WEEK 18 · Sun 01/04 · 4:25 PM EST
Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
AT
Patriots
New England Patriots
PATRIOTS: Game Release (PDF) | Roster | Depth Chart | Stats
DOLPHINS: Roster | Depth Chart | Stats
The New England Patriots will finish the 2025 regular season this week when they host the Miami Dolphins. If the Patriots beat the Dolphins and the Denver Broncos lose against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Patriots will claim the top seed in the AFC. The Patriots improved to a 13-3 record with the 42-10 win at the N.Y. Jets last week. With a win this week over Miami, they will finish with a 14-3 record, a 10-game difference from the 4-13 finish in 2024. The 10-game win difference from one year to the next would tie the 1999 Indianapolis Colts and the 2008 Miami Dolphins for the best turnaround in NFL history. The 1998 Colts were 3-13 and improved to 13-3 in 1999, and the 2007 Dolphins were 1-15 in 2007 and improved to 11-5 in 2008.
PATRIOTS CLINCH 22ND AFC EAST TITLE
With the win over the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Patriots clinched the their 22nd division title since 1970.
SERIES HISTORY
The New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins will meet for the second time in 20025. The Patriots won the first meeting of the season, 33-27, at Miami on Sept. 14. The Patriots will be looking for the 11th series sweep in the annual series and their first since the 2016 season. The Patriots and Dolphins will meet in the regular season-finale for the 18th time in team history and for the first since the 2021 season. Eight of those final games have been played in New England with the series tied at 4-4 in those games. Overall, the Patriots are 8-8 when facing Miami in the final game of the year.
New England has the advantage against Miami in home games, leading the series 38-21 - including 17-6 at Gillette Stadium - but have lost the last two games at home against Miami in 2023 and 2024.
The Dolphins and Patriots met for the first time in 1966 and began playing twice a year during the 1967 regular season, except in 1982 during a players' strike.
The two teams have played three times in the postseason with New England holding a 2-1 advantage.
SERIES BREAKDOWN
MIAMI 64, NEW ENGLAND 56
(Including New England 2, Miami 1 in Playoffs)
Record in New England: 38-21 (Incl. 1-0 in playoffs)
- Record in Foxborough: 36-19 (1-0)
- Record in Boston: 2-2
Record in Miami: 17-43 (Incl. 1-1 in playoffs)
- Record at Dolphins / Hard Rock 14-25
- Record at Orange Bowl 3-18 (1-1)
- Record in Tampa* 1-0
Season Sweeps: Patriots: 10, Dolphins 15
Season Splits: 31 (Most recent 2022)
*A Miami home game was played in Tampa in 1969.
QUICK HITS
Since 2000, the Patriots are 110-49 (.692) against AFC East opponents. New England is 28-23 against the Dolphins over that span, 40- 12 against the New York Jets and 39-13 against the Buffalo Bills. The Patriots were 3-1 against Indianapolis from 2000 through 2001 when they were in the AFC East.
TALE OF THE TAPE
| 2025 REGULAR SEASON | NEW ENGLAND | MIAMI |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 13-3 | 7-9 |
| Divisional Standings | 1st | 3rd |
| Total Yards Gained | 5,992 | 4,932 |
| Total Offense (Rank) | 374.5 (4) | 308.3 (25) |
| Rush Offense | 121.8 (13) | 123.8 (10) |
| Pass Offense | 252.8 (3) | 184.4 (25) |
| Points Per Game | 28.3 (5) | 21.0 (22) |
| Total Yards Allowed | 4,839 | 5,472 |
| Total Defense (Rank) | 302.4 (7) | 342.0 (21) |
| Rush Defense | 104.1 (8) | 125.5 (24) |
| Pass Defense | 198.3 (10) | 216.5 (18) |
| Points Allowed / Game | 19.4 (5) | 24.1(21) |
| Possession Avg. | 31:20 | 28:52 |
| Sacks Allowed / Yards Lost | 48/201 | 34/234 |
| Sacks Made / Yards | 31/202 | 39/242 |
| Total Touchdowns Scored | 53 | 37 |
| Penalties Against / Yards | 94/802 | 94/759 |
| Punts / Avg. | 48/47.1 | 57/48.4 |
| Turnover Differential | +1 (11t) | -2 (18t) |
CONNECTIONS
FORMER PATRIOTS
Players
- LS Joe Cardona (2015-24)
- P Jake Bailey (2019-22)
- K Riley Patterson (2021)
- CB Jack Jones (2022-23)
- OL Cole Strange (2022-24)
- RB JaMycal Hasty (2023-24)
FORMER DOLPHINS
Players
- WR Mack Hollins (2019-21)
- S John Saunders Jr. (2025)
Coaches / Execs
- Offensive Line Coach Doug Marrone (1987)
- Defensive Coordinator Terrell Williams (2015-17)
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
- The Patriots own a 13-3 record. With a win this week over Miami, they will finish with a 14-3 record, a 10-game difference from the 4-13 finish in 2024. The 10-game win difference from one year to the next would tie the 1999 Indianapolis Colts and the 2008 Miami Dolphins for the best turnaround in NFL history. The 1998 Colts were 3-13 and improved to 13-3 in 1999, and the 2007 Dolphins were 1-15 in 2007 and improved to 11-5 in 2008.
