MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins entered Sunday’s home opener against New England badly needing a victory. They didn’t get it, losing, 33-27, to fall to 0-2 heading into Thursday’s game at Buffalo.
Fans were angry during the past week, angry enough to finance an airplane that towed a banner an anti-general manager and anti-coach banner requesting the firing of general manager Chris Grier and coach Mike McDaniel.
Fans also booed the Dolphins lightly early in the game. All was forgiven by the third quarter when the Dolphins took a 17-15 lead that they turned into a 20-15 advantage. But that happiness didn’t last long, and perhaps the same could be said for McDaniel’s future with the Dolphins. We’ll see.
This week will be ugly; here are some of the top takeaways from Sunday’s game:
Dolphins should brace for all-time high in ugliness
Fans will be especially angry this week and will likely call for firings of Grier and McDaniel. Again. The only break for the Dolphins is it’s a short week. But if they lose Thursday at the Bills they get a long week of ugliness before hosting the New York Jets on Sept. 29 on Monday Night Football.
Owner Steve Ross will have a big decision to make this month as to whether he retains McDaniels and inserts an interim coach from the staff. McDaniel is now 28-25 (.528) not including his 0-2 playoff record. The Dolphins are 10-13 (.435), including playoffs, since that 2023 late-season loss to Tennessee. — Chris Perkins
Defense gives up points on 13 consecutive possessions
The Dolphins’ defense gave up points on 13 consecutive possessions, dating back to last season, by halftime. Included in that streak was seven touchdowns and six field goals. New England, which scored on its first three possessions Sunday, had a kneel-down to end the first half, which mercifully ended the streak.
The Jets scored on their final three possessions of last year’s finale, a 32-20 Dolphins loss, and Indianapolis scored on all seven of its possessions last week, a 33-8 Dolphins loss, and the Patriots scored on their first three possessions of the first half. The Dolphins, with Sunday’s loss, lost all three games involved in that streak.
Hill returns a punt, Washington does it better, and then tragedy strikes
Wide receiver Malik Washington’s 74-yard punt return touchdown in the fourth quarter was a huge play in the game. Washington, one of the toughest players on the team, caught the punt on the right side, broke out of a pack of would-be tackles, hit the left sideline and outran punter Bryce Baringer with linebacker Willie Gay and running back Ollie Gordon II escorting him into the end zone. The Dolphins took a 27-23 lead on the touchdown.
The problem was Patriots kickoff returner Antonio Gibson took the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown to give the Patriots a 30-27 lead.
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who the Dolphins were reluctant to use on punt returns the previous three years under ex-special teams coordinator Danny Crossman, had a punt return in the third quarter against New England. It went for 19 yards. Hill’s first chance at the punt return went for five yards but it was negated by a holding call against New England.
Entering the game Hill, arguably the Dolphins’ most dangerous player with the ball in his hands, had five punt returns for 27 yards in his previous three seasons with the Dolphins — two returns for minus-4 yards in 2022, and three punt returns for 31 yards in 2024.
Hill streak ends
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill ended with nine receptions for 109 yards, marking the first time since 2023 the Dolphins lost when he had at least 100 yards receiving. The Dolphins were previously 11-0.
Tua shakes off shaky start but ends just as shaky
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw an interception on his first pass of the day but fortunately for the Dolphins the play was negated by offsetting penalties — holding by the Dolphins and offside on the Patriots. Unfortunately Tagovailoa threw his only interception in the fourth quarter. It came on fourth-and-9 with 2:12 remaining and the Dolphins trailing, 30-27.
Tagovailoa ended 26 of 32 for 315 yards, two touchdowns, one interception and a 115.5 passer rating. In the first half the Dolphins got their passing offense going when Tagovailoa hit wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and then running back De’Von Achane for 18- and 29-yard touchdown passes, respectively. Tagovailoa’s inability to run might have been costly late as he wasn’t a threat when the pocket broke down.
