After an impressive first half performance, the Patriots’ offense found itself struggling. Their second-half performance ranked amongst the worst ever seen this decade.
Miami Patriots defensive players Emmanuel Ogbah and Zach Sieler had an impactful performance against Miami this weekend, both recording sacks. Jonnu Smith also stood out, catching two touchdown passes for New England backfield.
In this article, we will discuss the main points or top players of New England Patriots Vs Miami Dolphins Match Player Stats.
Miami Dolphins
| Player Name | Position | Notable Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| Tyler Huntley | QB | Completed 18 of 31 passes for 194 yards; threw one interception. |
| Jaylen Wright | RB | Rushed 13 times for 86 yards, stepping up after De’Von Achane’s early exit due to a concussion. |
| Alec Ingold | FB | Scored the game-winning 3-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. |
| Tyreek Hill | WR | Recorded six receptions for 69 yards. |
| Jaylen Waddle | WR | Contributed with key receptions, aiding in offensive drives. |
| Jason Sanders | K | Made field goals from 54, 32, and 47 yards; missed a 41-yard attempt. |
New England Patriots
| Player Name | Position | Notable Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| Jacoby Brissett | QB | Threw for 160 yards, completing 18 of 34 passes. |
| Rhamondre Stevenson | RB | Rushed 12 times for 89 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown run. |
| DeMario Douglas | WR | Led the team with six receptions for 59 yards. |
| Christian Gonzalez | CB | Secured an interception in the first quarter, setting up a touchdown drive. |
| Brenden Schooler | ST | Blocked a punt in the second quarter, showcasing special teams prowess. espn.com |
| Joey Slye | K | Made a 38-yard field goal; missed a 33-yard attempt wide right. |
Tua Tagovailoa
After missing De’Von Achane early, the Dolphins managed to keep up a solid running game that helped them take an early lead. Drake Maye attempted a few incomplete passes but ultimately found all his targets on the field; as such, 193 rushing yards were recorded with Raheem Mostert and Jaylen Wright accounting for most of them; perhaps this formula can work long term?
Tua Tagovailoa was born and raised in Ewa Beach, Hawaii with an intense passion for football. At Saint Louis School in Honolulu he played high school football before enrolling at University of Alabama as a starting quarterback – earning twice Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week awards as well as earning All-American Bowl status this season.
His play in their 34-15 loss to the Patriots was impressive. He completed 29 out of 40 passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns, assisted by receivers who all contributed effectively on gameday.
Tagovailoa has also been active in his community service efforts and boasts several endorsement deals with brands like Perry Ellis International, Adidas, Wingstop Visible, and Gatorade. Additionally, he established the Tua Foundation to support youth initiatives and health; their aim is to assist children who require assistance in terms of education nutrition and sports activities. Currently they are working towards building their first sports complex project in Kapolei Hawaii by 2022 – which will mark an unprecedented initiative across Hawaii!
De’Von Achane
The Dolphins offense is finally generating some meaningful offense, scoring two touchdowns and over 200 yards in the opening half. De’Von Achane is making the most out of an increased workload and his performance is incredible; last season he had only 122 carries and 46 receptions through 10 games; thus far this season, that number has already been eclipsed.
Miami started off the game strong until an accepted penalty put them into third-and-long, and gave New England an opportunity for a field goal attempt by Jake Bailey that was blocked by Brendan Schooler before Joey Slye missed a 43-yard field goal attempt from Joey Slye.
On the Dolphins’ next drive, Tagovailoa once more struck gold by throwing Achane a 10-yard flip pass for another touchdown – this time on an impressive run and juke by Achane that led him straight into the end zone. Achane later scored again via screen pass from Tagovailoa that also featured this move from him.
New England attempted to rally in the second half, but Drake Maye made two mistakes – this time giving up a fumble which Christian Gonzalez recovered and returned for a 63-yard touchdown – which proved decisive as Miami defeated them 34-15 and extended their win streak to 9 games overall. New England fell to 3-9 on the season; their playoff hopes now appear slim but will have another opportunity in Week 13 against Indianapolis as an AFC East contest looms; their win ensured they wouldn’t slip below AFC Wild Card threshold either! With their victory, New England dropped below AFC Wild Card bubble while Dolphins won 34-15 and expanded their win streak to 10 wins overall; New England had also extended its win streak against Baltimore and never managed to break their winning streak as both teams win streaks had ensured neither team would fall below AFC Wild Card criteria; plus ensured they wouldn’t fall below AFC Wild Card criteria!
