Sunday Night Football highlights: Dolphins send Patriots to first 0-2 start since 2001

Editor’s note: Look back at all the NFL Week 2 action with USA TODAY Sports’ live coverage.

The Miami Dolphins held on for a 24-17 win over the AFC East rival New England Patriots on "Sunday Night Football."

While the Dolphins open the season 2-0 after two road victories, the Patriots start a season 0-2 for the first time since 2001. Of course, New England famously went on to win the Super Bowl that season behind a young and unheralded (at the time) quarterback named Tom Brady.

Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert had a big game, rushing for 121 yards and two touchdowns.

32 THINGS WE LEARNED IN NFL WEEK 2: One massive comeback stands above rest

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Dolphins vs. Patriots highlights

Game ends on Patriots' desperate lateral to lineman

Mike Gesicki’s desperate lateral to lineman Cole Strange came up just short.

On fourth down, Gesicki was short of a first down after a reception, so he lateraled the football to Strange. Strange fought hard and carried defenders with him near the first-down marker. The officials ruled a first down on the field but upon review, the call was overturned – the ball was short of the first down mark.

The Dolphins took the football over on downs and snapped the ball in victory formation for the final play of the game. — Tyler Dragon

Dolphins 24, Patriots 17: Rhamondre Stevenson keeps Pats in it

The Patriots answered Raheem Mostert’s long touchdown run with a quick touchdown drive to pull within one score.

New England went on a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in just over three minutes. During the series, wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster had a nice 11-yard reception to put the Patriots in a first-and-goal situation. On the very next play, running back Rhamondre Stevenson rushed up the middle for a two-yard touchdown.

The Patriots trail 24-17.  — Tyler Dragon

Dolphins 24, Patriots 10: Raheem Mostert finds end zone again

The Dolphins dialed up an inside zone run to RB Raheem Mostert and it worked to perfection.

Mostert took the handoff, found the open area to the left and raced down the field for a 43-yard touchdown run. It was the longest run of the night and gave Miami a 24-10 advantage with 8:45 in the fourth quarter.

Mostert has 14 carries, 96 yards and two touchdowns against New England. — Tyler Dragon

Rookie Christin Gonzalez picks off Tua Tagovailoa

Christian Gonzalez showed why many believed he was the best cornerback in the 2023 NFL draft.

Gonzalez leaped up in the air and intercepted a deep pass from Tua Tagovailoa intended for Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

Gonzalez’s interception was the first of his young career. The Patriots drafted Gonzalez No. 17 overall out of Oregon. — Tyler Dragon

Dolphins 17, Patriots 10: Hunter Henry TD makes it a one-score game

New England is still in it.

The Patriots scored their first touchdown of the night early in the fourth quarter to make it a 17-10 game.

Patriots quarterback Mac Jones rolled outside the pocket and darted a pass to tight end Hunter Henry for a six-yard touchdown.

Jones is 22 of 29 passing for 158 yards to go with one touchdown and one interception. — Tyler Dragon

Bill Belichick spikes challenge flag

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick decided to challenge a referee's decision during the third quarter, and did so with absolute disgust.

Patriots block field goal attempt

Not much has gone right for the Patriots tonight, but they did make a great play on special teams.

In what as a unique field goal block alignment, Brenden Schooler lined up outside and got a running start toward the snap. Schooler timed his run perfectly. When the ball was snapped his momentum carried him all the way to the football as he dove to block Jason Sanders’ 49-yard field goal attempt.

Patriots safety Kyle Dugger recovered the loose football after Schooler’s well-timed block.

Despite the special teams highlight, the Patriots still trail Miami 17-3 in the third quarter. — Tyler Dragon

Dolphins-Patriots halftime stats

The Patriots have some serious ground to make up to catch a Dolphins team that doesn't appear to be slowing down.

Through the first half, Miami has more than doubled New England's total yards (237-116) and has 15 first downs, while New England has just seven. And while the Dolphins haven't broken many long plays - the longest being Jaylen Waddle's 28-yard gain - as Bill Belichick and Co. look to bottle up the attack, Tua Tagovailoa has been patient and discerning in racking up 181 yards on 15-of-20 passing.

Mac Jones, meanwhile, has just 95 yards despite completing 14 of 18 passes. And the Patriots' running game has done little to aid the offense, with just 30 yards on 13 total carries.

And then there's this stats, via ESPN Stats and Info: 

— Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz

Dolphins 17, Patriots 3: Tyreek Hill scores just before halftime

Tyreek Hill has found the end zone for the second straight week. Tua Tagovailoa found Hill on a short pass to the outside for a two-yard touchdown with just 11 seconds to go in the first half.

Hill’s touchdown catch extended Miami’s lead to 17-3.

Following Hill’s touchdown, New England fans booed the Patriots as they retreated for the locker room at halftime. 

The Dolphins have had their way versus New England thus far. Miami has 237 yards of total offense. New England has 116. — Tyler Dragon

Dolphins 10, Patriots 3: New England inches along for field goal

The Patriots offense is moving, albeit a glacial pace.

A 10-play, 35-yard drive helped get New England on the board, though the team's two-minute drill proved to be less than inspiring. An Ezekiel Elliott run on second-and-8 was snuffed out for a 1-yard loss, and Mac Jones' third-down pass for former Dolphins receiver DeVante Parker fell incomplete.

Rookie Chad Ryland secured his first NFL field goal with a 49-yarder. — Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz

Dolphins 10, Patriots 0: Raheem Mostert TD extends Miami's lead

On their second drive, the Dolphins continued to rack up first downs with short gains. Unlike the opening series, however, Miami finished the job by making it into the end zone.

