| Dolphins–Patriots rivalry | |
| Team1: | Miami Dolphins |
| Team2: | New England Patriots |
| Team1logo: | Miami Dolphins wordmark.svg |
| Team2logo: | New England Patriots wordmark.svg |
| First Contested: | November 27, 1966 Patriots 20, Dolphins 14 |
| Mostrecent: | October 29, 2023 Dolphins 31, Patriots 17 |
| Nextmeeting: | October 6, 2024 |
| Total: | 117 |
| Largestvictory: | Dolphins: 52–0 Patriots: 43–0 |
| Longeststreak: | Dolphins, 9 (1989–93) Patriots, 7 (1986–88; 2010–13) |
| Currentstreak: | Dolphins, 2 (2023–present) |
| Section Header: | Playoff and Championship Success |
| Section Info: | Super Bowl Championships (8)
Super Bowl Appearances (16)
AFC East Divisional Championships (35)
AFL/AFC Championship Appearances (22)
AFC Wild Card Berths (14) |
| Series: | Dolphins, 62–55 |
| Postseason: | Patriots, 2–1 |
The Dolphins–Patriots rivalry is an American football rivalry between the National Football League (NFL)'s Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots. The Dolphins lead the all-time series 62–55.[1] Because both teams are members of the American Football Conference (AFC) East division, the two teams have been scheduled to play twice (home and away) every regular season since 1967.
While not as famous as some other rivalries, the rivalry has a long history that dates back to the 1960s. The beginning of the rivalry was dominated by the Dolphins, as at the time the Dolphins were one of the NFL's most successful teams, while the Patriots were one of the worst. This trend would change during the early 2000s when the Patriots became more and more successful, eventually culminating with the Brady & Belichick dynasty, while the Dolphins, and the rest of the AFC East, would become mired in mediocrity.[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] The Patriots finally made the Super Bowl in 1985, having defeated Miami in the AFC Championship game to get there.[7]
Starting in 1986, the rivalry was a little bit more even, with the Pats having a 7-game winning streak from 1986 to 1988. The Dolphins then took over the rivalry once again, winning 13 of the next 15 matchups between the 2 teams. Both teams had great quarterbacks in the 1990s, with the Patriots having Drew Bledsoe and the Dolphins with Dan Marino, both of whom appeared in at least one Super Bowl; Marino in Super Bowl XIX and Bledsoe in Super Bowl XXXI. The Dolphins continued to dominate the rivalry through the late 1990s with the Dolphins sweeping the Patriots in back to back years, 1999 and 2000.
Miami is one of 3 teams in the AFC with a winning overall record against New England (the others being the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs). Since 2003, the Patriots have dominated the rivalry, but not as much as their rivalries with their two other AFC East opponents.[8] [9] In 2004, one of the most famous moments in the rivalry happened where the Dolphins, 2–11 at the time, upset the defending champion Patriots, who were 12–1, in a game that has been known as "The Night That Courage Wore Orange".[10] The rivalry briefly intensified in 2005 when Nick Saban (who previously served as defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns, coached by Bill Belichick at the time) was hired as the Dolphins head coach and when he nearly signed quarterback Drew Brees with the Dolphins, as well as in 2008 when the Dolphins became the only team other than the Patriots since 2003 to win the division.[11] In Week 3 of the aforementioned 2008 season, the Dolphins used the Wildcat formation to throw the Patriots (who were without Tom Brady that year because of an ACL injury earlier in the season) off and went on to upset them, 38–13, snapping their 20-game regular season winning streak that dated back to December 10, 2006, which coincidentally, the Patriots were also beat by the Dolphins.[12] In 2018, the Dolphins upset the Patriots in Miami for the second year in a row, this time with a last-minute hook and lateral scoring play in what is known as the "Miracle in Miami".[13]
On February 4, 2019, the Dolphins hired a long-time Patriots assistant, Brian Flores (who had been with the team since their 2004 Super Bowl-winning season) as the 12th head coach in franchise history. In 2021, the rivalry intensified once again after the Patriots drafted Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, a former college teammate of Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, whom Jones backed up in the first half of the 2019 season until a season-ending hip injury from Tagovailoa caused Jones to take the helms at quarterback for Alabama. Both quarterbacks led Alabama to national titles in 2018 and 2021, respectively. In 2022, the Dolphins hired former Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker to be their new wide receivers coach. Welker previously played for the Dolphins from 2004 to 2006 and the hiring would reunite him with Dolphins defensive coordinator and former long-time Patriots assistant Josh Boyer, whom was serving as a defensive assistant and later the defensive backs coach during Welker's tenure with New England (2007–2012).
