The Miami Dolphins made just enough plays to beat the New England Patriots and enough mistakes to lose to just about anyone else.
A blocked punt. Two missed field goals — one off the upright and one on a botched snap. Another snap over the quarterback’s head, taking Miami out range for another field goal attempt. An interception that set up the Patriots’ only touchdown.
“Some of the things that we’re shooting ourselves in the foot with right now, it was a full team win to be able to overcome those issues,” said fullback Alec Ingold, who scored Miami’s only touchdown in a 15-10 victory Sunday.
“We know that that’s not acceptable. It’s not up to the standard,” he said. “We all know we need to tighten that up.”
In a game between two of the NFL’s worst teams that was pocked with penalties, missed kicks and poor clock management, Miami took the lead for good when Ingold plunged into the end zone with four minutes left on his only carry of the game.
And the Dolphins (2-3) had to weather two more Patriots’ possessions — one with a touchdown that was overturned on replay, and another that fizzled when New England, after completing a pass at the Miami 11 in the middle of the field, was unable to stop the clock.
“Honestly, nothing was good,” said Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who was 18 of 34 for 160 yards. “Penalties in the wrong situations, in bad situations. We’re not good enough to do that, to go backwards and try to score points.”
Jason Sanders kicked three field goals for Miami to overcome three botched special teams plays, and the Dolphins won for the first time since quarterback Tua Tagovailoa went out with a concussion in Week 2.
Making his second start as Miami’s fourth quarterback, Tyler Huntley completed 18 of 31 passes for 194 yards and one interception. Tyreek Hill caught six passes for 69 yards, Jaylen Wright ran for 86 and Raheem Mostert added 80 on the ground for the Dolphins.
Ingold’s 3-yard run capped a 15-play, 80-yard drive that was more like 95 with penalties figured in.
After the 2-point attempt failed, the Patriots (1-4) still had two more chances to take the lead.
The Patriots celebrated a go-ahead touchdown pass with 63 seconds left, but replays showed Ja’Lynn Polk’s second heel came down on the end line. After two no-chance incompletions — and yet another penalty — the Patriots turned the ball over on downs.
New England got the ball back on its own 43 with 29 seconds left, and Brissett connected on a 21-yard pass to Kayshon Boutte at the Dolphins 36; with no timeouts, the Patriots hustled to spike the ball with 12 seconds left. Brissett hit Hunter Henry at the 11 but near the yardage markers — too far inbounds for them to have a chance to stop the clock.
“As the game wore on, our fundamentals began to slip,” New England coach Jerod Mayo said after watching his team commit 12 penalties for 105 yards — including five pre-snap violations and five for offensive holding. “We preach all the time about pre-snap and post-snap penalties. It just wasn’t a good day.”
Fumble-prone Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson was benched for the opening series but ran 12 times for 89 yards and a 33-yard touchdown in the first quarter that was set up by Christian Gonzalez’s interception inside Miami territory.
Kicking woes
Sanders’ 54-yard field goal on Miami’s first drive gave the Dolphins, whose only other win came on a Week 1 kick with no time left, its first lead of the season.
But when Sanders went back out at the end of the first quarter for a 41-yard attempt, he doinked it off the left upright. The Dolphins also botched another field goal attempt when long-snapper Blake Ferguson rolled the ball to the holder and Sanders didn’t even get a chance to swing his leg.
Miami also had a punt blocked, setting up the Patriots at the Dolphins’ 23. But after a drive that included two offensive holding penalties and just five plays, Joey Slye pulled a 33-yard field goal attempt wide right.
Clock mismanagement
The Dolphins then marched to the New England 25 to move into position for a field goal that could have made it a one-point game.
But a mistimed snap by Aaron Brewer went over Huntley’s head, for a loss of 20 yards; there was also a penalty on the Dolphins, which was declined. Jake Bailey’s punt left the Patriots on their own 5, and they ran off just 55 seconds before punting.
Miami took over at the Patriots’ 44 and moved to the 28 for Sanders’ field goal attempt that split the uprights – only to be waved off for a false start. On the retry, they botched the snap.
The Patriots couldn’t get anywhere on their possession and burned only 12 seconds before punting the ball back to Miami – a fifth possession inside the 2-minute warning.
Injuries
Dolphins: Running back De’Von Achane left with a concussion in the first half and did not return. Safety Jevon Holland left the game with a hand injury and did not return. WR Odell Beckham Jr. was active for the first time this season and was targeted twice, but did not have a catch.
Patriots: After losing center David Andrews and tackle Caedan Wallace during the week, they activated receiver Kendrick Bourne and safety Marte Mapu off of injured reserve.
Up next
Dolphins: Week off before playing at Indianapolis on Oct. 20.
Patriots: Host Houston next Sunday.