HARD ROCK STADIUM
DEC. 20, 2020 | 1 PM
DOLPHINS POST FIRST WINNING SEASON SINCE 2016
• With their ninth win of the season today, the Dolphins have posted a winning season for the first time since 2016 and just the second time since 2008.
• It marks the 31st winning season in franchise history.
• The Dolphins have now won eight of their past 10 games and nine of their past 12.
• The Dolphins have now won 25 of their past 40 games at Hard Rock Stadium, dating back to 2016 when the canopy was added.
• Miami is 14-9 in its past 23 contests.
DOLPHINS RUSH F OR 250 YARDS IN WIN
• The Dolphins rushed for 250 yards today on 42 carries (5.9 avg.) today. The 250 rushing yards are the team’s most since Dec. 24, 2016 at Buffalo, when they rushed for 261 yards.
• It’s the most rushing yards allowed by the Patriots since Nov. 24, 2013 vs. Denver (280) and the fourth-highest total since Bill Belichick became head coach in 2000.
• The total is tied for the 22nd-most in team history and tied for the seventh-most since 2000.
• RB Salvon Ahmed was the team’s leading rusher with 122 yards on 23 carries (5.3 avg.). Ahmed also had a 1-yard touchdown run.
o Ahmed’s 122 rushing yards are the most in franchise history by an undrafted player in his rookie season and the eighth-most by any Dolphins rookie. Only two Dolphins rookies have rushed for more yards in a game in
the past 20 years – RB Ronnie Brown with 132 on Sept. 25, 2005 vs. Carolina and RB Kalen Ballage with 123 on Dec. 16, 2018 at Minnesota.
• Ahmed is the team’s first 100-yard rusher since Ballage’s 123-yard performance in 2018.
• Ahmed became the 12th different rookie to rush for 100 yards in a game.
• RB Matt Breida ran for 86 yards on 12 carries (7.2 avg.). It was his most rushing yards in a game since Oct. 7, 2019 vs. Cleveland when he played for the 49ers.
• QB Tua Tagovailoa rushed for two touchdowns, becoming the fifth quarterback in Dolphins history to have two rushing touchdowns in the same game and the first since QB Cleo Lemon on Oct. 14, 2007 at Cleveland.
DEFENSE HOLDS PATRIOTS TO NO TOUCHDOWNS
• The Dolphins defense limited New England to just 12 points today, all coming on field goals. It was the third time the Dolphins haven’t allowed a touchdown this season.
o The Dolphins are one of only two NFL teams (New Orleans) to not allow a touchdown in three different games this season.
o The last time the Dolphins did this was 2011 (at Kansas City, vs. Washington, vs. Buffalo).
• Miami has not allowed a touchdown to an AFC East opponent in its past three games. The last AFC East opponent to score a touchdown against Miami was Buffalo in Week 2. The Dolphins held the Jets without touchdowns in both Week 6 and Week 12.
• The Dolphins extended their takeaway streak to 20 consecutive games, the longest in the NFL, after CB Xavien Howard forced a fumble of Patriots WR Jakobi Meyers in the third quarter. The fumble was recovered by LB
Elandon Roberts.
o Howard has now been involved in 10 takeaways this year. His nine interceptions lead the NFL at the end of today’s 1 p.m. games.
• At the end of today’s early afternoon slate, the Dolphins rank first in third-down defense (32.5 pct.), first in takeaways (26), second in scoring defense (18.4 ppg) and tied for eighth in sacks (37).
FOURTH QUARTER DRIVE TO TAKE LEAD
• Miami took the lead for good on a 14-play, 90-yard drive that concluded on a 3-yard touchdown run by QB Tua Tagovailoa with 12:55 left in the game. The Dolphins began the drive trailing 9-7 and added a two-point conversion
to make the score 16-9.
• The Dolphins rushed for 66 yards on nine carries on the drive, averaging 7.3 yards per carry.
• Tagovailoa completed 4-of-5 passes (80.0 pct) for 19 yards in addition to the go-ahead touchdown run.
• It was the second game-winning drive and fourth-quarter comeback of Tagovailoa’s career. He also had one in Week 9 at Arizona.
D OLPHINS OPEN SECOND HALF WIT H TOUCHDOWN
• After being held scoreless in the first half for the first time this season, the Dolphins wasted little time in the second half. QB Tua Tagovailoa led the team on a nine-play, 72-yard drive, capped off with a 1-yard touchdown run by RB Salvon Ahmed.
• On the drive, Miami had eight carries for 47 yards (5.9 avg.) by four different ballcarriers – RB Matt Breida, RB Salvon Ahmed, WR Lynn Bowden Jr. and QB Tua Tagovailoa.
• The score gave the Dolphins their first lead of the game, 7-6.
INJURIES REPORT ED IN THE PRESS BOX
MIAMI DOLPHINS
• G Solomon Kindley, fourth quarter – knee – doubtful
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
• LB Ja’Whaun Bentley, second quarter – arm – questionable downgraded to out
• CB Stephon Gilmore, second quarter – knee – doubtful downgraded to out
• DE John Simon, fourth quarter – hamstring – questionable
• C David Andrews, fourth quarter – calf – questionable
CAPTAINS
MIAMI DOLPHINS
• LB Kyle Van Noy
QUICK HITS
• There were 13,354 tickets distributed to today’s game.
• S Clayton Fejedelem played in his 75th NFL game today.
• The Dolphins had eight rookies start today’s game, including six of their 11 offensive starters – QB Tua Tagovailoa, RB Salvon Ahmed, WR Lynn Bowden Jr., T Austin Jackson, G/T Robert Hunt and G Solomon Kindley. DT
Raewkon Davis and S Brandon Jones were the rookie starters on defense.
o Per Elias Sports Bureau, it was the first time an NFL team started six rookies on offense since Dec. 16, 2018 when Arizona did so.
• LB Jerome Baker recorded the 10th sack of his career today.
• DE Emmanuel Ogbah recorded his ninth sack of the season today. At the end of today’s 1 p.m. games, his nine sacks ranked ninth in the NFL and are the most by a Dolphins player since DE Cameron Wake had 10.5 in 2017.
o Ogbah’s 21 quarterback hits this season are also ninth in the NFL at the end of today’s 1 p.m. games. DE Shaq Lawson is tied for 12th with 19.
• The Dolphins now have 300 first downs this season. It’s the second-most for the team through the first 14 games of a season since at least 2000. The 2014 Dolphins had 302 first downs through the first 14 games.
-DOLPHINS-
