Patriots Hold Off Dolphins 24–19
By Brian Hradsky
The New England Patriots beat the Miami Dolphins 24–19 on Sunday, rallying in the second half in rainy Miami behind three touchdowns from Drake Maye. New England moved to 5–3 and improved to 3–0 against AFC East opponents. Miami fell to 1–6.
Maye found Kyle Williams for a 43-yard touchdown and DeMario Douglas for a 48-yard score. He added a 2-yard touchdown run, giving New England a way to finish from close range after getting much of its scoring through big passing plays. The two long touchdowns were particularly valuable in a game decided by five points.
Kevin Byard III intercepted a deflected pass as New England’s defense helped secure the comeback. Miami stayed close enough for a touchdown to change the outcome, but the Patriots held the Dolphins to 19 points. New England’s three division wins give the result value beyond the overall record.
Brian’s Take
The long throws separated the teams on a day when conditions made long drives harder to count on. Miami kept the score close but did not generate enough points to make New England pay for its uneven stretches. For the Patriots, the next step is to pair Maye’s explosive plays with more consistent possession offense so fewer games come down to the final series.