Dolphins vs Patriots Instant Reactions

The Dolphins got off to a brutal start today, with the defense seemingly forgetting how to play football for the first two drives. You could almost hear everyone thinking, “Here we go again. Another blowout embarrassment.”

But then, surprisingly, the Dolphins woke up. The offense settled in, Quinn Ewers continued to impress, and the defense actually managed to get some stops against one of the league’s best offenses. Despite trailing 17–10 after a 59-yard field goal as the first half expired, the Dolphins had to feel pretty good about where they were at that point.

Then came the second half.

Ewers marched the Dolphins down the field on the opening drive… and then threw an absolutely horrendous interception right into the hands of Patriots safety Jaylinn Hawkins in the end zone. From that moment on, the wheels completely fell off. The defense somehow re-forgot how to play defense. Ewers took a few ugly sacks and looked completely out of rhythm. Nothing worked. And before you knew it, the Dolphins were blown out—exactly like so many people expected—losing 38–10.

It was a disastrous second half. One that left me questioning my faith in Ewers, my belief that McDaniel will be back next season, and honestly, just about every positive thing I felt about this team during the second half of the year.

What a terrible way to end the season.

There’s a lot more to talk about—a full Ewers assessment, what the Dolphins should do at quarterback next year, a 2025 season-in-review, and a massive McDaniel decision looming. We’ll have the entire offseason to speculate on some of those… so buckle up.