Miami Dolphins vs New England Patriots match player stats have rarely tilted this far in one direction. Heading into Week 8 of the 2026 season, New England has won the last two meetings, Drake Maye is coming off an MVP-runner-up year, and Miami is 0-5 with a new quarterback and a rebuilt roster. This guide walks through verified box-score numbers from 2024 through 2026, compares the two teams side by side, and flags the players most likely to shape the next meeting on November 1.
Latest Updates: Dolphins vs Patriots Before Week 8
Here is what has changed since the last time these teams met:
- Next meeting: Sunday, November 1, 2026, 4:25 p.m.ET at Miami Gardens’ Hard Rock Stadium on CBS.
- The rematch: Week 18 at Gillette Stadium, scheduled for Sunday, January 10, 2027 (flex scheduling could still change the slot).
- Records: New England is 3-2. Miami is 0-5 and came out of its Week 6 bye still looking for its first win.
- Early lines: Early market and model numbers put the Patriots roughly six to seven points ahead.
- Both rosters look different: Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are all gone from Miami, while New England added A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs.
Where the Patriots Stand
New England went 14-3 in 2025, won the AFC, and lost Super Bowl LX to Seattle, 29-13. Maye finished that regular season with 4,394 passing yards, 31 touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 72.0 percent completion rate, which set a franchise record. His passer rating was 113.5.
The 2026 season has been a rollercoaster. The Patriots lost the opener at Seattle, 13-10, as Maye threw three interceptions. They beat Pittsburgh, 20-3, got blown out at Jacksonville, 35-6, edged Buffalo, 29-26, and then crushed Las Vegas, 45-17, on October 11. In that last game Maye went 26 of 34 for 374 yards and four touchdowns, added a rushing score, and played his first turnover-free game of the year.
Receiver depth is the open question. Brown, acquired by trade from Philadelphia in June, suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 1 and went on injured reserve with a minimum four-week absence. Doubs, a free-agent signing, and DeMario Douglas have absorbed targets. Cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III were also out against the Raiders, so the secondary is worth watching.
Where the Dolphins Stand
Miami reset everything in the offseason. Jeff Hafley replaced Mike McDaniel as head coach, Jon-Eric Sullivan took over as general manager, and Malik Willis signed a three-year, $67.5 million contract to replace Tagovailoa. Hill, Waddle (traded to Denver), Bradley Chubb and Minkah Fitzpatrick are no longer on the roster, and star running back De’Von Achane was lost for the season a few weeks ago.
The results have been rough: losses of 27-13 at Las Vegas, 35-13 at San Francisco, 24-10 to Kansas City, 15-10 at Minnesota and 31-24 to Cincinnati. Through five games Willis has completed 56.2 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and four interceptions, and his 68.4 passer rating is the lowest among the 20 quarterbacks who have started every game. His legs have been the bright spot: 74 rushing yards against the Bengals is the most by a Dolphins quarterback in a single game.
Miami Dolphins vs New England Patriots Match Player Stats: The Last Three Meetings
Three games explain how this rivalry moved from Miami’s favor to New England’s in a little over a year. Each one produced a different type of player story.
September 14, 2025: Patriots 33, Dolphins 27
This was a shootout decided by special teams. Maye completed 19 of 23 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, and he added a six-yard rushing touchdown late in the third quarter. Tagovailoa answered with 26 of 32 for 315 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, but he was sacked five times.
The skill players traded blows. Rhamondre Stevenson rushed 11 times for 54 yards and caught five passes for 88 yards. Mack Hollins and Kayshon Boutte each scored on receptions for New England. For Miami, Waddle caught an 18-yard touchdown and Achane took a 29-yard scoring pass.
The swing plays came in the return game. Malik Washington returned a punt 74 yards for a Dolphins touchdown, and Antonio Gibson answered with a 90-yard kickoff return touchdown for New England. Andy Borregales then kicked a 53-yard field goal to put the game away.
