The New England Patriots punctuated a remarkable “worst-to-first” turnaround season on Sunday, dominating the Miami Dolphins 38-10 to secure their momentum heading into the postseason. Behind a three-touchdown performance from star running back Rhamondre Stevenson and the steady hand of rookie standout Drake Maye, the Patriots finished the regular season with a stellar 14-3 record. This victory was particularly sweet for the Foxborough faithful, as it marked the most wins for the franchise since their Super Bowl-winning campaign in 2016 and completed their first season sweep of Miami in nearly a decade.
“We’ve come a long way,” Maye said. “We’ve built this identity and played to it, and good things happen.”
Rhamondre Stevenson served as the undisputed engine of the New England offense throughout the afternoon. Stevenson shredded the Dolphins’ defense for 131 rushing yards, displaying incredible efficiency by averaging nearly 19 yards per carry. He opened the scoring with a physical rushing touchdown in the first half and added two more scores in the third quarter—one through the air on a 15-yard pass from Maye and another on a bruising 35-yard run that effectively put the game out of reach. His ability to find the end zone thrice solidified his role as the focal point of a team that has found its identity in the ground game.
“No one is entitled to anything,” McDaniel said. “I take the job serious. I will aggressively attack the job tomorrow like every day I have the job.”
While the rushing attack was dominant, the passing game reached significant milestones as well. Quarterback Drake Maye continued to bolster his impressive rookie resume, completing 14 of 18 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown before taking a seat in the fourth quarter to stay fresh for the playoffs. During the contest, veteran receiver Stefon Diggs eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the seventh time in his career, becoming the first Patriot to reach that threshold since Julian Edelman in 2019. The Patriots’ defense also played a pivotal role, suffocating a Miami team led by rookie Quinn Ewers and turning a competitive 17-10 halftime lead into a 28-point blowout.
With this win, New England officially enters the postseason as the AFC’s No. 2 seed. While they narrowly missed out on the top seed due to a Denver victory earlier in the day, the Patriots have earned the right to host the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Chargers in the wild-card round next weekend. Head coach Mike Vrabel credited the win to the team’s discipline and “good quarterback play,” signaling that the Patriots are a dangerous, playoff-ready squad prepared for a deep run toward a championship.
