Miami
Dolphins
2-7
49
FINAL
21
New England
Patriots
3-5
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a decisive Week 18 matchup, the Miami Dolphins overwhelmed the New England Patriots with a final score of 49-21, solidifying their place in the postseason. With playoff implications on the line, the Dolphins showcased their dominance, securing a confident victory as they head into the playoffs.
Quarterback Cam Ward delivered an explosive performance, tossing for 534 yards and an impressive six touchdown passes. CeeDee Lamb was a standout target, racking up 287 receiving yards, making key catches that propelled Miami's offense to new heights. Together, they carved up the Patriots' secondary, demonstrating why the Dolphins are a formidable contender.
On the defensive side, Kool-Aid McKinstry led the charge for Miami with six total tackles and two sacks, disrupting New England's offensive rhythm. Despite a solid effort from the Patriots, including two interceptions from Cam Taylor-Britt, Miami's defense consistently applied pressure, creating critical turnovers and stifling any chance of a comeback. The turning point came midway through the third quarter when McKinstry's second sack set up a pivotal short field for the Dolphins, leading to yet another touchdown and effectively sealing the game.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cam Ward | QB | 48 | 33 | 69% | 534 | 6 | 3 | 119.2 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 35 | 16 | 46% | 309 | 3 | 4 | 65.9 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tank Bigsby | HB | 10 | 66 | 6.6 | 21 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Samaje Perine | HB | 5 | 17 | 3.4 | 13 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| TreVeyon Henderson | HB | 4 | 9 | 2.3 | — | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| CeeDee Lamb | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CeeDee Lamb | WR | 16 | 287 | 17.9 | 83 | 3 | 45 | 0 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | WR | 4 | 122 | 30.5 | 22 | 1 | 56 | 0 |
| Tank Bigsby | HB | 4 | 94 | 23.5 | 100 | 2 | 57 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 6 | 87 | 14.5 | 10 | 0 | 40 | 0 |
| TreVeyon Henderson | HB | 5 | 77 | 15.4 | 37 | 2 | 55 | 0 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 3 | 53 | 17.7 | 11 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| Cole Kmet | TE | 3 | 47 | 15.7 | 12 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| George Pickens | WR | 4 | 29 | 7.3 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Colston Loveland | TE | 2 | 18 | 9.0 | — | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 1 | 17 | 17.0 | 11 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Adam Trautman | TE | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cam Taylor-Britt | CB | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Nate Landman | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Tre'von Moehrig | FS | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamel Dean | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Quentin Lake | SS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Danielle Hunter | REDG | 2 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daiyan Henley | SAM | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Gonzalez | CB | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Bobby Okereke | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kamren Kinchens | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nahshon Wright | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DeShon Elliott | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sheldon Rankins | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| JL Skinner | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Carrington Valentine | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack Kelly | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cor'Dale Flott | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Jowon Briggs | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shaq Thompson | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quincy Williams | WILL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Carlson | K | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Brandon McManus | K | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| JK Scott | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