January 4, 2026: Patriots 38, Dolphins 10
By Week 18 the gap was obvious.Stevenson grabbed a 15-yard touchdown from Maye after running seven times for 131 yards and two scores, including a 56-yard rush and a 35-yard score on the game’s second play. That gave him 153 yards from scrimmage and a career-high three touchdowns. Rookie TreVeyon Henderson added two rushing touchdowns, and the four rushing scores tied a Patriots single-game record.
Maye needed only 18 attempts, finishing 14 of 18 for 191 yards and a touchdown before resting in the fourth quarter. Miami started Quinn Ewers, who went 16 of 23 for 137 yards, one touchdown and one interception while taking four sacks. Jaylen Wright managed just 23 yards on 13 carries, and the Dolphins played without linebacker Chop Robinson and Fitzpatrick. The win was New England’s first sweep of Miami since 2016.
November 24, 2024: Dolphins 34, Patriots 15
This is the last time Miami dominated. Tagovailoa completed 29 of 40 passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions, which pushed his career record against New England to 7-0 at the time. Waddle caught eight passes for 144 yards and a score, former Patriot Jonnu Smith had nine catches for 87 yards and a touchdown, and Achane scored twice through the air.
Maye, then a rookie, went 22 of 37 for 222 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and he was sacked four times. New England scored 15 points in the fourth quarter, including a 63-yard fumble-return touchdown by Gonzalez, but the game was long decided. Miami’s 2023 and 2024 sweeps were its first back-to-back sweeps of New England since 1999-2000.
Head-to-Head Comparison: Dolphins vs Patriots Player Stats
The tables below put the recent numbers side by side. They show how quickly quarterback play and roster quality flipped.
Signature Player Performances by Game
| Game | Miami Dolphins standout | New England Patriots standout | Result |
| Nov. 24, 2024 | Tagovailoa: 29/40, 317 yds, 4 TD, 0 INT | Maye: 22/37, 222 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT | MIA 34-15 |
| Sept. 14, 2025 | Tagovailoa: 26/32, 315 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT | Maye: 19/23, 230 yds, 2 TD, 0 INT | NE 33-27 |
| Jan. 4, 2026 | Ewers: 16/23, 137 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT | Stevenson: 131 rush yds, 3 total TD | NE 38-10 |
2026 Season Snapshot Through Five Games
| Category | Miami Dolphins | New England Patriots |
| Record | 0-5 | 3-2 |
| Points per game | 14.0 | 22.0 |
| Points allowed per game | 26.4 | 18.8 |
| Quarterback | Malik Willis | Drake Maye |
| Passing line | 56.2% comp, 2 TD, 4 INT | 65.6% comp, 1,228 yds, 8 TD, 7 INT |
| Quarterback rating note | 68.4 passer rating | Four TD passes and zero turnovers in last game |
| Top rushing threat | Willis (74 yds vs. CIN) | Stevenson (64 yds, 1 TD vs. LV) |
| Biggest absence | De’Von Achane (out for season) | A.J. Brown (injured reserve) |
Maye’s totals combine his official game logs for Weeks 1-4 with the AP recap of the Raiders game. Points figures are simple per-game averages from each team’s final scores.
Quarterback Edge: Maye vs. Willis
Maye owns every major advantage. His 2026 numbers carry a turnover problem, since seven interceptions in five games is a lot, but he also has two games with at least three touchdown passes in a row and a 374-yard outing that was the second 300-yard game of his career. Willis offers more as a runner than a passer so far, and the supporting cast has not helped. Washington is his top target, followed by first-year receivers Chris Bell and Caleb Douglas.
The most useful number to watch is red-zone efficiency. At last check on Fox Sports’ game page, Miami had the fewest red-zone passing touchdowns in the NFL this season, with none, while New England scored touchdowns on four of five trips inside the 20 against Las Vegas. If the Dolphins keep settling for field goals, the quarterback gap will widen quickly.
Backfield and Receiving Comparison
Stevenson and Henderson give New England a two-back structure that has produced in each of the last two meetings against Miami. Henderson did leave the Raiders game with an ankle injury, so his Week 8 status deserves a check later in the month. Maye also spreads targets well: Douglas had two touchdown catches against Las Vegas, tight end Hunter Henry scored on an 11-yard pass, and Kyle Williams added a 34-yard score.
Miami’s offense has leaned on the run, which makes sense with Willis’s mobility, but losing Achane removes its most explosive weapon. Washington, who also has punt-return value, is the player most likely to produce a big play. Tight end Greg Dulcich and receiver Theo Wease showed up in the January box score as well, though neither has been a consistent threat.
Key Players to Watch in Week 8
These are the matchups that should drive the player stats on November 1.
- Drake Maye (QB, New England). After a shaky start he has trended up. Turnovers are the one thing that can keep Miami in the game.
- Rhamondre Stevenson (RB, New England). He scored three times in the January meeting and added a 64-yard, one-touchdown game against the Raiders. Against a winless team’s defense, he is a natural volume candidate.
- Malik Willis (QB, Miami). His rushing ability gives Miami its best chance of staying competitive. Watch his scramble yards and whether he reduces the interceptions.
- Malik Washington (WR/PR, Miami). He scored on a punt return in September and a short touchdown catch in January. Miami needs him as both a target and a field-position weapon.
- A.J. Brown (WR, New England). If he returns from injured reserve, he changes the passing-game math. Check the injury report in the days before kickoff.
- Pass protection on both sides. Tagovailoa was sacked five times in the 2025 meeting and Ewers four times in January. Willis and the Dolphins’ line face the same test on November 1.
All-Time Series: Where Dolphins vs Patriots Stands Now
The rivalry began on November 27, 1966, with a 20-14 Patriots win. Counting playoff games, the teams have met 121 times, and Miami still leads the overall series 64-57. In the regular season, the Dolphins lead 63-55. The Patriots hold a 2-1 edge in the postseason, with wins in the 1985 AFC Championship Game (31-14) and the 1997 Wild Card round (17-3), while Miami won the 1982 AFC Wild Card game (28-13).
A few records put the current run in perspective:
- Largest Dolphins win: 52-0 in 1972.
- Largest Patriots win: 43-0 in 2019.
- Longest Dolphins winning streak: nine games, from 1989 to 1993.
- Longest Patriots winning streak: seven games, in 1986-88 and 2010-13.
- Current streak: New England has won two straight, both in the 2025 season.
One historical note matters for anyone comparing old and new stats. Dan Marino’s single-game record of 521 passing yards is famous in Miami, but it came against the New York Jets on October 23, 1988, not against New England. Any comparison that attaches that number to this rivalry is simply wrong.
How to Read Dolphins vs Patriots Match Player Stats
Raw yardage rarely explains this series. Three measures have mattered more in the recent games than the headline totals.
Sacks and pressure. In both 2025 meetings, the losing quarterback was sacked at least four times. Tagovailoa took five in September, and Ewers took four in January. A quarterback who is hit that often cannot sustain drives, no matter how many receivers get open.
Special teams touchdowns. The September game swung on two return touchdowns, one for each team. Individual receiving or rushing lines will not capture that kind of impact, so the full box score matters.
Turnovers and red-zone finishing. New England’s offense is currently better at converting red-zone chances, and Miami’s is not. Maye threw three interceptions in the opening loss at Seattle and two in the loss at Jacksonville, while his turnover-free game against Las Vegas ended in a 28-point win. Ball security is the clearest swing factor for New England.
Final Take: What the Player Stats Say Going Into November 1
The recent Miami Dolphins vs New England Patriots match player stats point to a clear edge for New England. Maye has outplayed both Tagovailoa and Ewers, Stevenson has torched Miami’s defense, and the Dolphins’ offense is thin without Hill, Waddle and Achane. Miami’s best hope is Willis creating with his legs, a big special-teams play, and a Patriots turnover or two.
Treat that as a lean rather than a lock. A 0-5 team can still win a divisional game, and New England has already lost two games it was expected to win. Check the injury reports for Brown, Henderson, Gonzalez and Davis in the week of the game, then compare the box score to the numbers above.
