Whenever the Patriots play the Dolphins in Miami, it's clear it won't be an easy game, no matter how good the Patriots are and how bad the Dolphins are.
That's been the case long before the 2026 season, with even Tom Brady and Bill Belichick struggling to get wins in South Florida for nearly 20 years. In fact, the Patriots are 18-43 all time in Miami, and we've seen plenty of impressive teams come through Gillette in the franchise's existence.
So they hoped to turn things around this time, just as they did last season when they stole a 33-27 win in Week 2. But it would be even more difficult this year, with so many injuries across the offense and unfavorable weather, including heavy rain and potential thunderstorms.
Although that definitely affected how the night went, the Patriots overcame the struggles they created for themselves, as they do almost every time they play in Miami, and came out victors to run a clean sweep of the AFC East in their first matchups.
8 instant reactions to the Patriots' near loss to the Dolphins in Week 8
1-Christian Barmore appears to have heard the trade rumors about him leading up to this game, as he came out swinging at the start. He recorded 0.5 sacks in the first quarter
2-The defense was on fire at the start of the game, recording 3 sacks on Malik Willis in just the first quarter. Given how inconsistent the pass rush has been this season, it was an impressive start against another AFC East opponent. They couldn't keep that momentum going until halftime, though, and the Dolphins took a big momentum swing, leading 13-3 at the break.
3-Turnovers remain the biggest problem for this team, as WR Efton Chism fumbled in the first quarter, marking at least one turnover in every game this season. As if that wasn't bad enough, it also led to the Dolphins' first points of the game, which fortunately was just a field goal, but it still allowed them to tie the game after the defense dominated on their first two drives.
4-It's increasingly clear this team cannot continue with Andy Borregales as their kicker. He missed his third 40-yard or shorter field goal of the season, which would've tied the game before halftime, and with injuries across the team, they can't afford to miss points like that.
5-Injuries to the offensive line have taken a bigger toll than in recent weeks, with Drake Maye pressured on 57% of his dropbacks in the first half. This led to some lineup changes after halftime, with Ben Brown replacing Walter Rouse at left guard in hopes of bringing improvement.
6-The injury bug follows the Patriots to Miami, losing Hunter Henry to a foot injury in the first half, with Gabe Jacas (knee) and Dre'Mont Jones also spending time in the medical tent in the third quarter. Injuries have already decimated the offense, so losing Henry for any length of time would be devastating.
7-Kevin Byard, who led the league in interceptions last season, records his first of the year with the Patriots in the fourth quarter. It set up a 48-yard touchdown by DeMario Douglas to put the Patriots ahead 24-13.
8-Pre-snap penalties are still a problem for both sides of the ball, and those mistakes will only make the job at hand even tougher for the Patriots. They have to figure out how to stop getting in their own way.
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