Things we learned in Miami Dolphins’ 38-10 loss at New England Patriots

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FOXBORO, Mass. — Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel might have coached his last Dolphins game in Sunday’s 38-10 loss at the New England Patriots. Or, McDaniel might have only put a wrap on the part of his Dolphins head coaching era that included former general manager Chris Grier, who was fired on Halloween, and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who was demoted three games ago.

Perhaps we’ll find out this soon whether McDaniel will remain the Miami Dolphins coach for 2026. Or perhaps we’ll get a name or two on the list of general manager candidates.

Until then, we’ll reflect on the job done by McDaniel, Dolphins rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers, and a host of other players, mostly youngsters.

By the way, it should be noted the Dolphins (7-10), who suffered double-digit losses for the first time since finishing 5-11 in 2019, were without several key starters including Pro Bowl running back De’Von Achane (shoulder), wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (ribs) and right tackle Austin Jackson (back/groin).

Here’s what we learned in Sunday’s season finale:

Tua has quiet day

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, in what might have been his last game in a Dolphins uniform, had a low-key day that mostly involved standing on the sideline with a warming cape/jacket over his shoulders. Tagovailoa, designated as the emergency third quarterback, wasn’t writing formations on the whiteboard for Ewers, which is a duty he handled on the sideline in his first two games as a reserve quarterback. For the record, Tagovailoa has seemed to be in good spirits since his benching, often mixing and laughing with teammates in the locker room. He’s never been seen publicly pouting or seeming unhappy.

Tagovailoa is due $55 million next season. If he’s released it’ll cost Miami $99 million in dead money which they could take a one-time hit in 2026 or split into a two-year hit with $67 million in dead money in 2026 and $32 million in dead money in 2027. — Chris Perkins

Ewers shows promise

Ewers, who left the game in the fourth quarter with a right knee ailment, showed enough in three starts that he could be in the mix for the starting job in training camp. Sunday’s performance had some good and some not-so-good

Ewers was making his third start Sunday. He was 1-1 in his previous two starts, losing at Pittsburgh and defeating Tampa Bay.

Ewers started the game with a nine-yard run. He almost had a touchdown pass to wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr., but he couldn’t quite come up with the reception before falling out of the back of the end zone.

Ewers bounced back with a 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tahj Washington. Ewers had a couple of close calls on passes. He had an incomplete pass in the end zone that went between Washington and fellow wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. Ewers also had a close call on a throw for Washington deep in the third quarter. Washington and Pro Bowl cornerback Christian Gonzalez get their feet tangled up and both went to the ground.

All in all, Ewers showed promise in his three starts.

McDaniel is a .500 coach (including playoffs)

McDaniel finishes his fourth season with a 35-33 (.515) regular season record, 35-35 (.500) including his 0-2 playoffs record.

The Dolphins rallied to finish 7-10 this season after starting 0-3, 1-6 and 2-7.

Last season they rallied to finish 8-9 after starting 2-6.

In 2022, the Dolphins started 8-3 but slumped to a 1-6 finish, including their wildcard playoff loss at Buffalo.

In 2023, the Dolphins started 9-3 but slumped to a 2-4 finish, including their wildcard playoff loss at Kansas City.

TO margin/penalties

The Dolphins ended with season minus-4 in turnover margin. After having seven penalties for 52 yards, they also ended with 107 penalties for 841 yards.

The Dolphins began play Sunday tied for 17th in the league in turnover margin at minus-2. In 2024, they were tied for 29th at minus-7. In 2023, they were tied for 12th at plus-2, and in 2022 they were tied for 28th at minus-7.

The Dolphins began play Sunday tied for 12th fewest penalties with 100, and 11th in fewest penalty yards with 789.

As for penalties, in 2024, the Dolphins were 30th in penalty yards with 1,030 and their 125 penalties were tied for 29th.

In 2023, the Dolphins were No. 5 in the league with 719 penalty yards while they were tied for 13th fewest penalties with 96.

In 2022, the Dolphins were No. 19 in penalty yards with 799 yards while they were tied for No. 4 in penalties with 84.

Cold weather games

Miami is now 1-7 (.125) in cold weather games under McDaniel. Sunday was a “cold weather” game with the definition of cold weather for this purpose being 45 degrees or colder at kickoff. The “feels like” temperature at kickoff was 23 degrees. The actual temperature was 28 degrees.

Cold weather has been a big deal for the Dolphins under McDaniel. Miami began play Sunday with a 1-6 (.143) record in cold weather losing twice in Buffalo in 2022 (regular season and playoffs), once in Kansas City (playoffs), once in Green Bay (Thanksgiving 2024), losing against the New York Jets (2024 finale), winning at the New York Jets (this season) and losing at Pittsburgh (this season).

It should be noted that six of the eight cold weather games came against playoff teams.

Run defense sags again

New England rushed for 243 yards 34 carries. The Dolphins began play Sunday ranked 24th in run defense at 125.5 yards per game. When these teams played in September, New England rushed for 122 yards. They were second of seven consecutive Dolphins opponents to rush for more than 100 yards.

Late-season road games

Miami is now 3-11 in December-January road games under McDaniel.

The Dolphins were winless in January road games under McDaniel when play began Sunday, posting an 0-4 record.

The verdict on recent Grier draftees, free agents

All of the Dolphins draftees that played Sunday, and almost every Miami player that took the field, were drafted or selected by Grier, who was widely ridiculed for his drafts and free agent signees. The list from Sunday ranges from Ewers to linebacker Jordyn Brooks and kicker Riley Patterson.

In the last two years Grier’s players posted losing season’s but last year they finished 6-3 and this year they finished 5-3.

The final conclusion on the draftees and free agents is likely similar to the final conclusion on each season – mediocre-ish.

