FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Last season when the Patriots faced the Los Angeles Chargers, New England trudged off following a 40-7 loss in one of its final games before Mike Vrabel was hired as coach.
After Vrabel led the Patriots from worst to first in the AFC East, New England will host the Chargers again — this time in the playoffs.
Rhamondre Stevenson ran for two touchdowns and caught another from MVP contender Drake Maye, and the Patriots completed their remarkable turnaround season with a 38-10 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
“We’ve come a long way,” Maye said. “We’ve built this identity and played to it, and good things happen.”
Stevenson rushed seven times for 131 yards as New England posted its first sweep of the Dolphins since the 2016 season. TreVeyon Henderson added touchdown runs of 2 and 5 yards.
The Patriots finished 14-3, their most victories since they won the Super Bowl to cap that 2016 season. The AFC East champions will be No. 2 seed and host the seventh-seeded Chargers in the wild-card round next weekend. Denver prevented New England from earning the AFC's top seed by beating the Chargers 19-3 on Sunday.
“This is when the real football starts,” Stevenson said.
Miami (7-10) finished with its second straight sub-.500 season under coach Mike McDaniel following back-to-back playoff appearances in his first two years. He said afterward that he'd keep any discussions he's had with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross about his job security private.
“No one is entitled to anything,” McDaniel said. “I take the job serious. I will aggressively attack the job tomorrow like every day I have the job.”
Maye completed 14 of 18 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown before taking a seat early in the fourth quarter. Henderson’s 5-yard TD run was set up by a 56-yard run by Stevenson on the second play of the Patriots’ game-opening drive.
The Patriots took advantage of a Dolphins defense that was playing without linebacker Chop Robinson (concussion) and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (calf). Linebacker Jordyn Brooks played but has been dealing with a hamstring injury.
Miami's offense was missing tight end Darren Waller (groin) wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (ribs) and right Austin Jackson (back/groin). The Dolphins still got a strong effort from rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers, who was making his third start following the benching of Tua Tagovailoa.
Ewers finished 16 of 23 for 137 yards with a touchdown and interception before limping off late in the fourth quarter with a knee injury. He was replaced by Zach Wilson. McDaniel said he was told Ewers' knee was stable.
Ewers completed eight of his first nine passes, including a 2-yard TD to Malik Washington early in the second quarter to keep pressure on the Patriots.
It didn’t last, with New England quickly adding to its 17-10 halftime lead. First, Maye connected with Stevenson on 15-yard touchdown pass. Stevenson then scored on a 35-yard TD run that made it 31-10.
Vrabel summed up the formula his team followed to get to this point.
“Get the right guys in the building at the right time. And good quarterback play. Figured out how to not beat ourselves and play to an identity. And guys make plays. That’s what happens,” he said.
With a 34-yard catch at the end of the third quarter, New England's Stefon Diggs eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards for the seventh time in his career. It's the first 1,000-yard season by a Patriots receiver since 2019, when Julian Edelman had 1,117 receiving yards.
Diggs’ milestone came during a week in which he was charged with strangulation and other criminal offenses related to a dispute Diggs allegedly had with his former private chef.
Andy Borregales made a 59-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to put the Patriots in front 17-10. It was the longest of his career and the third longest in Patriots history, behind a 63-yarder by Joey Slye at San Francisco on Sept. 29, 2024, and a 62-yarder by Stephen Gostkowski on Nov. 19, 2017 against the Raiders in the thin air of Mexico City.
Dolphins: Washington left in the second quarter with a thumb injury. ... WR Theo Wease Jr. was evaluated for a concussion in the fourth quarter.
Dolphins: Begin an offseason that could include major changes.
Patriots: Prepare to host the Chargers.
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