Dolphins at Patriots: Week 2 Statistical Leaders

The Dolphins were on the road again, facing off against the Patriots on Sunday Night Football. Tua would continue his unbeaten streak against New England as the Dolphins would win by score of 24-17. 

Tua posted a modest stat-line this time around, on 30 passing attempts he completed the ball 21 times for 249 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. His Alabama understudy also threw for similar numbers. Mac Jones completed 31 passes on 42 attempts for 231 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. 

Having witnessed the Dolphins air it out against the Chargers, Belichick prioritized eliminating the deep ball. He would succeed in that respect as Tua’s longest completion would be for only 32 yards. As a result, Tyreek Hill played a diminished role. On 9 targets, the Dolphins primary playmaker would catch the ball 5 times for 40 yards and 1 touchdown. A significantly lower total from the previous week. 

Jaylen Waddle served as the primary receiving threat last night, catching the ball 4 times for 86 yards.

Despite the lack of explosive plays, Tua was still very efficient. He took what the defense gave him, suffering only 1 sack the entire game. As NFL’s Next Gen Stats point out, he averaged the“4th quickest time to throw (2.08 seconds) of any quarterback in a game in since 2020.”

Understandably this is why the Patriots defense couldn’t get to the quarterback. By the time they reached him, the ball was already in the hands of a receiver. 

This week, HC Mike McDaniel would finally make a concerted effort to run the ball. On 30 rushing attempts, the Dolphins would run for 145 yards and 2 touchdowns. Raheem Mostert served as the primary back, accounting for 121 of those yards and both touchdowns (18 attempts). 

On defense, Bradley Chubb proved to be the Dolphins most impactful player. He more than made up for the absence of Jaelan Phillips- who was an injury scratch before kickoff. Chubb had 7 combined tackles along with 1 sack, 2 QB hits and a forced fumble. 

As for the Patriots, their best playmaker Rhamondre Stevenson was underutilized yet again. On 15 rushing attempts, Stevenson ran for 50 yards and 1 touchdown. He also had a minor contribution in the passing game, catching the ball 3 times for 10 yards. 

New England was far less explosive than the Dolphins in the passing game. Their longest pass play was to former Dolphin Devante Parker for 14 yards. He and Tight End Hunter Henry served as Jones’ main targets. Parker had 6 catches for 57 yards while Henry would have another 6 receptions for 52 yards.