Special teams surface again

Defensive tackle Zach Sieler blocked a 38-yard field goal attempt shortly before kicker Riley Patterson booted a 52-yard field goal. Last week rookie defensive tackle Zeek Biggers blocked a 55-yard field goal attempt.

It’s been an eventual special teams season for the Dolphins, and it’s involved a punt return touchdown, allowing a kickoff return touchdown immediately afterward, running into the punter, roughing the punter, allowing an opponent to recover an onside kick, recovering an opponent’s onside kick, punter Jake Bailey and Patterson turning in exemplary seasons.

Third quarter woes

The Dolphins were outscored in Sunday’s third quarter, 14-0. For the season they were outscored, 130-27, in the third quarter.

That Patriots first touchdown was a rarity

The Patriots received the opening kickoff and began the game with a three-play, 70-yard touchdown drive. It marked the first time under Mike McDaniel that an opening-possession-of-the-game touchdown drive of that length had taken up three plays or fewer. The Dolphins offense under McDaniel had accomplished the feat twice: In San Francisco in 2022 and against the Broncos in the 70-20 game in 2023. The previous time the Dolphins had allowed such a touchdown had been against Peyton Manning and the Colts 16 seasons ago. Pro-football-reference.com’s database covers the 21st century, and the Dolphins hadn’t given up such a touchdown that featured only running plays in the past 25 years at least. Once, in 2005, the Browns on their first possession (but after Miami also had had a possession) saw Reuben Droughns take their opening snap 75 yards to the house. — Steve Svekis

Patrick Paul became a bit of a flag machine late in the season

After a first 15 games where he had been nabbed for only 6 flags, Dolphins second-year tackle Patrick Paul saw four penalties attached to his number in the final two games against the Buccaneers and Patriots, including a trio (holding, false start and illegal man downfield) in a span of 8:18 in Foxborough. He is to be lauded for have playing all 34 of the possible games his first two seasons.

Boo! Ollie Gordon was a short-yardage liability after Halloween

Maybe as a rookie, Ollie Gordon hit a rookie wall, but his effectiveness in short-yardage situations fell off a cliff after October. Before Halloween, Gordon had been fine 6 for 7 converting on third- or fourth-and-1 runs. However, in November onward, he has converted in only 2 of 6 situations, losing 5 yards in total.

2026 schedule tidbits

Here is a note for each non-division game next season:

Kansas City Chiefs at Hard Rock Stadium

Patrick Mahomes has played two games at Hard Rock Stadium, both six years ago. The first, on February of 2020 was in his first Super Bowl, against the 49ers. The second, in December, was his lone game against the Dolphins in South Florida. In that matchup, the AFC champion had a 30-10 lead in the fourth quarter before taking their foot off the gas, winning 33-27. The Dolphins have a five-game losing streak against the Chiefs and haven’t beaten them in Miami Gardens in 20 years.

Los Angeles Chargers at Hard Rock Stadium

In his four career games against the Dolphins, Justin Herbert, selected sixth in the 2020 draft after the Dolphins picked Tua Tagovailoa, has averaged 26.8 points a game, including 29 in a pivotal game for the Chargers earlier this season. The Dolphins have averaged 27.3 points a game in that quartet.

Chicago Bears at Hard Rock Stadium

Former Dolphins assistant Ben Johnson makes his first return to Hard Rock Stadium since his stint with Miami from 2012-18. After the Dolphins grabbed a 4-0 lead in the all-time series with the legendary Monday Night Football win over then-undefeated Chicago in 1985, the Bears won four of the next seven games between the teams. However, Miami has a three-game win streak.

Detroit Lions at Hard Rock Stadium

Another former Dolphins assistant coach, and former interim head coach, comes back to Miami Gardens for his first time since finishing his six-year tenure in South Florida in 2015. The last time the Dolphins beat the Lions in South Florida was a 49-21 walloping in the season opener of 2002, which was also Ricky Williams’ Dolphins debut.

Cincinnati Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium

Joe Burrow will be looking to improve to 3-0 all-time against Miami, having averaged 36 points a game in games against the Dolphins.

Denver Broncos at Empower Field*

Broncos coach Sean Payton will have been waiting three years for this game, his Broncos having been ravaged for 70 points in Miami Gardens in 2023 the most recent time the teams played.
Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium*

One of the rare flips of series record in the Dolphins’ favor since Don Shula left after 1995, the Dolphins trailed Oakland/Los Angeles 6-16-1 heading into the 1996 season. The past 20 years, however, the Dolphins have rolled Oakland/Las Vegas 15-5, and now the series is squared at 21-21-1.

Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field*

The Dolphins had been 8-0 against Green Bay when Jimmy Johnson took over for Don Shula in 1996, but the Packers, powered by Hall of Fame quarterbacks Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, have cruised through the Dolphins with wins in seven of the teams’ nine matchups since then.

Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium*

The Dolphins have played a Brian Flores-coached defense once since he and Miami parted ways after 2021, and that was a 16-10 Dolphins win in 2022 when the Steelers dropped four Tua Tagovailoa passes that hit both hands.

Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium*

The Colts, before collapsing, arguably had their best game of their season in the opener against the Dolphins, a 33-8 shellacking in Indiana.

San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California*

There is some argument that one of the last moments the Dolphins felt like things had finally turned around was the first-play-of-the-game 75-yard touchdown pass from Tua Tagovailoa to Trent Sherfield the last time Miami traveled to Santa Clara. However, the host 49ers rebounded to rout Miami, who had entered the game 8-3. Miami sputtered to 9-8 to squeak into the playoffs, where they lost to Buffalo 34-31.

* Denotes there is a possibility this game may be played internationally.

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