Also notable is the fact that the Dolphins and Patriots are the only NFL teams to post undefeated regular season records following the NFL-AFL merger. The 1972 Dolphins finished with a 14–0 regular season record and went on to win Super Bowl VII, finishing the only complete perfect season in NFL history,[14] while the 2007 Patriots were the first team to go undefeated in the regular season since the league expanded to 16 games, but famously lost Super Bowl XLII against the New York Giants. Additionally, both teams have had long-tenured coaches in Don Shula and Bill Belichick, respectively.[15]
During the Dolphins–Patriots game in Foxboro on September 17, 2023, a Patriots fan died after an altercation with Dolphins fans.[16] The Patriots fan, Dale Mooney, had confronted a Dolphins fan who had been arguing with his group before another Dolphins fan delivered two punches to Mooney, who fell unconscious and was later pronounced dead at a hospital.[17] Despite the attack, an autopsy found that Mooney did not suffer a traumatic injury directly from the punches and instead succumbed to a "medical issue", which a witness to the altercation surmised was a heart attack from "getting worked up from the scuffle".[18] Two men from Rhode Island, John Vieira and Justin Mitchell, were later charged in Mooney's death for assault and battery and disorderly conduct, but not for homicide despite the medical examiner ruling Mooney's cause of death to be homicide.[19]
|-| 1966| style="| | style="| Patriots
20–14| no game| Patriots
1–0| Dolphins join AFL as an expansion team.|-| 1967| Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
41–32| style="| Patriots
41–10| Patriots
2–1| |-| 1968| style="| | style="| Dolphins
38–7| style="| Dolphins
34–10| Dolphins
3–2| |-| 1969| Tie 1–1| style="| Patriots
38–23| style="| Dolphins
17–16| Dolphins
4–3| Dolphins' home game at Tampa Stadium.|-|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
37–20| style="| Patriots
27–14| Dolphins
5–4| AFL-NFL merger. Both teams placed in AFC East. |-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
41–3| style="| Patriots
34–13| Dolphins
6–5| Patriots open Foxboro Stadium (then known as Schaefer Stadium). Dolphins lose Super Bowl VI.|-| | style="| | style="| Dolphins
52–0| style="| Dolphins
37–21| Dolphins
8–5| Dolphins complete 17-0 season, win Super Bowl VII. Dolphins hand Patriots worst loss in franchise history in Miami meeting. The 52 points allowed by New England is also a team record.|-| | style="| | style="| Dolphins
44-23| style="| Dolphins
30-14| Dolphins
10–5| Dolphins win Super Bowl VIII.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
41–3| style="| Patriots
34–13| Dolphins
11–6| |-| | style="| | style="| Dolphins
30–14| style="| Dolphins
22–14| Dolphins
13–6| |-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
10–3| style="| Patriots
22–14| Dolphins
14–7| |-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
17–5| style="| Patriots
14–10| Dolphins
15–8| |-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
23–3| style="| Patriots
33–24| Dolphins
16–9| |-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
39–24| style="| Patriots
28–13| Dolphins
17–10| |-|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
16–13| style="| Patriots
34–0| Dolphins
18–11| |-| | style="| | style="| Dolphins
24–14| style="| Dolphins
30–3| Dolphins
20–11| |-| | style="| | no game| style="| Patriots
3–0| Dolphins
20–12| Game in Miami not played due to Players strike reducing season to 9 games. Game in New England became known as the Snowplow Game. Dolphins lose Super Bowl XVII.|- style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;"| 1982 Playoffs| style="| | style="| Dolphins
28–13| | Dolphins
21–12| AFC first round playoffs.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
34–24| style="| Patriots
17–6| Dolphins
22–13||-| | style="| | style="| Dolphins
28–7| style="| Dolphins
34–24| Dolphins
24–13| Dolphins lose Super Bowl XIX.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
30–27| style="| Patriots
17–13| Dolphins
25–14| Patriots lose Super Bowl XX.|- style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;"| 1985 Playoffs| style="| | style="| Patriots
