Patriots rally to beat Dolphins 24-19

Patriots rally to beat Dolphins 24-19

Patriots rallied to beat the Dolphins 24-19 on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, wiping out a 10-point halftime deficit. New England trailed 13-3 at the break, then took over in the third quarter and never let go. Drake Maye threw two touchdown passes and ran for a third score as the Patriots improved to 5-3 overall and 2-3 on the road. Miami fell to 1-6 overall and 0-3 at home.

The turning point came late in the third quarter. Maye lofted a pass to Kyle Williams that was initially ruled incomplete after Williams appeared to lose the ball crossing the goal line. Patriots coach Mike Vrabel threw the red challenge flag, and officials overturned the call to a 43-yard touchdown. Maye followed that with a 2-yard touchdown run with 59 seconds left in the third quarter, putting New England ahead 17-13 entering the fourth.

DeMario Douglas turned a short pass into a 48-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter, weaving through the Miami defense to make it 24-13. Douglas finished with three catches for 76 yards. Rhamondre Stevenson carried 19 times for 82 yards to help New England control the clock in the second half.

Maye delivers without two top targets

Maye did it without his top two receivers. A.J. Brown was out with an ankle injury and Mack Hollins remains on injured reserve with a calf injury. Running back TreVeyon Henderson also sat out, with an illness. Maye still finished 16 of 20 passing for 199 yards and two touchdowns, adding the rushing score. New England's offense totaled 313 yards, 182 through the air and 131 on the ground, and turned the ball over just once.

Willis and the Dolphins fight back late

Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis completed 21 of 32 passes for 211 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, and was sacked five times. Miami led at the half on a pair of Zane Gonzalez field goals, from 31 and 52 yards, and a 1-yard touchdown pass from Willis to Malik Washington with eight seconds left in the second quarter. Ollie Gordon II carried 19 times for 69 yards. Rookie Kevin Coleman Jr. caught three passes for 46 yards, including a touchdown, and added a 35-yard touchdown catch from Willis with just over two minutes left to make it 24-19. Miami's two-point conversion try after that score failed, and Stevenson recovered the Dolphins' onside kick attempt to end the threat.

Dolphins still searching, Patriots still rolling

Miami is 1-6 this season and dealing with a thin roster. De'Von Achane is on injured reserve after ACL surgery on his left knee, Ronnie Harrison Jr. is on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, Kadyn Proctor is out with a concussion and Malik Herring is questionable with an undisclosed injury. The Dolphins had picked up their first win of the season the week before this loss. New England has now won back-to-back games and sits at 5-3, with injuries of its own to manage at receiver and running back heading into its next game.

Facts per ESPN box score. Opinion is the taproom's.