The New England Patriots visit the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Nov. 1, after losing to the Chicago Bears on Oct. 29, Boston.com reported. New England is 39-21 against Miami overall and 18-43 on the road against the Dolphins, including a 14-25 record at Hard Rock Stadium.
Boston.com reported that the Patriots enter the road game after a mini-bye following the Thursday night loss to Chicago. Miami enters Week 8 with a 1-5 record, while the Dolphins are coming off a 28-25 victory over the New York Jets. Boston.com identified three areas to watch: the Patriots’ tight ends against Miami’s defense, the Dolphins’ ground game against New England’s run defense, and the pressure Miami can generate against quarterback Drake Maye.
The Patriots’ tight-end production and Miami’s recent rushing numbers frame two of the central matchup questions. Boston.com also pointed to right tackle Morgan Moses playing through a foot injury as a factor in the pass-protection matchup. The outlet noted that New England would be seeking a response after a defensive performance that included 17 missed tackles against the Bears.
Drake Maye’s recent form frames the Patriots Dolphins matchup
Boston.com reported that Maye completed 67.2 percent of his passes and threw 12 touchdowns against two interceptions over his previous four games. The outlet attributed those figures to a Patriots announcement. Maye’s recent stretch followed a difficult start to the season and included a costly red-zone interception against Chicago, according to Boston.com.
Miami’s pass defense has allowed 8.1 yards per pass attempt and a 116.8 passer rating in 2026, figures that ranked 30th in the league, Boston.com reported. Those numbers give New England a potential path through the air, particularly if the Patriots can protect Maye long enough to exploit the Dolphins’ coverage issues.
Hunter Henry and Eli Raridon could test Miami’s defense
Hunter Henry and Eli Raridon combined for 29 catches, 361 receiving yards and three touchdowns over the Patriots’ previous four games, Boston.com reported. Their production gives New England two recent contributors at tight end entering the matchup.
Boston.com reported that Miami had allowed the fifth-most receptions and fourth-most receiving yards per game to tight ends in 2026. The outlet’s preview presented the possibility of increased tight-end usage as a matchup projection, not a confirmed Patriots game plan.
Wide receiver availability could make that matchup more important. Boston.com reported that A.J. Brown was dealing with a knee injury, while DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism III, Kyle Williams, Ryan Miller, Chandler Brayboy, Cameron Dorner and Kyle Dixon were the next players listed in the discussion of New England’s wide-receiver depth if Brown could not play.
Against Chicago, wide receivers accounted for 87 of Maye’s 321 passing yards, Boston.com reported. That distribution illustrated how much of the passing production had already come through other parts of the offense, including Henry and Raridon.
Miami’s rushing surge tests New England’s run defense
Boston.com reported that New England had not allowed an individual 100-yard rusher through seven games this season. The Patriots had allowed an opponent to reach 100 rushing yards as a team twice during that span, according to the outlet.
The Dolphins averaged 131.5 rushing yards per game over their previous three contests, second in the NFL over that span, according to Boston.com. That production came even though Miami was without De’Von Achane, whom the outlet identified as sidelined by a torn ACL.
Running back Ollie Gordon exceeded 100 rushing yards in two of those three games, Boston.com reported. Gordon is listed at 6-foot-2 and 222 pounds, and his size gives Miami a physical option in the ground game. The Dolphins’ recent rushing surge sets up a test of New England’s season-long record against individual 100-yard rushers.
Boston.com also reported that quarterback Malik Willis had surpassed 30 rushing yards in four games this season. His mobility adds another element for the Patriots’ defense, which will need to account for both Gordon’s carries and Willis’s ability to extend possessions on the ground.
The outlet identified linebackers Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss as players New England will need to rely on against Gordon. Boston.com also reported that cornerback Carlton Davis was expected to return after missing three games with a neck injury, adding a potential change to the Patriots’ defensive personnel.
Malik Willis and Miami’s pass rush create another challenge
Boston.com reported that Malik Willis completed 57.6 percent of his passes, with four touchdowns and four interceptions, through six games. The outlet also reported that Miami edge rusher Chop Robinson had two sacks and 20 pressures this season.
Robinson’s pressure total gives Miami a way to affect the game even if New England moves the ball against the Dolphins’ pass coverage. Boston.com described Miami’s run defense as 16th in rushing yards allowed per game, while identifying Robinson’s work off the edge as a central threat to Maye.
Boston.com reported that former Patriots defender Josh Uche had recorded 13 pressures for Miami. The outlet also said Moses was playing through a foot injury, placing the right tackle’s status in the context of the Dolphins’ pass rush. Moses could see repeated one-on-one opportunities against Robinson, while New England’s offensive line would also have to account for Uche and a Patriots interior group that Boston.com described as lacking depth at guard.
Miami’s defensive objective, according to Boston.com, is to follow the approach Chicago used: run the ball, control the clock and keep Maye off the field. For New England, sustaining drives would help limit those opportunities while allowing the Patriots’ passing game to test a Dolphins defense that has struggled against the pass.
New England visits Miami on Sunday
The Patriots visit the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 1, Boston.com reported. The outlet described wide receiver A.J. Brown as potentially unavailable because of a knee injury, making his status a factor for New England’s receiving group.
Boston.com reported that a victory would move New England to 5-3 on the season. The Patriots’ immediate path depends on protecting Maye against Robinson and Uche, limiting Gordon’s recent rushing production, and converting the tight-end matchup into consistent offensive gains.
