Down x Down

This week

Explore

DOWN X DOWN › week 18 › Dolphins at Patriots
Updated Nov 2, 5:48 PM ET
2026
2026this season2025final

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

NEvsMIA

Patriots offensevsDolphins defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 8 games for Patriots, 7 for Dolphins. 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

Throw it

Patriots gain +0.15 EPA per dropback (8th). Dolphins allow +0.30 (32nd).

02
Opportunity

Deep right is open

Dolphins are worst against deep right throws, allowing +1.34 EPA per attempt. Patriots send 11% of their throws there.

03
Watch out

Field goals, not touchdowns

Patriots score a touchdown on 52% of red zone trips (26th). Dolphins allow 64% (18th).

04
Wash

Explosive play rate

Call this one even. Patriots create explosive plays on 11% of snaps (8th). Dolphins give them up at 11% (25th).

Players to watch

MIA Dolphins

2Malik WillisQB · 108/183 · 1268 yds · 6 TD · 5 INTEPA per dropback -0.07 · 28th0Ollie Gordon IIRB · 91 car · 408 yds · 4 TD · 6 recEPA per touch -0.05 · 28th6Malik 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-22nd 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 · Patriots offense against the Dolphins defenseDepth charts
Dolphins defense · 4-3 DPatriots offense · 3WR 1TE66Campbell72Rouse55Wilson65Pryor76Moses85Henry10Maye38Stevenson1Brown86Chism3Douglas9Uche92SielerPhillips44Robinson20Brooks10Rodriguez40Gay8Brents4Marshall3Johnson11Trader16Taaffe

Patriots offense · 3WR 1TE

  • QBDrake Maye#10 · 157/234 · 1983 yds · 15 TD · 8 INT
  • RBRhamondre Stevenson#38 · 96 car · 367 yds · 3 TD · 23 rec
  • WRA.J. Brown#1 · 9 rec · 101 yds · 0 TD · 20 tgt
  • WRDeMario Douglas#3 · 26 rec · 332 yds · 4 TD · 37 tgt
  • WREfton Chism III#86 · 15 rec · 151 yds · 1 TD · 20 tgt
  • TEHunter Henry#85 · 29 rec · 326 yds · 2 TD · 34 tgt
  • LTWill Campbell#66
  • LGWalter Rouse#72
  • CJared Wilson#55
  • RGMatt Pryor#65
  • RTMorgan Moses#76

Dolphins defense · Base 4-3 D

  • RDEJosh Uche#9 · 29 tackles · 2 sacks
  • RDTZach Sieler#92 · 23 tackles · 2 sacks
  • LDTJordan Phillips · 0 tackles
  • LDEChop Robinson#44 · 13 tackles · 4 sacks
  • WLBJordyn Brooks#20 · 63 tackles · 1 PD
  • MLBJacob Rodriguez#10 · 68 tackles · 1 INT · 1 PD
  • SLBWillie Gay Jr.#40 · 19 tackles
  • RCBJuJu Brents#8 · 25 tackles · 1 PD
  • LCBJason Marshall Jr.#4 · 22 tackles
  • NBChris Johnson#3 · 39 tackles · 2 PD
  • SSDante Trader Jr.#11 · 37 tackles · 1 INT · 3 PD
  • FSMichael Taaffe#16 · 38 tackles · 2 INT · 2 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 · NE offense against MIA defense
StatNE NE offFavors NE · Favors MIAMIA MIA def allowsNFL avg
Overall
EPA per play
+0.06#8
+0.13#32+0.00
Success rate
46%#10
49%#3244%
Yards per play
6.1#4
5.9#275.4
Explosive play rate
11%#8
11%#259%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback
+0.15#8
+0.30#32+0.03
Sack rate
6%#16
4%#287%
Running
Run EPA per carry
-0.14#23
-0.07#19-0.08
Yards per carry
3.9#20
4.1#184.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion
43%#11
54%#3241%
Red zone TD rate
52%#26
64%#1861%
Targets by position
WR yards per game
157#11
121#4147
TE yards per game
62#10
69#2855
TE targets per game
6.8#22
7.9#187.6
RB receiving yards per game
34#12
41#2532
Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Patriots: EPA per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.169% of throws
+0.752% of throws
+0.9911% of throws
Short
-0.1532% of throws
+0.4814% of throws
+0.3932% of throws

Dolphins: EPA allowed per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.7211 throws
+0.8011 throws
+1.3415 throws
Short
+0.2455 throws
+0.2233 throws
+0.2770 throws

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