MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (Interstat) — The New England Patriots used a balanced passing attack from Drake Maye and a late defensive stand to beat the Miami Dolphins 24-19 at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, improving to 5-3 and handing Miami its sixth loss in seven games. Attendance was 59,023. New England rallied from a halftime deficit and held on after Miami scored late, though the Dolphins made the finish uncomfortable with a touchdown and an unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt. The Patriots, the visiting team, leaned on Maye throughout and received enough production from their running game, receivers and defense to secure the road result. Miami fell to 1-6.

New England opened the scoring on Andy Borregales’ 34-yard field goal with 9:10 left in the first quarter. Miami answered with Zane Gonzalez’s 31-yard field goal at the 3:39 mark, then took the lead in the second quarter on Gonzalez’s 52-yard kick with 9:27 remaining. The Dolphins extended their advantage just before halftime when Malik Willis found Malik Washington on a 1-yard touchdown pass with 8 seconds left. Gonzalez’s extra point gave Miami a 13-3 cushion at the break. Washington returned to the game after an injury update and finished with five catches for 40 yards and a score. The first half was marked by field position and short gains, with both teams trading field goals before Miami found the end zone in the final seconds.

New England opened the second half with a touchdown pass from Maye to Kyle Williams, cutting Miami’s lead to 13-10. Maye’s deep attempt to Kyle Williams fell incomplete later in the third quarter with 9:23 remaining, but the Patriots kept pressing. Maye capped the next drive with a 2-yard touchdown run with 59 seconds left in the third, and Borregales’ extra point put New England ahead 17-13. Early in the fourth, Maye connected with DeMario Douglas on a 48-yard touchdown pass with 12:39 remaining. Borregales converted again for a 24-13 lead. Miami refused to fade quietly. Willis found Kevin Coleman Jr. for a 35-yard touchdown with 2:04 left, but the two-point conversion attempt failed when Willis’ pass to Will Kacmarek fell incomplete, leaving the Dolphins down 24-19. New England’s defense then did enough to close out the game and preserve the win.

Maye completed 16 of 20 passes for 199 yards and two passing touchdowns and added eight carries for 5 yards and a score. He was the game’s top star, consistently finding open receivers and making the key throws when New England needed them. DeMario Douglas caught three passes for 76 yards and a touchdown, while Kyle Williams had one reception for 43 yards and a score. Efton Chism III caught five passes for 37 yards, Hunter Henry had three catches for 30 yards, and Eli Raridon added one reception for 5 yards. Lan Larison contributed two carries for 6 yards and two tackles. Mitch Wishnowsky punted three times for 137 yards, and Borregales made one of two field goals and added three extra points. The New England offense did not post overwhelming numbers, but it did enough to complement a defense that made Miami work for every yard. Maye’s ability to extend plays with his legs and deliver accurate passes in key moments proved to be the difference.

Willis completed 21 of 32 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns and ran once for 2 yards. Washington caught five passes for 40 yards and a touchdown and returned one punt for 14 yards. Coleman caught three passes for 46 yards and a score and returned a punt for 6 yards. Chris Bell had four catches for 31 yards, while Greg Dulcich and Caleb Douglas each finished with four receptions for 43 yards. Ollie Gordon II carried 19 times for 69 yards, and Jaylen Wright added two carries for 5 yards while returning five kickoffs for 142 yards. Jalen Tolbert caught one pass for 8 yards. Miami moved the ball effectively at times and stayed within reach until the final minutes, but the failed two-point conversion and red-zone settling for field goals left the Dolphins short. The Dolphins’ rushing attack never broke through for a big play, and New England’s secondary kept most of Willis’ completions underneath.

New England’s defense was led by Christian Elliss, who recorded nine tackles and half a sack, and Carlton Davis III, who also had nine tackles. Kevin Byard added seven tackles and an interception, while Craig Woodson made five tackles. Cory Durden had four tackles and 1.5 sacks, and Gabe Jacas finished with three tackles and 1.5 sacks. Robert Spillane and Milton Williams each made four tackles. Marcus Jones contributed five tackles and three punt returns for 35 yards. Christian Gonzalez, Dre’Mont Jones and Leonard Taylor III each had three tackles. DaQuan Jones, Mike Brown, Christian Barmore, Darius Muasau, Jaylen Reed, Joshua Farmer, Elijah Ponder, Julian Ashby and Erick Hunter also contributed tackles, with Barmore, Reed and Ponder each adding half a sack. Miami’s defense got a game-high 11 tackles from Jordyn Brooks, eight from Jacob Rodriguez, six from Zach Sieler and six from Michael Taaffe. Jordan Phillips made five tackles, and Josh Uche recorded four tackles and a sack. The Patriots’ front seven generated consistent pressure, while the Dolphins’ linebackers were busy against a New England offense that spread the ball around.

The result moved New England to 5-3 and dropped Miami to 1-6. New England’s offense finished with enough efficiency to overcome a slow start, and its defense produced stops when the Dolphins threatened. Miami’s late touchdown gave the home crowd a final spark, but the failed conversion proved costly. The Dolphins will look to correct their late-game execution after another close loss, while the Patriots will carry momentum from a road win into their next matchup.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of New England 29, Miami 25. Interstat’s ELO system had given New England a 78.3 percent probability to win. New England had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 7. The total score of 43 went under the over/under line of 41.5.