Davis is first as fifth DB
Safety Ashtyn Davis was the fifth defensive back the first time the Dolphins went to the nickel defense along with cornerbacks Rasul Douglas and Jack Jones and safeties Minkah Fitzpatrick and Iffy Melinfonwu. Rookie slot/nickel CB Jason Marshall Jr. came in on the next five-defensive backs play replacing Davis and playing alongside the starting four.
Gordon gets involved early and late
Rookie running back Ollie Gordon II got in the game late in the first quarter and had a nice lead block on an 18-yard run by Washington. He then had a rugged eight-yard run up the middle. The Dolphins scored one play later on the touchdown pass from Tagovailoa to Waddle.
Gordon, the physical presence in the backfield, didn’t do much after that until the fourth quarter when he had a five-yard reception on second 12. Gordon ended with one rush for eight yards and one reception for five yards.
Trader replaces Melinfonwu in second quarter
Rookie safety Dante Trader replaced veteran safety Iffy Melinfonwu in the second quarter. Melinfonwu was the closest defender on the Patriots’ first touchdown, an eight-yard pass to wide receiver Mack Hollins. Melinfonwu blew a touchdown coverage last week on a touchdown by Indianapolis wide receiver Michael Pittman. Melinfonwu was announced to have a calf injury with 1:04 left in the game.
Pass rush begins to surface
The Dolphins’ front seven, which some consider the strength of the team, started to come to life as it recorded three sacks Sunday, one by outside linebacker Bradley Chubb, one by inside linebacker Jordyn Brooks and another by outside linebacker Chop Robinson.
The Dolphins had one sack last week against Indianapolis, and it belonged to Chubb.
A perfect example of why the pass rush is so important came in the third quarter when outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips just missed quarterback Drake Maye before he uncorked a pass that resulted in a 55-yard catch-and-run completion to running back Rhamondre Stevenson with linebacker Jordyn Brooks trailing on coverage. On the following play Maye outran outside linebacker Matthew Judon, turned the corner and scored on a 6-yard touchdown run.
Perhaps Dolphins didn’t suffer any major injuries
The Dolphins lost four starters to injury last week against Indianapolis but it appeared they didn’t lose any against New England. In fact, they didn’t have anyone enter the blue injury tent on the sideline, where players get examined on the sideline, until outside linebacker Chop Robinson had a knee injury evaluated with 7:55 left in the game and Melinfonwu was announced with a calf injury late in the game. But we’ll have to wait and see to be sure.
Last week the Dolphins lost right guard James Daniels (pectoral), right tackle Austin Jackson (toe), defensive tackle Benito Jones (oblique) and cornerback Storm Duck (ankle).
Offensive line struggles
The Dolphins’ makeshift offensive line — right guard Kion Smith and right tackle Larry Borom were replacement starters — allowed five sacks Sunday. The crowning blow came late as the right side of the offensive line allowed a sack on the Dolphins’ final offensive play of the game. Starting center Aaron Brewer, left guard Jonah Savaiinaea and left tackle Patrick Paul all had their bad moments although Paul might grade out best for the second consecutive week.
Many regarded this year’s offensive line depth as the worst in the McDaniel era. The Dolphins ended with 61 yards rushing on 15 carries as they trailed for most of the game.
Heat and humidity don’t help
Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks denied the notion the heat and humidity could help the Dolphins win and he was right. The “feels-like” temperature hit 88 degrees but New England didn’t seem affected. Brooks said during the past week it’d take a good mindset by the Dolphins to win, not hot weather.
This was the Dolphins’ only September home game with a 1 p.m. kickoff. They host the New York Jets on Sept. 29 but it’s on Monday Night Football, when hot, humid weather won’t likely be a factor.
