Tua Tagovailoa threw for 317 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Miami Dolphins to an easy 34-15 victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday afternoon in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Tagovailoa completed 29 of 40 passes as Miami (5-6) continued to dominate the Patriots at home. New England has now dropped 10 of its past 12 games at Hard Rock Stadium.
Jaylen Waddle hauled in eight receptions for 144 yards and a touchdown and former Patriot Jonnu Smith had nine catches for 87 yards and a TD for the Dolphins, who have won three straight games. Running back De’Von Achane was on the receiving end of a pair of scores.
Drake Maye finished with 221 yards, one TD and one interception on 22-of-37 passing for New England (3-9), which punted five times, missed a field goal and lost a fumble before finally putting up points with 13:43 left in the game.
With nothing to lose on fourth-and-15 from the Miami 38, Maye lobbed up a deep ball that Austin Hooper snagged near the 3. Hooper then spun around and crossed the goal line to get the Patriots within 31-7.
After Joey Slye missed a 45-yard field-goal attempt at the end of New England’s second drive of the game, the Dolphins completely took over.
Miami scored three straight touchdowns, with the first coming with 14:10 remaining in the second quarter. Tagovailoa got the Dolphins on the board by finding Smith for a 7-yard score.
Tagovailoa then connected with Achane for two touchdowns — from 9 and 11 yards out — in a six-minute span later in the quarter to make it 21-0.
Following Achane’s second trip to the end zone, New England went three-and-out, allowing Miami to get a 21-yard field goal from Jason Sanders with two seconds left in the first half.
Neither team scored following the break until a Maye fumble led to Tagovailoa’s 23-yard TD pass to Waddle with 1:37 to go in the third quarter.
Christian Gonzalez made the score more respectable by scooping up a fumble and taking it 63 yards to the end zone with 10:10 left in the game to cut the Patriots’ deficit to 31-15.
Sanders closed the scoring with a 51-yard field goal with 3:33 to play.
–Field Level Media
