards at Chicago (11/10/24) and 70 yards vs. the L.A. Chargers (12/3/23). Baringer's four punts of at least 70 yards are the most by any Patriots punter since 2000.
ELLISS TIES CAREER-HIGH WITH 3 SPECIAL TEAMS TACKLES
LB Christian Elliss tied a career-high with 3 special teams tackles. He had 3 special teams tackles at San Francisco on Sept. 29, 2024.
STEVENSON HAS CAREER-LONG RECEPTION
RB Rhamondre Stevenson caught a 55-yard reception from QB Drake Maye in the third quarter, the longest reception of his career. His previous best was a 41-yard reception from QB Mac Jones on Nov. 7, 2021 at Carolina. It is the longest reception by a Patriots running back since RB James White had a 59-yard reception vs. Cleveland on Nov. 27, 2019.
STEVENSON SET CAREER-HIGH IN RECEIVING YARDS
Stevenson set a career-high in receiving yards with 88 yards. His previous high was 76 yards receiving at Minnesota on Nov. 24, 2022.
MAPU RECORDS SECOND CAREER INTERCEPTION
LB Marte Mapu ended a Miami drive in the fourth quarter with his second career interception. He had his first as a rookie vs. Kansas City on Dec. 17, 2023.
LINEUP NOTES
• LB Anfernee Jennings saw his first action of the season after being inactive for the season-opener.
• CB Charles Woods made his debut with the Patriots after being inactive due to an injury in the season-opener.
• DB Kobee Minor, drafted by New England in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, was elevated to the active roster from the practice squad an made his NFL debut.
• CB Marcus Jones was in the starting lineup at cornerback in place of CB Christian Gonzalez.
