MIAMI GARDENS ― Malik Willis gave the Miami Dolphins a real chance to keep the momentum going early Sunday, but the second half belonged to Drake Maye and the New England Patriots.
Miami built a 13-3 halftime lead at home, yet the Patriots stormed back for a 24-19 win, leaving the Dolphins at 1-6 while New England moved to 5-3. Willis was solid enough to keep Miami in front for much of the afternoon, but the Dolphins couldn’t hold up once the game flipped after halftime.
The start was encouraging. Willis completed 5 of his first 6 passes and looked comfortable working underneath, including a 23-yard throw to Malik Washington, who appears to be the receiver he trusts most to be in the right place. He later finished off an excellent 70-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Washington just before halftime, showing good timing and control when the Dolphins needed it most.
He also flashed the arm strength that has stood out since taking over. One of the better throws of the day came late in the first half, when Willis hung in the pocket under pressure and fired a 19-yard completion to Greg Dulcich on third down. That play mattered even more because Willis had already been sacked five times in the first half.
Miami leaned on shorter throws again, and the rainy conditions made that approach make sense. Willis stayed mostly in that range until the closing minutes, when he connected with rookie Kevin Coleman, Jr. on a 35-yard touchdown pass that cut the Patriots’ lead to 24-19.
The turnover battle was a mixed bag. Willis was intercepted early in the fourth quarter when a pass intended for Caleb Douglas deflected off the helmet of a Patriots rusher. He also had another fourth-quarter interception wiped out by a defensive penalty on New England.
The sacks piled up, but not all of them were on Willis. He was taken down three times in the first two possessions and five times before halftime, often with pressure arriving almost immediately. Playing through a groin injury, he was not much of a factor as a runner, which took away another layer of his game.
Still, there were stretches where he looked composed and in command. Miami’s drive just before halftime was a strong example of that, with Willis managing the clock, staying poised and delivering accurate throws while the Dolphins chose not to simply drain the half.
The second half was a different story. Miami and Willis couldn’t keep the offense rolling, and the Patriots’ comeback erased the good work from the opening 30 minutes. For all the signs of progress, Willis still has to find a way to make the good stretches last longer.
In Other News...
Dolphins O-Line Momentum Suddenly Hinges On A New Concern Up Front
Miamis offensive line has spent much of the season trying to find some stability, and the guard play has been a big reason the Dolphins have been able to lean on the run game. Kadyn Proctor and Jonah Savaiinaea have both logged heavy snap counts, and even with penalties and PFF grades that have dipped below league average at times, their presence has helped keep the interior moving in the right direction. Savaiinaeas return from an ankle injury has been especially important after the line had to absorb some early-season shuffling.
Now the momentum up front faces a fresh test with Proctor unavailable for Week 8 because of a concussion. For a unit that has already had to manage injuries while trying to build chemistry, losing one of its most-used guards adds another layer of uncertainty at exactly the wrong time. Miami has gotten enough from the pair to matter in the rushing attack, but the next stretch will show whether that progress can hold if the lineup has to change again. [Read more 🡒]
Malik Willis Forced A Tough Dolphins Sideline Conversation After Costly Mistake
A promising third-down sequence against New England took a sharp turn for Miami after Ollie Gordon II was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct following a short run, turning a manageable spot into a much tougher one for the offense. In the heat of the moment, Malik Willis made sure the message was heard on the sideline, confronting Gordon about the mistake and stressing the kind of accountability that can keep a drive from slipping away.
Willis did not leave it there, though. Even while calling out the error, he backed Gordon as a teammate and made clear the issue was about cleaning up the details, not creating a divide, which is the sort of exchange that can matter in a tight game and, just as importantly, in a locker room trying to stay connected as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Let Another Sloppy Patriots Loss Spiral In The Second Half
A wet, sloppy Week 8 loss in New England left the Dolphins staring at another game that got away in the second half, this one a 24-19 defeat that pushed the Patriots to their fifth win of the season. Miami had to navigate a Patriots offense missing A.J. Brown and TreVeyon Henderson, but the bigger issue was how quickly the game tilted once the conditions and the pressure started to pile up.
Drake Maye made the most of a clean, efficient day, going 16 of 20 for 207 yards and three touchdowns while the Patriots kept Miami under constant stress up front. The Patriots also lost tight end Hunter Henry to a foot injury and never got him back, but their defense still found enough disruption to keep the Dolphins from turning the game into a late comeback. [Read more 🡒]