Dolphins escape with 15-10 win over Patriots

C. Isaiah Smalls II, Miami Herald on Oct 6, 2024

Published in Football

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If you like low-scoring affairs and running the ball then this game was for you.

The Miami Dolphins beat the New England Patriots 15-10 in a game that felt straight out of the 1930s. Both teams rushed for more than 150 yards as the Dolphins finished with 193 while the Patriots had 151.

In just his second game as a starter, Tyler Huntley looked a lot more comfortable, completing roughly 58% of his passes for 194 yards and an interception. He also did a much better job finding the duo of Tyreek Hill (six catches for 69 yards) and Jaylen Waddle (four catches for 46 yards), both of whom had back-to-back lackluster performances. Jonnu Smith had his best outing of the year, finishing with five catches for 62 yards.

Despite losing De’Von Achane to a concussion early in the first quarter, contributions from the rookie Jaylen Wright (13 rushes for 86 yards) and the veteran Raheem Mostert (19 attempts for 80 yards), who played his first game since sustaining a chest injury in Week 1, helped pick up the slack. Running backs even scored the game’s two touchdowns.

At times, it was a tough game to watch as mistakes certainly hampered both teams. The Patriots committed a total of 12 penalties for a total of 105 yards while Dolphins only had six penalties for 54.

A Jason Sanders field goal gave the Dolphins their first lead of the season early in the first quarter. Then the miscues started to pile up. It began with Tyler Huntley’s only turnover — an interception courtesy of Christian Gonzalez — that gave the Patriots the ball on Miami’s 43 yard line. Four plays later, Rhamondre Stevenson’s 33-yard run gave the Patriots the 7-3 lead.

The Dolphins’ next drive? A missed 41-yard field goal. The drive after that? A blocked punt that gave the Pats the ball on Miami’s 23. The drive after that? A botched snap on third down on the Patriots’ 25 pushed the Fins back more than 20 yards and outside of field goal range.

The Dolphins leaned heavy on the run during their only touchdown drive. After Huntley completed a 21-yard pass to Hill, the longest-pass and-catch of the day, the Dolphins opted to go run to end the drive. The twin combination of Wright and Mostert were given six consecutive handoffs to get the ball to the 3-yard line. Fullback Alec Ingold then finished the drive off with the touchdown run up the gut to give the Fins the 15-10 lead.

After losing three straight games, including an embarrassing 31-12 loss to the then-winless Tennessee Titans, the Dolphins are once again back in the win column. Even better: they shed the title of being the only team in the league to not lead in a game. With a much-needed bye week is on the horizon, the Dolphins will have a chance to reset and potentially save their season.

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