31–14| | Dolphins
25–15| AFC Championship Game: Patriots' first win in Miami since 1966 (Dolphins had won 18 straight in Miami).|-| | style="| | style="| Patriots
34–27| style="| Patriots
34–7| Dolphins
25–17| Patriots' first season sweep of Dolphins.|-| | style="| | style="| Patriots
24–10| style="| Patriots
28–21| Dolphins
25–19| Dolphins open Hard Rock Stadium (then known as Joe Robbie Stadium).|-| | style="| | style="| Patriots
6–3| style="| Patriots
21–10| Dolphins
25–21| Patriots win seven straight meetings.|-| | style="| | style="| Dolphins
31–10| style="| Dolphins
24–10| Dolphins
27–21||-| | style="| | style="| Dolphins
17–10| style="| Dolphins
27–24| Dolphins
29–21| |-| | style="| | style="| Dolphins
30–21| style="| Dolphins
20–10| Dolphins
31–21| |-| | style="| | style="| Dolphins
38–17| style="| Dolphins
16–13(OT)| Dolphins
33–21||-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
17–13| style="| Patriots
33–27(OT)| Dolphins
34–22| Dolphins win nine straight immediately following Patriots seven-game winning streak. Patriots' overtime win eliminates Dolphins from playoff contention after the Dolphins started 9–2.|-| | style="| | style="| Dolphins
39–35| style="| Dolphins
23–3| Dolphins
36–22| The game in Miami marked Dan Marino's first game after missing most of the 1993 season due to a torn Achilles' tendon. Marino and Drew Bledsoe would both throw for over 400 yards in that meeting.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Patriots
34–17| style="| Dolphins
20–3| Dolphins
37–23| First time since 1969 in which the away team won both meetings.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
34–7| style="| Patriots
42–23| Dolphins
38–24| Patriots lose Super Bowl XXXI.|-| | style="| | style="| Patriots
14–12| style="| Patriots
27–24| Dolphins
38–26| Game in Miami was the de facto AFC East Championship Game. But due to the Jets' loss the previous day, this game ironically decided whom would finish as the #3 seed and host the loser (as the #6 seeded wild card) in the AFC Wild Card Round the following week.|- style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;"| 1997 Playoffs| style="| | | style="| Patriots
17–3| Dolphins
38–27| AFC Wild Card playoffs.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
12–9(OT)| style="| Patriots
26–23| Dolphins
39–28| |-| | style="| | style="| Dolphins
27–17| style="| Dolphins
31–30| Dolphins
41–28| Last Start for Dan Marino in the series.|-|-| | style="| | style="| Dolphins
10–3| style="| Dolphins
27–24| Dolphins
43–28| Last Start for Drew Bledsoe in the series. Dolphins clinch AFC East in their road win in week 17.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
30–10| style="| Patriots
20–13| Dolphins
44–29| Patriots win Super Bowl XXXVI.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
26–13| style="| Patriots
27–24(OT)| Dolphins
45–30| Patriots open Gillette Stadium. Patriots deny Dolphins the AFC East title, but both teams are eliminated following the Jets victory later in the day.|-| | style="| | style="| Patriots
| style="| Patriots
12–0| Dolphins
45–32| Patriots win Super Bowl XXXVIII.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
29–28| style="| Patriots
39–35| Dolphins
46–33| 2–11 Dolphins defeat 12–1 Patriots in December game in Miami. Patriots win Super Bowl XXXIX.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Patriots
23–16| style="| Dolphins
28–26| Dolphins
47–34 ||-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
21–0| style="| Patriots
20–10| Dolphins
48–35| |-| | style="| | style="| Patriots
49–28| style="| Patriots
28–7| Dolphins
48–37| Patriots complete 16–0 regular season, lose Super Bowl XLII.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Patriots
48–28| style="| Dolphins
38–13| Dolphins
49–38| Dolphins frequently use the "Wildcat" formation to defeat Patriots, this formation gains popularity in the league. Dolphins win AFC East, the only season the Patriots did not win the division as well as miss the playoffs from 2003 to 2019. Tom Brady did not play in either game due to a season-ending knee injury in the season opener.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