Dolphins Deep Dive: ‘Things are very shaky’ as Miami falls to 0-2 | VIDEO
Miami ALMOST made arch-nemesis Harold Landry disappear
For the first 57 minutes Sunday, new Patriot Harold Landry only had his name called for an offsides flag as Tua Tagovailoa and the offense settled in. However, the former Tennessee Titan, who owned the Dolphins in his three games against the aqua and orange, piling up five sacks, got that sixth sack in a huge spot late. Landry has been the biggest single aspect of Mike Vrabel’s success against Mike McDaniel. — Steve Svekis
Tua home mastery in the September cauldron dropped off only slightly
Entering Sunday, in his five 1 p.m. starts in September at Hard Rock Stadium, Tagovailoa had gone 82-118 for 1,116 yards with 7 TD passes and 0 picks, for an incredible 119.2 passer rating. His first interception in such games ticked his passer rating for the game to 115.5. He had a first-half pick negated by a Patriot lining up offside, but had a solid final 45 minutes.
What has an 0-2 start meant to the Dolphins in the past?
Sunday marked the 14th time in team history the Dolphins have started a season 0-2. In his 27 seasons coaching the team, Don Shula got off to a 0-2 start only once (1988). In the past 22 seasons, the Dolphins have been winless going in to Game 3 10 times. In three of the previous 13 instances, Miami rallied for double-digit wins, including the 2008 season where, in Game 3, the Tony Sparano-led squad beat the Patriots in The Ronny Brown Game in Foxborough, Massachusetts to end the most ignominious 21-game run in franchise history, where they went 1-21 from the end of 2006 through that magical 38-13 beatdown of Bill Belichick. Sparano and Co. finished that year 11-3 to win the AFC East. Meanwhile, the Patriots have had one 0-2 start in the past 24 years (2023).
Here are the past 13 0-2 starts (and the final regular-season record):
2020 (10-6);
2019 (5-11);
2016 (10-6);
2011 (6-10);
2009 (7-9);
2008 (11-5);
2007 (1-15);
2006 (6-10);
2004 (4-12);
1988 (6-10);
1969 (3-10-1);
1968 (5-8-1);
1966 (3-11).
De’Von Achane’s ability to hit the end zone has gotten elite
The blown receiving TD late, with shades of the gift the Dolphins got from Antonio Brown and the Steelers in icy Pittsburgh in 2013, just hurts to the core. That said, Achane’s touchdown reception marked his seventh receiving score in his past 13 games, and he has 11 in 30 career games. By comparison, Christian McCaffrey had 11 in his first 28 games. So, he is in rare air. But 12 TDs, would have been amazing.
The first-quarter scoring drought is reaching epic proportions
Having been shut out so far in the opening 15 minutes against the Colts and Patriots, the Dolphins’ offense now has 18 points in the first quarter of its past nine games.
When Tua Tagovailoa plays the Patriots, his non-offensive teammates show up
Malik Washington’s go-ahead punt return touchdown became the fourth non-offensive touchdown scored by the Dolphins in Tagovailoa’s 7-1 run against the Pats. In the 2021 season finale, the Dolphins got a 37-yard Xavien Howard pick-six and then a final-play fumble recovery by Samuel Eguavoen in the end zone. Then, in the 2022 season opener, Melvin Ingram got a 2-yard fumble return after a sack.
Again, the mobile quarterback torched the Dolphins
Miami fell to 8-27 against mobile QBs as Drake Maye scored a huge touchdown for the Patriots. In those 35 games, those QBs have piled up an incredible 113.5 passer rating and run for 1,331 yards and tallied 13 rushing scores. The opposing teams have averaged 29 points a game on offense and almost 400 yards per game.
On deck: At Buffalo Bills, Highmark Stadium, Thursday, 8:15 p.m.
The Dolphins will be playing their final regular-season game at Highmark Stadium. Through 1986, the Dolphins had a 16-5 record in upstate New York, but it has been a gruesome 9-28 since. … In the Josh Allen era, the Bills have averaged 37.4 points a game at home against the Dolphins, going 8-0.
-
A banner calling for the firing of head coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier flies past Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens before the game against the New England Patriots on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
1 of 31
A banner calling for the firing of head coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier flies past Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens before the game against the New England Patriots on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Originally Published:
