DOWN X DOWN › week 18 › Dolphins at Patriots
Updated Nov 3, 9:16 AM ET
2026
2026this season2025final

Week 18 · Sunday 1:00 PM ET · Gillette Stadium

MIAvsNE

Dolphins offensevsPatriots defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 7 games for Dolphins, 8 for Patriots. Ranks are out of 32; #1 is the best offense or the stingiest defense.

MIA offenseNE offense
Keys to the game · where this matchup tilts, from the season numbers4 reads
01
Biggest edge

Third downs favor Dolphins

Dolphins convert 44% of third downs (8th). Patriots allow 38% (10th).

02
Opportunity

Deep left is open

Patriots are worst against deep left throws, allowing +0.96 EPA per attempt. Dolphins send 8% of their throws there. That is a small part of their offense so far.

03
Watch out

Pressure problem

Dolphins take a sack on 10% of dropbacks (31st). Patriots get home on 8% (5th). League average is 7%.

04
Wash

EPA per play

Call this one even. Dolphins average -0.05 EPA per play (23rd). Patriots allow +0.01 (18th). League average is +0.00.

Players to watch

MIA Dolphins

2Malik WillisQB · 108/183 · 1268 yds · 6 TD · 5 INTEPA per dropback -0.07 · 27th0Ollie Gordon IIRB · 91 car · 408 yds · 4 TD · 6 recEPA per touch -0.05 · 29th6Malik WashingtonWR · 31 rec · 329 yds · 1 TD · 45 tgtEPA per target +0.1685Greg DulcichTE · 22 rec · 256 yds · 0 TD · 28 tgtEPA per target +0.47 · 9th44Chop RobinsonLeft Defensive End · 13 tackles · 4 sacks4 sacks · T-23rd in the NFL16Michael TaaffeFree Safety · 38 tackles · 2 INT · 2 PD2 INT · T-11th in the NFL

NE Patriots

10Drake MayeQB · 157/234 · 1983 yds · 15 TD · 8 INTEPA per dropback +0.21 · 9th38Rhamondre StevensonRB · 96 car · 367 yds · 3 TD · 23 recEPA per touch 0.00 · 18th3DeMario DouglasWR · 26 rec · 332 yds · 4 TD · 37 tgtEPA per target +0.57 · 13th85Hunter HenryTE · 29 rec · 326 yds · 2 TD · 34 tgtEPA per target +0.55 · 5th91Elijah PonderWeakside Linebacker · 23 tackles · 6 sacks · 1 PD6 sacks · T-7th in the NFL25Marcus JonesNickel Back · 39 tackles · 1 sack · 1 INT · 6 PD1 INT
The series · Dolphins and Patriots since 1999, and this season's records55 meetings

The Patriots lead the series 30–25 since 1999. They have won the last 3. Nov 1, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium: the Patriots won 24–19. Malik Willis started at quarterback for the Dolphins and Drake Maye for the Patriots; Jeff Hafley and Mike Vrabel coached.

Dolphins at home17–11the Dolphins' record
In New England8–19the Dolphins' record
Most pointsDolphins 38 · Patriots 492008 · 2007
Biggest winDolphins by 25 · Patriots by 432008 · 2019

The last 5

2026 · Wk 8NE 24 at MIA 19
2025 · Wk 18MIA 10 at NE 38
2025 · Wk 2NE 33 at MIA 27
2024 · Wk 12NE 15 at MIA 34
2024 · Wk 5MIA 15 at NE 10

2026 records

DolphinsPatriots
Overall1–65–3
Division1–13–0
Conference1–45–1
Other conference0–20–2
Home0–33–0
Away1–32–3
Last 5LLLWLWWWLW
StreakLost 1Won 1
Points a game16.7 – 25.923.0 – 20.3

Every meeting since 1999, regular season and playoffs, from nflverse's game list, which starts in 1999; the all-time series goes back further. Franchises that moved count as one team (the Raiders, Chargers and Rams). Home and away are from the Dolphins' side. Records are this regular season.