- If the Patriots win against Miami and Denver loses against the Chargers on Sunday, New England will secure the top seed in the AFC and earn a bye in the first round of the playoffs. Since 2001, the Patriots lead the NFL with 13 byes in the postseason. During that span, the Patriots earned the top seed seven times.
- A win this week against Miami will give the Patriots their 11th series sweep of Miami and their first series sweep since the 2016 season. The Patriots beat the Dolphins in the first meeting of the season, 33-27, on Sept. 14 in Miami.
- The Patriots and Dolphins will meet in the regular season-finale for the 18th time in team history and for the first time since the 2021 season. Eight of those games have been played in New England with the series tied at 4-4.
- A win this week against Miami will improve the Patriots to a 14-3 record. It would be the team's sixth season with 14 or more wins.
- The Patriots are allowing just 19.4 points per game, the fifth-lowest mark in the NFL. If the Patriots keep that pace this week, it will be the 15th time since 2001 that the Patriots have finished a season allowing less than 20 points per game, second only to Baltimore during that span.
- The Patriots enter this week ranked fourth in the NFL with 53 touchdowns. That currently ranks fifth in franchise history.
- The Patriots enter this week with 18 rushing touchdowns and need two more this week to reach 20 for 10th time in team history and for the first time since the 2021 season when they had 24 rushing touchdowns.
- WR Stefon Diggs finished with 101 receiving yards last week at the Jets. It was the ninth 100-yard receiving game of the season for the Patriots, the most since they had 10 100-yard receiving games in 2016.
- Head Coach Mike Vrabel has led the Patriots to a 13-3 record. With a win against the Dolphins this week, Vrabel can join George Seifert (1989 with San Francisco) and Jim Caldwell (2009 with Indianapolis) as the only coaches to win 14 games.
- QB Drake Maye enters this week against Miami first in the NFL with a 71.7 completion percentage. Tom Brady has the New England record for a season with a 68.9 completion percentage in 2007. Brady was the last Patriots player to lead the NFL in completion percentage when he did so in 2007. Maye's 71.7 completion percentage would be the sixth-best in NFL History.
- RB Rhamondre Stevenson enters this week in sixth place on the team's all-time rushing list with 3,538 yards and needs 70 yards against Miami to move past Kevin Faulk (3,607) into fifth place.
- S Brenden Schooler has 14 special teams tackles in 2025 and needs 1 special teams tackle to surpass his career-high of 14 special teams tackles set his rookie season in 2022.
- K Andy Borregales has 26 field goals and needs 4 more this week against Miami to join Stephen Gostkowski (five seasons), Nick Folk (two seasons), Adam Vinatieri (two seasons) and Tony Franklin (one season) as the only Patriots kickers to reach 30 field goals in a season. He would be the 14th rookie kicker to reach 30 field goals and the first since Brandon Aubrey of Dallas in 2023.
- LB Harold Landry III is leading the Patriots with 8½ sacks. If he registers 1½ sacks this week against the Dolphins, he will reach at least 10 sacks for the third time in his career. He had 12 sacks in 2021 and 10½ sacks in 2023 when he played for Tennessee.
- TE Hunter Henry enters this week fourth among New England tight ends in receiving yards with 2,917 and needs 83 receiving yards this week to become the fourth Patriots tight end to reach 3,000 receiving yards.
- WR Stefon Diggs enters this week with a team-leading 970 receiving yards and needs 30 yards this week against Miami for his seventh 1,000-yard season. It would be the first 1,000-yard season by a New England player since the 2019 season when WR Julian Edelman finished with 1,117 receiving yards.
- Diggs had his fifth 100-yard game of the 2025 season last week against the Jets. If he records a 100-yard game this week against Miami, he will be the first Patriots player with six 100-yard games in a season since WR Wes Welker had eight 100-yard games in 2011. Diggs has recorded at least five 100-yard games in a season four times in his career – 2019 (five), 2020 (seven), 2022 (seven) and 2023 (five).
BROADCAST INFO
TELEVISION: This week's game will be broadcast by FOX and can be seen locally on WFXT-TV Channel 25. Joe Davis will handle play-by-play duties with Greg Olsen as the color analyst. Pam Oliver will work from the sidelines. The game will be produced by Pete Macheska and directed by Bryan Lilley.
NATIONAL RADIO: Sunday's game will be broadcast to a national audience on ESPN Radio. Steve Levy will call the game with Harry Douglas providing analysis. Dan Graziano will work the sidelines.
LOCAL RADIO: 98.5 The Sports Hub is the flagship station for the Patriots Radio Network. A complete listing of the network's 33 stations can be found here. Play-by-play broadcaster Bob Socci will call the action along with former Patriots quarterback Scott Zolak, who will provide color analysis. The games are produced by Marc Cappello.
For information on how to stream the game please visit our Ways to Watch guide.
