The Miami Dolphins finally created some momentum for themselves in Week 7, earning their first win of the season against the New York Jets. Miami returned home from their road win to face the New England Patriots, hoping to put together their first win streak of 2026.
Unfortunately, it wasn't in the cards. After a strong first half that saw Miami build a 13-3 lead, it all fell apart in the second half. They allowed 21 unanswered points at one point on the way to a 24-19 loss to their hated rivals.
Not everything was bad for the Dolphins in this game, but it was another painful reminder of how much work general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley still have to do before Miami returns to relevance. Here are the biggest initial takeaways from the disappointing loss.
Ollie Gordon II struggles, Malik Willis regresses in Miami Dolphins' Week 8 loss to the Patriots
The first-half/second-half struggles continue for Miami
The second half of games has been a persistent issue for the Dolphins multiple times so far this season, and this week's game is a glaring example. As mentioned above, Miami got out to a 13-3 lead heading into the locker room, only to be outscored 21-6 after halftime.
Part of it was the pass rush fizzling out, allowing Drake Maye to finally hit some big plays in the passing game. Several other mistakes/unlucky plays (the deflected interception of Malik Willis, the bad miss from kicker Zane Gonzalez) put the nail in the coffin for Miami's hopes of an upset.
Miami has now been outscored 96-57 in the second half, something that has to change if they want to earn any more wins this season.
Dolphins running game faltered after impressive recent stretch
After five consecutive games with over 100 rushing yards, Miami's dynamic rushing attack finally met its match on Sunday against the Patriots. Ollie Gordon II struggled to find consistent running room all day, racking up just 69 yards on 19 carries. The Dolphins finished with just 74 yards as a team, their fewest since Week 1 against the Raiders.
Perhaps missing mauling rookie guard Kadyn Proctor this week with a concussion was too much to overcome, but it put the quarterback in a tough spot. Speaking of Willis...
Malik Willis regressed after encouraging Week 7 performance
The numbers overall don't look too bad for the Dolphins' QB1, as he finished 21 of 32 for 211 yards and two touchdowns through the air. Even his one interception was a weird ricochet off of a Patriots defender's helmet. But he took five sacks in this game after just two a week ago, and he didn't use his legs as a weapon in the way he did against the Jets either.
He was still more accurate and decisive in the passing game than he has been for most of the season, but his lack of playmaking held the offense back without the run game helping him out. Maybe it's unfair, but this week was an opportunity for him to try and will the offense to success. He wasn't quite able to get it done, however.
Dolphins pass rush showed improvement, but wasn't enough to win
Miami's pass rush has finally shown some life over the last few weeks, and Sunday against the Patriots was perhaps their best outing yet. They sacked Maye three times and harassed him for most of the game, with Chop Robinson and Josh Uche in particular causing havoc.
Again, it wasn't just this game either. According to Sumer Sports, Miami has completely flipped the script on their ability to pressure the QB. In weeks 1-4, Miami ranked 27th in pressure percentage at 34.7%. Since then, they have ranked eighth at 40.9%. It didn't lead to a win this week, but it's a nice development for Hafley's defense.
Dolphins still don't have a reliable kicker
It may or may not have mattered ultimately, but Miami could have potentially sent this game to overtime if it weren't for another missed field goal. They already sent Riley Patterson packing in favor of Zane Gonzalez, who didn't attempt a field goal during their 28-25 win last week.
This week, Gonzalez managed to put his first two attempts through the uprights (including the loudest doink you may ever hear), but he missed a very makeable 43-yard attempt that would have cut the Patriots' lead to eight late in the game. I expect him to get a few more opportunities before another potential change is made, but Miami's kicking woes may not be behind them quite yet.
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