Dolphins vs. Patriots score, takeaways: Tua Tagovailoa tosses four touchdowns, Miami keeps playoff hopes alive

The Miami Dolphins improve to 5-6 on the season and extend their winning streak to three games after a 34-15 win over the New England Patriots. This was as one-sided of a matchup that you could find on the Week 12 slate with Miami holding at least a three-score lead for the bulk of this matchup. In fact, New England was shut out for this game until the fourth quarter.

After both offenses punted to begin the game, the Patriots initially threatened to put up points, but Joey Slye missed a 45-yard field goal on the team’s second possession of the afternoon. That miss was the only true gasp for Jerod Mayo’s team while this game was competitive as they were mostly plagued with undisciplined play headlined by 10 penalties.

It was after that drive where Miami’s offense woke up and started to blow New England out of the water. Tua Tagovailoa, who moves to 7-0 against the Patriots as a starter in his career, threw three first-half touchdowns as part of a 24-point second quarter that moved Miami firmly in the driver’s seat. Running back De’Von Achane had two of those first-half scores, while Jonnu Smith, who played two seasons with New England, caught the other. 

The second half largely brought more of the same as the Dolphins added to their lead, thanks to a fumble recovery by the defense that was followed up by a Tagovailoa’s fourth passing touchdown of the day with this one going to Jaylen Waddle, who finished with eight catches for 144 yards and that score. The Patriots would add 15 points in the fourth quarter, but that was largely window dressing on what was really a beatdown at Hard Rock Stadium. 

Tagovailoa finished with 317 yards to go with his four passing touchdowns. As for the Patriots, Drake Maye completed 22 of his 37 passes for 221 yards, a touchdown and an interception. 

For more on how this game unfolded, check out our takeaways below. 

Why the Dolphins won

Tua Tagovailoa continues to be surgical since coming back from injured reserve. The Dolphins quarterback was sharp in this win over New England, particularly in the first half as Miami built up its lead. Entering the locker room at halftime, Tagovailoa had completed 20 of his 27 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns to help build a 24-0 lead. During that stretch, the Dolphins offense was particularly sharp on third down, completing four of its six situations in the half.

Defensively, the Dolphins engulfed New England’s offense and made lift nearly impossible for Drake Maye, who was sacked four times. Jalen Ramsey’s pressure on the corner blitz showed up on a number of occasions, including in the fourth quarter when his pressure on the young QB helped result in Tyrell Dodson reeling in an interception. 

Why the Patriots lost

New England played undisciplined football essentially from the jump. As has been the case throughout the season, the offensive line was the main issue in this loss as the unit was called for seven total penalties. That includes starting tackle Vederian Lowe, who was called for four infractions on the afternoon. When the line wasn’t sending the offense backward due to penalties, it was allowing four sacks and saw Drake Maye get hit a total of eight times in the loss. The defense also had little to no answer for Miami’s pass catchers, particularly Jaylen Waddle and Jonnu Smith as they combined for 17 catches and two scores. 

Turning point

The game really broke open following Miami’s initial touchdown in the opening minutes of the second quarter. After going up 7-0, the defense suffocated the Patriots offense, forcing a three-and-out that saw the offense move 15 yards in the wrong direction. The drive lasted just over 90 seconds, so the Miami offense was back on the field in no time and continued the momentum from the previous possession. The Dolphins traveled 66 yards in 4:47 and culminated with Tagovailoa connecting with De’Von Achane for a 9-yard touchdown to go up by two scores. That added to what would end up being a 24-point second quarter by Miami that left the Patriots in the dust.

Play of the game

It was a forgetful day for the Patriots, but Drake Maye continues to be a bright spot for the offense and the franchise as a whole. The rookie first-round pick again flashed his potential in garbage time by converting a fourth-and-15 play into a 38-yard touchdown pass to Austin Hooper. That was the lone touchdown on the day from the New England offense. 

What’s next

From here, the Dolphins are getting ready for a trip to Lambeau Field where they will visit the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving night. As for the Patriots, they’ll head back to Foxborough and gear up for a Week 13 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium.