The Miami Dolphins lost to the New England Patriots 24-19 at Hard Rock Stadium Sunday. Inside linebacker Jacob Rodriguez recorded his first professional forced fumble as Miami received key contributions from several rookies. Rodriguez jarring the ball from Patriots wide receiver Efton Chism created a turnover that cornerback Juju Brent recovered.
Rodriguez entered the game after leading college football with seven forced fumbles in 2025 and finishing as a Heisman finalist. He finished with eight tackles against New England, giving him 69 tackles this season. That total ranks sixth in the NFL.
The play also helped place Rodriguez in a team milestone. With safety Michael Taaffe and cornerback Chris Johnson also recording forced fumbles this season, Miami has three rookies with a forced fumble in the same season for the first time since 1998. The Dolphins’ rookie group contributed on both sides of the ball despite the loss.
Brooks reaches 900 career tackles
Inside linebacker Jordyn Brooks added a significant milestone with 11 tackles against New England. He surpassed 900 career tackles in his 104th game, becoming the eighth-fastest player in NFL history to reach that mark. Brooks joined a group that includes Ray Lewis, Luke Kuechly, Zach Thomas, Roquan Smith, Chris Spielman, Paul Posluszny and Bobby Wagner among the players who reached 900 tackles faster.
The performance was also Brooks’ 41st career game with double-digit tackles. That ranks fifth in the NFL since he entered the league in 2020. His production gave Miami another major defensive performance alongside Rodriguez’s forced fumble and eight tackles.
Willis drives third-down production
Miami converted seven of 14 third-down opportunities against New England and is converting 42.7 percent of its third downs this season. That rate ranks ninth in the NFL. Quarterback Malik Willis accounted for six of Miami’s seven conversions.
Willis completed seven of 10 third-down passes for 54 yards and a touchdown. He also added a two-yard run on third-and-1. His third-down work supplied Miami with both passing and rushing production in the loss.
Willis connected with wide receiver Malik Washington for a touchdown, and Washington finished with five receptions for 40 yards. The five catches moved Washington past 100 career receptions, giving him 103. Willis also connected with rookie wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. for a touchdown, and Coleman led Miami with 46 receiving yards.
Rookies add receiving production
Rookie wide receiver Caleb Douglas caught four passes for 43 yards against New England. He now has 226 receiving yards through his first four career games, the most by a Dolphins player over that span. Douglas surpassed tight end Randy McMichael, who had 204 receiving yards through his first four games in 2002.
Rookie wide receiver Chris Bell added four receptions for 31 yards, while tight end Greg Dulcich caught four passes for 43 yards. Miami had five players record at least 30 receiving yards in the game. It was the first time the Dolphins reached that mark since 2023 at Buffalo.
FSB Take
Miami’s production showed contributions from rookies and established players in multiple areas despite the five-point loss. Rodriguez’s first professional forced fumble gave the Dolphins a defensive turnover, while Brooks reached 900 career tackles and Willis accounted for six third-down conversions. The receiving distribution also produced five players with at least 30 yards, giving Miami several measurable sources of production from the game.
Source: Original report