New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) smiles after a replay review ruled that that a touchdown scored by Kyle Williams was good during the second half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) smiles after a replay review ruled that that a touchdown scored by Kyle Williams was good during the second half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
MIAMI GARDENS — A.J. Brown. Romeo Doubs. Mack Hollins. TreVeyon Henderson. Hunter Henry.
Those were the offensive weapons Drake Maye did not have at his disposal Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.
With Brown, Doubs, Hollins and Henderson all inactive with injuries and Henry knocked out of the game in the second quarter, Maye was forced to make do with a skeleton crew of pass-catchers in a stadium that’s been a house of horrors for many a Patriots team.
The result wasn’t pretty — New England trailed the one-win Dolphins late in the third quarter — but Maye and his undermanned supporting cast did enough to avoid an upset. The quarterback completed 16 of 20 passes for 199 yards with three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) and no turnovers in a 24-19 victory.
“We just started to finish off drives,” Maye said. “(We) hit some big ones, which helped, and we had some catch-and-runs, which were nice. We started to run the football pretty well; it was nice to see that. And then we started playing complementary football.”
Maye and the offense, which also was missing two starting linemen, scuffled throughout the first half amid rainy conditions in South Florida. The Patriots’ first seven drives yielded as many sacks (three) as total points.
Their leading receiver during that span was Henry, who caught all three of his targets for 30 yards before a foot injury sidelined him for the rest of the game. Their trio of undersized wideouts (DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism III and Kyle Williams), thrust into prominent roles with the bigger-bodied Brown, Doubs and Hollins all banged up, was largely invisible outside of Chism’s first-quarter fumble, which gave Miami possession at New England’s 19-yard line.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye scores a touchdown during the second half of an NFL game against the Miami Dolphins in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye scores a touchdown during the second half of an NFL game against the Miami Dolphins in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
After a quick three-and-out to open the second half, Maye and Co. finally hit their stride.
Williams provided the first spark. The second-year speedster shook loose from safety Michael Taaffe, and Maye stepped up in the pocket to deliver a 43-yard touchdown that cut the Dolphins’ lead to 13-10.
Officials initially ruled the play an incomplete pass but overturned the call after a successful challenge by Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, who signaled his disagreement by hurling his red flag more than 20 yards onto the field.
It was the only reception of the game for Williams, who’s been a boom-or-bust big-play threat since New England drafted him in the third round last year.
Following a Dolphins three-and-out, it was Douglas’ turn.
The veteran slot receiver hauled in a 26-yard gain from Maye — who gathered a bounced snap from center Jared Wilson and found his target downfield — then extended the drive with a fourth-and-2 conversion. Like on Williams’ score, officials initially ruled in Miami’s favor before replays revealed that Douglas had gained the necessary yardage.
Maye capped the drive himself, faking an option pitch to running back Rhamondre Stevenson and running into the end zone from 1 yard out. It was his third rushing touchdown in New England’s last four games and the ninth of his NFL career.
“That play comes in, and you’re always a little amped for it,” Maye said. “It’s kind of me and Mondre 2-on-1. It’s like a basketball fast break. Hopefully, you make the guy guess wrong, and we did. So I’d rather give to Mondre. (What) we did in college (was) 90% pitch, 10% run. So I’m happy to be at 10%.”
The go-ahead touchdown drive also featured three catches by Chism, who finished with a team-high five receptions on five targets for 37 yards.
Douglas, by far the most experienced receiver or tight end in New England’s lineup after Henry departed, delivered the final blow: a 48-yard catch-and-run touchdown that made it 24-13 with 12:39 remaining.
“Pop’s tough to tackle,” Maye said. “He’s a tough tackle when you get out there on the edge, and you saw it on the touchdown run. It was good for Kyle to get another one, a deep one. We’ve got to get those guys the ball in the space more.”
Maye played the second half with a wrap on his non-throwing hand, but it didn’t limit his ability to attack the Dolphins’ defense downfield. Nor did the Patriots long list of offensive players lost to injuries. On passes that traveled 10-plus yards downfield, Maye was 5-for-5 for 149 yards and two scores.
“He throws to the open guy, controls our offense and gets guys in the right spot,” Vrabel said. “Being one of the best quarterbacks in the league, that’s what the job description requires.”