Miami
Dolphins
7-2
35
FINAL
14
New England
Patriots
3-5
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a decisive Week 18 showdown, the Miami Dolphins topped the New England Patriots with a commanding score of 35-14, solidifying their playoff position in the 2026 season. With both teams vying for momentum heading into the postseason, Miami showcased their offensive firepower in this critical matchup.
Malik Willis led the charge for the Dolphins, throwing for 262 yards and two touchdowns, displaying both precision and poise. De'Von Achane added to the offensive onslaught with a powerful 90 rushing yards, while Caleb Douglas emerged as a key target, racking up 92 receiving yards. Together, they exploited the Patriots' defense and kept the pressure on throughout the game.
Defensively, the Dolphins were effective, with Zach Sieler contributing with half a sack, but it was the overall team effort that defined the outcome. The turning point came early in the second half when Miami scored back-to-back touchdowns, extending their lead to 28-7. That stretch of offensive dominance forced the Patriots to play catch-up, ultimately leading to their defeat as they struggled to respond to the relentless Dolphins attack.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malik Willis | QB | 27 | 16 | 59% | 262 | 2 | 0 | 116.5 |
| Drake Maye | QB | 35 | 25 | 71% | 255 | 1 | 0 | 101.4 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| De'Von Achane | HB | 16 | 90 | 5.6 | 23 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Malik Willis | QB | 10 | 64 | 6.4 | 11 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Ollie Gordon II | HB | 13 | 59 | 4.5 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| TreVeyon Henderson | HB | 6 | 37 | 6.2 | 6 | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| Rhamondre Stevenson | HB | 4 | 15 | 3.8 | โ | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Drake Maye | QB | 5 | 13 | 2.6 | โ | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| DeMario Douglas | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | โ | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Brown | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | โ | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Reggie Gilliam | FB | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | โ | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Caleb Douglas | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | โ | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dallas Goedert | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | โ | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caleb Douglas | WR | 2 | 92 | 46.0 | 78 | 1 | 85 | 0 |
| Rob Gronkowski | TE | 5 | 76 | 15.2 | 11 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| A.J. Brown | WR | 5 | 74 | 14.8 | 25 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Romeo Doubs | WR | 8 | 71 | 8.9 | 15 | 1 | 24 | 0 |
| Jalin Hyatt | WR | 4 | 66 | 16.5 | 11 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| Dallas Goedert | TE | 4 | 33 | 8.3 | 9 | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| DeMario Douglas | WR | 4 | 24 | 6.0 | 8 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| DeAndre Hopkins | WR | 1 | 24 | 24.0 | โ | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Kevin Coleman Jr | WR | 1 | 17 | 17.0 | 4 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| De'Von Achane | HB | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Will Kacmarek | TE | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Reggie Gilliam | FB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| TreVeyon Henderson | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | โ | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Rhamondre Stevenson | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | โ | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Ollie Gordon II | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Hunter Henry | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | โ | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craig Woodson | SS | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Barmore | DT | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Surtain | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marcus Jones | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robert Spillane | MIKE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jacob Rodriguez | MIKE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Johnson | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dante Fowler Jr | REDG | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Christian Gonzalez | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Preston Smith | DT | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malaki Starks | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Harold Landry III | REDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Darius Muasau | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cade Cunningham | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| JuJu Brents | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marshon Lattimore | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carlton Davis III | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Joshua Farmer | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jabril Cox | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack Cochrane | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zach Sieler | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chop Robinson | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Phillips | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jackson Woodard | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Louis | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordyn Brooks | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kevin Byard III | FS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andres Borregales | K | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Bryce Baringer | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bradley Pinion | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Riley Patterson | K | 2 | 2 | 3 | 45 |

