Four Studs, Four Duds From Patriots’ Regular-Season Finale Win Vs. Dolphins
The New England Patriots only had playoff seeding to play for in Week 18 against the Miami Dolphins, but that was all they needed in order to put together another dominant outing. In their regular-season finale on Sunday afternoon, the Pats picked up a 38-10 win, which led to them finishing the year with a 14-3 record.
New England earned the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoff picture and will now turn its attention to its first playoff matchup, which will take place against the No. 7-seeded Los Angeles Chargers. Before we turn our attention to that game, though, let’s pick out four studs and four duds from this win over the Dolphins.
Studs
Rhamondre Stevenson
What a finish to the year it’s been for Rhamondre Stevenson. Despite getting fewer touches than TreVeyon Henderson, Stevenson managed to do more damage than him in this one, as he racked up 131 yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries, while also catching two passes for 22 yards and another score. Here’s hoping he can keep it up in the playoffs.
TreVeyon Henderson
Stevenson headlined this game, but Henderson also put up some big numbers himself. While he didn’t factor into the passing game, Henderson picked up 53 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. It wasn’t his best outing, but it may have been enough to earn him the 2025 Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.
Jaylinn Hawkins
While the final score indicates this game was a blowout, Miami was threatening to tie the game at 17 early in the third quarter. That was until Jaylinn Hawkins stepped in and nabbed his fourth interception of the season in his own end zone. It was another big outing in Hawkins’ breakout campaign, as he also had two tackles and one pass breakup.
Elijah Ponder
One of the unsung heroes on the Pats’ defensive line this season, undrafted rookie defensive lineman Elijah Ponder has been a key piece for the team, and he had his best game of the year on Sunday. Ponder’s lone tackle was a sack of Quinn Ewers, and he also recovered a fumble from Jaylen Wright in the second quarter.
Duds
Andy Borregales
This was another tough game to find duds for, which leads to Andy Borregales being the tough-luck loser in this case. Borregales nailed all five of his extra-point attempts and a 59-yard field goal, but he had a kick blocked in the second quarter after Ponder’s fumble recovery. With few options to choose from, that earned Borregales a spot on this list.
D’Ernest Johnson
While Stevenson and Henderson combined for all five of New England’s touchdowns, third-string running back D’Ernest Johnson could not find the same sort of running room. Johnson picked up just 13 yards on five carries, and with Terrell Jennings close to returning from injury reserve, his spot on the roster could be in jeopardy.
Christian Gonzalez
This was a bit of an odd game for Christian Gonzalez. While he had his moments, he was also in coverage on Malik Washington’s touchdown early in the second quarter. With tougher opponents on the horizon, New England is going to need Gonzalez to be at his best if it wants to go on a deep playoff run.
Carlton Davis III
The other part of the Patriots’ star cornerback tandem, Carlton Davis III also didn’t have his best day. It’s tough to harp on him too much, as Quinn Ewers threw for just 137 yards, but Davis wasn’t at his best in coverage throughout the day, and he whiffed on a couple of easy tackles. Similar to Gonzalez, he’s going to have to be better moving forward.