22–21| style="| Patriots
27–17| Dolphins
50–39| |-|-| | style="| | style="| Patriots
41–14| style="| Patriots
38–7| Dolphins
50–41| |-| | style="| | style="| Patriots
38–24| style="| Patriots
27–24| Dolphins
50–43| Patriots lose Super Bowl XLVI.|-| | style="| | style="| Patriots
23–16| style="| Patriots
28–0| Dolphins
50–45||-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
24–20| style="| Patriots
27–17| Dolphins
51–46| Patriots win seven straight meetings from 2010–13.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
33–20| style="| Patriots
41–14| Dolphins
52–47| Patriots win Super Bowl XLIX.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
20–10| style="| Patriots
36–7| Dolphins
53–48| Dolphins spoil the Patriots' bid to clinch the AFC's #1 seed in their Miami meeting in the final week of the regular season.|-| | style="| | style="| Patriots
35–14| style="| Patriots
31–24| Dolphins
53–50| Patriots win Super Bowl LI.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
27–20| style="| Patriots
35–17| Dolphins
54–51| Patriots lose Super Bowl LII.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
34–33| style="| Patriots
38–7| Dolphins
55–52| Patriots win 10 straight home games. Dolphins win with last-minute lateral pass in Miami home game. Patriots win Super Bowl LIII.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Patriots
43–0| style="| Dolphins
27–24| Dolphins
56–53| Dolphins deny Patriots a first-round bye with Week 17 win; Tom Brady's final regular season game as a Patriot.|-|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
22–12| style="| Patriots
21–11| Dolphins
57–54| Patriots sign QB Cam Newton prior to 2020 season. Miami's home win eliminates Patriots from playoff contention for the first time since 2008.|-| | style="| | style="| Dolphins
33–24| style="| Dolphins
17–16| Dolphins
59–54| Dolphins sweep Patriots for the first time since 2000.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Dolphins
20–7| style="| Patriots
23–21| Dolphins
60–55|-| | style="| | style="| Dolphins
31–17| style="| Dolphins
24–17| Dolphins
62–55||- |-| AFL regular season| style="|Dolphins 4–3| Tie 2–2| Dolphins 2–1||-| NFL regular season| style="|Dolphins 57–50| Dolphins 39–14 | Patriots 36–18| |-| AFL and NFL regular season| style="|Dolphins 61–53| Dolphins 41–16 | Patriots 37–20| |-| NFL postseason| style="|Patriots 2–1| Tie 1–1| Patriots 1–0| AFC Wild Card/First Round playoffs: 1982, 1997. AFC Championship Game: 1985|-| Regular and postseason | style="|Dolphins 62–55| Dolphins 42–17 | Patriots 38–20| |-
| Name | Dolphins' tenure | Patriots' tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Josh Boyer | Defensive pass game coordinator/Cornerbacks coach, 2019 Defensive coordinator, 2020–2023 | Defensive assistant, 2006–2008 Defensive backs coach, 2009–2011 Cornerbacks coach, 2012–2018 |
| Dom Capers | Defensive coordinator, 2006–2007 | Special assistant and secondary coach, 2008 |
| Brian Daboll | Offensive coordinator, 2011 | Defensive assistant, 2000–2001 Wide receivers coach, 2002–2006 Tight ends coach, 2013–2016 |
| Dave DeGuglielmo | Offensive line coach, 2009–2011, 2017, 2019 (asst) | Offensive line coach, 2014–2015 |
| Brian Flores | Head coach, 2019–2021 | Scouting assistant, 2004–2005 Pro scout, 2006–2007 Special teams assistant, 2008–2009 Assistant offense & special teams, 2010 Defensive assistant, 2011 Safeties coach, 2012–2015 Linebackers coach, 2016–2018 Defensive play-caller, 2018 |
| George Godsey | Tight ends coach, 2019–present Co-offensive coordinator, 2021 | Offensive assistant, 2011 Tight ends coach, 2012–2013 |
| Patrick Graham | Defensive coordinator, 2019 | Coaching assistant, 2009 Defensive assistant, 2010 Defensive line coach, 2012–2013 Linebackers coach, 2014–2015 |
| Chris Grier | Area scout, 2000–2002 National scout/assistant director of college scouting, 2003–2007 Director of college scouting, 2007–2015 General manager, 2016–present | Intern, 1994 Regional scout, 1995–1999 |
| Chad O'Shea | Offensive coordinator, 2019 | Wide receivers coach, 2009–2018 |
| Jerry Schuplinski | Assistant quarterbacks coach, 2019 | Offensive assistant, 2013–2015 Assistant quarterbacks coach, 2016–2018 |