The lineups · Dolphins offense against the Patriots defenseDepth charts
Patriots defense · 3-4 DDolphins offense · 3WR 1TE52Paul74Proctor55Brewer71Savaiinaea73Jackson85Dulcich2Willis0Gordon6Washington18Bell7Douglas97Williams94Durden90Barmore91Ponder5Jones14Spillane53Elliss0Gonzalez7Davis25Jones4Woodson31Byard

Dolphins offense · 3WR 1TE

  • QBMalik Willis#2 · 108/183 · 1268 yds · 6 TD · 5 INT
  • RBOllie Gordon II#0 · 91 car · 408 yds · 4 TD · 6 rec
  • WRMalik Washington#6 · 31 rec · 329 yds · 1 TD · 45 tgt
  • WRCaleb Douglas#7 · 13 rec · 226 yds · 2 TD · 19 tgt
  • WRChris Bell#18 · 12 rec · 148 yds · 0 TD · 24 tgt
  • TEGreg Dulcich#85 · 22 rec · 256 yds · 0 TD · 28 tgt
  • LTPatrick Paul#52
  • LGKadyn Proctor#74
  • CAaron Brewer#55
  • RGJonah Savaiinaea#71
  • RTAustin Jackson#73

Patriots defense · Base 3-4 D

  • RDEMilton Williams#97 · 20 tackles · 1 sack
  • NTCory Durden#94 · 19 tackles · 1.5 sacks
  • LDEChristian Barmore#90 · 7 tackles · 3.5 sacks
  • WLBElijah Ponder#91 · 23 tackles · 6 sacks · 1 PD
  • SLBDre'Mont Jones#5 · 14 tackles · 1 sack
  • RILBRobert Spillane#14 · 47 tackles · 2 PD
  • LILBChristian Elliss#53 · 58 tackles · 1.5 sacks · 1 PD
  • RCBChristian Gonzalez#0 · 21 tackles · 5 PD
  • LCBCarlton Davis III#7 · 25 tackles · 1 PD
  • NBMarcus Jones#25 · 39 tackles · 1 sack · 1 INT · 6 PD
  • SSCraig Woodson#4 · 36 tackles · 1 INT · 3 PD
  • FSKevin Byard#31 · 40 tackles · 1 INT · 3 PD

Starters from each team's current depth chart (nflverse, from ESPN), drawn in the offense's base three-receiver set against the defense's base front. The nickel back, the extra defensive back most teams use against three receivers, is drawn lighter. Left and right are as the offense sees the field. The toggle at the top flips which offense is drawn.

Head to head · MIA offense against NE defense
StatMIA MIA offFavors MIA · Favors NENE NE def allowsNFL avg
Overall
EPA per play
-0.05#23
+0.01#18+0.00
Success rate
40%#28
44%#1644%
Yards per play
5.1#22
5.3#125.4
Explosive play rate
11%#6
9%#169%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback
-0.09#25
+0.08#22+0.03
Sack rate
10%#31
8%#57%
Running
Run EPA per carry
-0.12#20
-0.09#14-0.08
Yards per carry
3.9#19
3.8#114.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion
44%#8
38%#1041%
Red zone TD rate
59%#17
57%#1261%
Targets by position
WR yards per game
130#22
152#23147
TE yards per game
40#24
52#1555
TE targets per game
5.1#29
7.9#207.6
RB receiving yards per game
12#32
31#1532
Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Dolphins: EPA per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.198% of throws
-0.057% of throws
+0.749% of throws
Short
+0.1627% of throws
+0.1113% of throws
-0.0736% of throws

Patriots: EPA allowed per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.9619 throws
+0.788 throws
+0.8111 throws
Short
+0.0483 throws
+0.4342 throws
+0.0693 throws

Green gains more than expected, red loses value. Cells with fewer than 5 throws are grayed out.