Jaylen Waddle
The Patriots had been on an upswing over recent weeks. Unfortunately, they took a significant step backward in Miami on Sunday. Both offensively and defensively they struggled badly while the Dolphins defense tore apart their linebackers for an eye-opening win that dropped New England to 3-8 record.
The offense started slowly, but was finally able to find some rhythm on their first drive of the second quarter. Drake Maye delivered several short, efficient passes while Jonnu Smith and Jaylen Waddle contributed key plays. De’Von Achane provided a spark with seven-yard run before two receptions helped reach Miami 20. Unfortunately, their drive was then derailed by penalties; one holding penalty negated long gain while false start nullified another potential first down before Joey Slye missed a field goal attempt forcing them into punt returns.
Jaylen Waddle sustained a right knee injury during an inbounds play when one of his opponents collided into him and forced him down into pain, prompting medical staff to assist in taking him to the medical tent.
The Patriots were outplayed, and their poor play in the red zone and numerous self-inflicted errors weren’t helpful either. With 10 accepted penalties totalling 75 yards incurred by themselves and an offensive line that looked disorganized was especially egregious. On a positive note for New England however, two results across the league assisted their draft order; Cleveland’s win on Thursday pushed them ahead of New England while Tennessee’s triumph on Sunday put them ahead as well.
Jonnu Smith
Jonnu Smith of the Dolphins stood out during a first half where neither side found any offense, as his touchdown reception on a fourth down pass from Tua Tagovailoa gave Miami their only score and gave them an 13-0 lead at halftime.
After trading punts on their opening possessions, the Patriots got going on their second drive, only for it to be cut short by multiple penalties – first Vederian Lowe for false start and Demontrey Jacobs for holding. These calls turned what should have been a second-and-6 into second-and-15 and prevented scoring range for New England.
With their offense struggling, the Patriots special teams took over for a brief period. Their first misstep came with 28 seconds remaining in the first quarter when kicker Jake Bailey attempted a 51-yard field goal attempt but failed due to long snapper Blake Ferguson dribbling it back into holder Jonnu Smith before it could reach field goal range.
On their third drive, the Dolphins made another critical misstep when quarterback Drake Maye fumbled while being sacked by Zach Sieler and was recovered by Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks for 62-yard return and Patriots turnover of the game. Additionally, this marked Maye’s third fumble in three games and has led to 11 turnovers already this season – alarming for his team!
Christian Barmore
In the third quarter, Patriots defense showed some fight out of the locker room by forcing back-to-back punts and forcing Dolphins points backward. Christian Barmore registered his first sack of the season while Marcus Jones came up big by deflecting two passes during a renewed effort that also included Christian Barmore getting a pass deflection and Marcus Jones recording one as part of their renewed offensive strategy.
Alabama native and 2021 second-round draft pick Jarrad Davis has played in all six Patriots games so far this season and been an invaluable member of their defensive front. In that span, he’s recorded 15 tackles and one sack.
On the flipside, however, the Patriots’ offensive line had their worst performance of 2018. Both Michael Jordan and Demontrey Jacobs were penalized multiple times for false starts and holding charges while left tackle Vederian Lowe struggled to solve routine stunts.
At one point in the first half, long snapper Blake Ferguson made another costly special teams error when he accidentally dribbled the snap back to holder Jake Bailey and voided their 51-yard field goal attempt. While this mistake only cost six points for Miami, mistakes of this nature can prove costly in close games.
If the Patriots want to win this game, their special teams play must improve. Too often big plays are allowed during return game plays, and their kicking coverage needs work. Furthermore, pressure on quarterback should increase; more success would come if protection up front was improved. Free agency may help the team address these areas; perhaps by recruiting veteran like former Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman Kevin Williams or Detroit Lions guard/tackle Donald Penn.