MIAMI GARDENS — The nightmare start to the Miami Dolphins’ 2025 season is in full effect.
Following the Dolphins’ dismal season-opening loss to the Colts in Indianapolis and before they make a dreaded trip to Buffalo on a short week, they dropped a wild, back-and-forth 33-27 decision to the New England Patriots on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.
A final fourth-and-12 from the Patriots’ 28 -yard line resulted in quarterback Tua Tagovailoa getting sacked on the blind side by Patriots defensive lineman Milton Williams.
Miami (0-2), which was already drawing the ire of its fan base, lost to the AFC East rival Patriots (1-1) for the first time in four tries.
Tagovailoa, who had won his previous seven meetings with the Patriots, was 26 of 32 for 315 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on his penultimate chance against New England.
Tagovailoa is now 0-3 against now-Patriots coach and former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel.
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye was 19 of 23 for 230 yards, two passing touchdowns and a rushing score.
Tagovailoa’s top target, wide receiver Tyreek Hill had six catches for 109 yards. Running back De’Von Achane had 92 receiving yards, with a touchdown, and 30 rushing yards.
With just more than a minute left, Achane appeared to take a short pass to the left for a long touchdown, but he stepped out of bounds at the 26-yard line.
Tagovailoa was intercepted with just more than two minutes to play on a fourth-and-9 attempt as Miami tried to get into scoring territory. On the fourth-down decision, it appeared there was a delay to make the decision, get the play call in and break the huddle before Tagovailoa was picked off by New England linebacker Marte Mapu.
It led to a 53-yard field goal by rookie and former Miami Hurricanes kicker Andres Borregales, who had missed two extra points earlier Sunday.
The middle of the fourth quarter provided momentum swings from back-to-back special teams return touchdowns.
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First, Malik Washington gave the Dolphins a 27-23 lead when he went 74 yards on a punt return after breaking out of a pile on the right side and finding daylight down the left sideline.
The advantage was short-lived, however, as the Patriots’ Antonio Gibson returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards to give New England the lead right back, 30-27.
After a horrendous start to the home opener that had Miami down two scores, the Dolphins took their first lead early in the second half.
Tagovailoa threw a 47-yard deep ball to Hill, who had a defender beat and then had to put the brakes on to catch the underthrown pass as the New England defensive back swooped past him in coverage overrunning the play.
It led to a 40-yard field goal from practice squad kicker Riley Patterson, in for the injured Jason Sanders, to put the Dolphins in front, 17-15.
The Patriots had an answer, though. Maye outran former Patriots edge rusher Matthew Judon to the pylon for a 6-yard touchdown. Earlier in the drive, Miami appeared to have Maye in the backfield for a third-down sack, but Maye evaded Jaelan Phillips by stepping up and finding running back Rhamondre Stevenson open over the top of linebacker Jordyn Brooks for a 55-yard gain. Stevenson’s 2-point conversion rush put New England ahead, 23-20.
The start Sunday appeared eerily similar to Miami’s disastrous opener in Indianapolis.
The Patriots scored first with former Dolphins wide receiver Mack Hollins capping a methodical 10-play, 68-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown catch from Maye, open along the right side against coverage between safety Ifeatu Melifonwu and nickel cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. New England converted a fourth down in Miami territory to keep that drive going.
On Miami’s ensuing opening possession, Tagovailoa had an interception to safety Jaylinn Hawkins negated by offsetting penalties. But an incompletion on the replayed third down still brought boos storming down to the field early.
The Patriots marched down the field 70 yards to follow, a drive that resulted in wide receiver Kayshon Boutte making a sensational one-handed touchdown catch with his left against cornerback Jack Jones on a 16-yard pass from Maye.
Borregales, the Miami Hurricanes alum who kicked in the same stadium in college, missed the extra points on both touchdowns, doinking the first one off the right upright and sending the next one farther to the right.
Down, 12-0, the Dolphins finally answered when Tagovailoa dropped in a splendid pass to wide receiver Jaylen Waddle on a corner route to the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown.
Miami scored another touchdown before halftime, when Tagovailoa hit running back De’Von Achane in stride over the middle, allowing him to display a burst of speed and spin off a tackler before the goal line for a 29-yard touchdown.
The Dolphins, with the score 15-13 off that touchdown, were bound to go for a 2-point conversion to try to tie New England, but a false start against left tackle Patrick Paul had Miami settle for the extra point instead.
In between the two Dolphins scores, Borregales shook off the early jitters back in his hometown by pushing through a chip-shot 22-yard field goal.
That score made for a run of 13 consecutive series defensively without a stop for Miami, dating back to the finale of 2024 after allowing the Colts to score on every possession in Week 1. It was snapped going into the half only for a Patriots kneeldown on the final play of the first half.
Miami, on Sunday, had sacks from Bradley Chubb, Chop Robinson and Brooks.
The Dolphins have a short turnaround and travel for their Week 3 game at the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night.
This story will be updated.
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/09/14/dolphins-drop-heartbreaker-against-patriots-to-fall-to-0-2/
