It would be completely fair to say that the Patriots never play a normal game in Miami when they face the Dolphins, no matter when the game is played or who the quarterback is. They continued that with their latest matchup on Sunday, in a back-and-forth battle going all the way down to the fourth quarter.
For the most part, it wasn't their best effort to follow up a disappointing Week 1 loss to the Raiders, and there is plenty for them to work on for the rest of the season, especially since they welcome the Steelers to Gillette Stadium next week.
However, one of the more exciting and notable parts of their performance, despite how poorly the special teams played collectively, was the 90-yard kick return touchdown by Antonio Gibson to bring the Patriots back on top 30-27.
The best part of the play, though, might be Mike Vrabel's reaction on the sideline.
Antonio Gibson brings the momentum back to New England with impressive kick return touchdown
There might not have been anyone more excited about Gibson's score than his head coach, as he was seen running the sideline with the running back nearly the entire way.
Look at Mike Vrabel on the sideline. Dying. pic.twitter.com/sHIlCkSUZT
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) September 14, 2025
It was one of the few moments that we have seen that has excited Vrabel to this level, as the Patriots continue to struggle and have more bad moments than good to start the year.
This is one that they will remember, though, and it's something that we will hopefully continue to see as the season progresses. The special teams were supposed to be among their biggest strengths this year, as we saw in the preseason, and they have looked far from that so far.
Gibson's score could be a sign that better things are to come, and it's exactly what this team needs if they want to continue to improve throughout the rest of the season.