New England
Patriots
4-3
26
FINAL
36
Miami
Dolphins
5-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling matchup in Week 8 of the 2026 season, the Miami Dolphins topped the New England Patriots with a final score of 36-26, solidifying their playoff aspirations. This victory not only boosts Miami's confidence but also raises questions about New England's ability to compete in the division.
Miami's offense was electric, led by quarterback Cam Ward, who threw for four touchdowns, connecting effectively with his receivers. Jeremiyah Love was a force on the ground, racking up 138 rushing yards, while the Patriots' Joe Milton kept pace with a strong performance of his own, accumulating 302 passing yards and finding his favorite target, Xavier Worthy, for 155 receiving yards.
Defensively, T.J. Watt was the standout for Miami, recording four total tackles and two sacks, applying consistent pressure on Milton throughout the game. The turning point came in the third quarter when Ward threw his third touchdown pass, shifting momentum firmly in Miami's favor and ultimately sealing the victory. Despite Ji'Ayir Brown's interception for New England, it wasn't enough to turn the tide against a dynamic Dolphins offense.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Milton | QB | 24 | 15 | 63% | 302 | 4 | 1 | 128.4 |
| Cam Ward | QB | 23 | 12 | 52% | 277 | 4 | 1 | 117.2 |
| Matthew Golden | WR | 0 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremiyah Love | HB | 12 | 138 | 11.5 | 95 | 1 | 86 | 1 |
| Josh Jacobs | HB | 10 | 40 | 4.0 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Cooper Kupp | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xavier Worthy | WR | 4 | 155 | 38.8 | 10 | 2 | 63 | 0 |
| Matthew Golden | WR | 6 | 122 | 20.3 | 16 | 2 | 49 | 0 |
| Mike Evans | WR | 7 | 92 | 13.1 | 31 | 1 | 19 | 0 |
| Chris Brazzell II | WR | 2 | 62 | 31.0 | 1 | 1 | 42 | 0 |
| Matthew Hibner | TE | 1 | 60 | 60.0 | 59 | 1 | 60 | 0 |
| Tory Horton | WR | 2 | 31 | 15.5 | — | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Cooper Kupp | WR | 1 | 25 | 25.0 | 20 | 1 | 25 | 0 |
| Allen Lazard | WR | 1 | 25 | 25.0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Josh Jacobs | HB | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Jeremiyah Love | HB | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jared Verse | REDG | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Payton Wilson | WILL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kwity Paye | REDG | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ji'Ayir Brown | FS | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Byron Young | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Treydan Stukes | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Devonte Wyatt | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CJ Allen | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arvell Reese | SAM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Evan Williams | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Minkah Fitzpatrick | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dorian Strong | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Julian Blackmon | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Max Melton | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Tyleik Williams | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ephesians Prysock | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Genesis Smith | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devon Witherspoon | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Christian Gonzalez | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Jaden Hicks | SS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Brandon Cisse | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Alex Singleton | MIKE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Aubrey | K | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Chase McLaughlin | K | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |

