New England Patriots
The Dolphins enter Sunday’s matchup at 7-9 and seem to be every bit the part of a team looking toward next season.
All eyes are on the playoffs in New England, but the Patriots still have another game left in their regular season slate.
The Patriots host the Dolphins in their regular-season finale on Sunday. While the Patriots have already clinched the AFC East, they do have something to play for against the Dolphins. New England can still get the No. 1 seed if it wins on Sunday. However, the Patriots will also need the Chargers to beat the Broncos.
So, as the Patriots put a bow on their regular season, here are four things to know about the 7-9 Dolphins ahead of Sunday’s matchup.
Quinn Ewers has shown a little bit of promise in his first couple of starts, but not a ton.
For the second straight week, the Patriots are taking on a rookie quarterback who wasn’t a high draft pick. Quinn Ewers, who the Dolphins took in the seventh round in the 2025 NFL Draft, has started the last two games for Miami after it decided to bench Tua Tagovailoa.
Unlike Jets rookie quarterback Brady Cook, Ewers has shown some glimpses of NFL talent in his first taste of professional football. He threw a pair of interceptions in his first start against the Bengals, but he was efficient in moving the ball. He completed 20 of 30 passes for 260 yards in that game.
Last week, Ewers was able to bounce back and give the Dolphins some competent quarterback play in their upset victory over the Buccaneers. He completed 14 of 22 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns in a 20-17 victory, posting a 118 passer rating.
Ewers has also been pushing the ball downfield a bit through his first two starts. His average depth of target (ADOT) is 9.0, which is slightly behind Drake Maye’s ADOT (9.4). For reference, Maye’s ADOT is the fourth-best mark among quarterbacks who’ve started at least 10 games this season.
Ewers is a threat with his legs, though. He’s put up just 10 rushing yards so far. He was able to use his shiftiness to buy time in the pocket during his college career at Texas, so maybe the Patriots have some difficulty there. But the Patriots should be able to limit him as a runner.
They have a few key playmakers who have either already been ruled out or aren’t set to play on Sunday.
If the fact that the Dolphins are starting a seventh-round rookie at quarterback already wasn’t a sign that they’ve turned the page to 2026, their injury report also suggests that they’re ready to move on to next year.
They had 10 players listed on their final injury report of the week on Friday. Most notable was running back Da’Von Achane, who is doubtful with a shoulder injury. Achane has been one of the game’s top running backs this season, ranking fifth in rushing yards (1,350) and leading the league in yards per carry (5.7). He’s also a threat in the passing game, recording 92 receiving yards against the Patriots in Week 2 and is fifth in yards per scrimmage this year. So, the fact that Achane is unlikely to play on Sunday is certainly a sigh of relief for the Patriots and unwelcomed news for Ewers.
Beyond Achane, standout tight end Darren Waller was placed on injured reserve on Friday. Waller hasn’t had spectacular numbers, but his 283 receiving yards and six touchdowns in nine games weren’t bad for a player who came out of retirement this season.
Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle is questionable for Sunday’s game. Waddle has been much better this season than he was last year, stepping up in Tyreek Hill’s absence. He’s got 100 receptions for 910 and six touchdowns in 2025.
There are also some notable defensive players on the Dolphins’ injury report. Linebacker Jordyn Brooks is questionable, potentially leaving the Dolphins without the league’s leading tackler on Sunday. Standout edge rusher Chop Robinson is questionable, too. Robinson recorded three sacks in the Dolphins’ last five games.
So, the Patriots certainly won’t get the best version of the Dolphins on Sunday.
They aren’t good in the trenches.
On top of possibly having to play without some of his top playmakers on Sunday, Ewers already has to deal with playing behind one of the league’s worst offensive lines. The Dolphins’ offensive line ranks 24th in pass block win rate and 30th in run block win rate. Pro Football Focus also ranks the unit as the sixth-worst in the NFL.
Second-year left tackle Patrick Paul has been a positive, giving up just four sacks and 24 pressures this year, per PFF. But the rest of the Dolphins’ offensive line leaves a lot to be desired. Rookie Jonah Savaiinaea, who the Patriots reportedly considered drafting in the second round of the 2025 draft, has the third-worst pressure rate among guards, while former Patriot Cole Strange has the fifth-worst pass block grade among guards this season, per PFF.
The Dolphins aren’t sharp in the defensive trenches, either. They’re in the middle of the pack of the league in sacks, tied for 14th with 39. But they’re 22nd in pass rush win rate and 20th in run stop win rate. Edge rusher Bradley Chubb and defensive tackle Zach Sieler could at least give the Patriots’ offensive line some trouble, though, as they have 14 sacks between them this year.
It could be the final game of the Mike McDaniel era.
Remember when Mike McDaniel had the Patriots’ number? Well, after McDaniel won five of his first six games against the Patriots, New England could sweep the season series against Miami this year and send its head coach packing.
McDaniel has been on the hot seat for much of the season. He seemed to quiet down rumors about his future for a bit, helping the Dolphins go on a four-game win streak in November through the start of December. He also outlasted general manager Chris Grier, who left the team in October.
However, rumors about McDaniel’s future in Miami seemed to pick up again this week following the news that “Monday Night Football” analyst Troy Aikman was hired to consult the team in their general manager search. Aikman had some pretty pointed criticism toward McDaniel and the Dolphins during their blowout loss to the Steelers in Week 15, questioning their tempo in that game. He even said the Dolphins’ fourth-quarter showing was “as ridiculous a fourth quarter as I’ve seen in a long time.”
Maybe that causes McDaniel to open up the playbook a bit on Sunday. Even then, that might not be enough to save his job as the Dolphins will miss the playoffs for a second-straight season and will usher in new leadership in their football operations in 2026.
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