The Dolphins mounted an 11-play, 73-yard drive that was capped by Raheem Mostert dashing left to the outside for a score.

The key play: On second-and-19 from near midfield, Jaylen Waddle took a short pass and raced for 28 yards before being tripped up. — Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz

Dolphins 3, Patriots 0: Miami marches downfield before stalling near goal line

The Patriots are prepared for the Dolphins' downfield passing attack. And Miami is content to chart an alternate course.

Facing New England's three-safety lineup intended to guard against any long completions, the Dolphins repeatedly found chunks of yardage via the run and underneath completions on their opening drive. In all, the team tallied five first downs on its 13-play, 81-yard march.

But Bill Belichick's crew held firm from inside their own 5-yard line, and Jason Sanders booted a 23-yard field goal to give Miami a 3-0 lead with three minutes remaining in the first quarter. — Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz

Look good, play good - at least for a while

The New England Patriots started off Sunday night  to be taking a page from Deion Sanders, as the team's splendid throwback "Pat the Patriot" jerseys and helmets set the tone for the team's offense on the opening possession.

New England notched two first downs thanks to running back Rhamondre Stevenson and rookie wide receiver Demario Douglas.

On second-and-12, however, Mac Jones was sacked by Dolphins linebackers David Long and Bradley Chubb, and Miami forced a punt.

Jones went 4-of-4 on the opening drive but netted just 18 yards. — Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz

What time is Dolphins-Patriots

The Dolphins and Patriots kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET. The game will air on NBC.

Patriots' inactives vs. Dolphins include Trent Brown, Jonathan Jones

Mac Jones will be without his blindside protector against the Dolphins, as left tackle Trent Brown (concussion) is inactive.

But the more notable loss might be cornerback Jonathan Jones, who will sit out the game while hobbled with a hamstring injury. Jones' absence puts a notable strain on a secondary trying to slow Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. First-round rookie and starter Christian Gonzalez, Marcus Jones and Myles Bryant will be called on to step up for New England at cornerback.

The Patriots' other inactives are offensive guard Sidy Sow, outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings, wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, defensive tackle Sam Roberts and defensive back Ameer Speed. — Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz

Jaelan Phillips, Terron Armstead headline Dolphins' inactives vs. Patriots

The Miami Dolphins will be without two of their key starters as they take on the AFC East-rival New England Patriots. 

Pass rusher Jaelan Phillips and left tackle Terron Armstead are both inactive for Sunday night's contest.

Phillips, who had ½ sack and two quarterback hits last week against the Los Angeles Chargers, was listed as questionable after hurting his back during Friday's practice. Armstead was also listed as questionable while dealing with problems in his back/ankle/knee. — Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz

Dolphins at Patriots: Predictions and picks

Here are the USA TODAY Sports’ staff picks for this game:  

• Lorenzo Reyes: Dolphins 
• Tyler Dragon: Dolphins 
• Victoria Hernandez: Dolphins 
• Jordan Mendoza: Dolphins 
• Jarrett Bell: Dolphins 
• Safid Deen: Dolphins 
• Nate Davis: Patriots 
• Chris Bumbaca: Dolphins 
• Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz: Patriots 

Dolphins at Patriots odds 

Highlighting Sunday Night Football odds, the Miami Dolphins are among the best bets for NFL Week 2 as a road favorite against the New England Patriots. The Dolphins are favored by 2.5 points, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2023. 

According to the top NFL betting apps, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has some of the best NFL MVP betting odds in 2023, and he has never lost to Patriots head coch Bill Belichick. The Dolphins are also among league leaders with the best early Super Bowl betting odds. 

The Patriots, meanwhile, are definitely not among the most popular NFL future bets after a rough few seasons. Can QB Mac Jones help turn the team around in 2023? 

Not interested in this game? Our guide to the NFL betting odds, picks and spreads has you covered with Thursday Night Football odds, Sunday Night Football odds and/or Monday Night Football odds. 

 If you’re new to sports betting, don’t worry. We have tips for beginners on how to place bet online. And USA TODAY readers can claim exclusive promos and bonus codes with the online sportsbooks and sports betting sites. — Richard Morin  

All odds provided by BetMGM.

‘I feel like nobody can guard me’: Tyreek Hill torches Chargers in Week 1 

Tyreek Hill boldly claimed in July that he has his eyes set on a 2,000-yard receiving season. The Dolphins wide receiver is well on pace. 

In a 36-34 Miami Dolphins win over the Los Angeles Chargers last Sunday, Hill torched defenders on the way to 11 catches, 215 receiving yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning score on a fade route with under two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. 

“I always feel like nobody can guard me. As a competitor, if you ask anybody in our room they’ll say the same thing,” Hill said after the game. “I just feel like that’s just a competitive mindset. I want the ball. That sounds kind of crazy, but I just feel like nobody can guard me.” 

Read Tyler Dragon’s full feature here. 

Who is the highest-paid NFL player? 

The NFL's top 15 players in average annual salary are all quarterbacks, according to OverTheCap.com. As Joe Burrow proved in his new deal with the Cincinnati Bengals, teams place a huge priority on having a top-flight QB under center. Burrow's five-year, $275 million contract extension made him the league's highest paid player at a staggering average annual value of $55 million. San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa is the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league after signing a five-year, $170 million extension. 

Here’s the complete list of the league’s highest-paid players. 

Who are the highest paid NFL players at each position? 

We have a complete list at every position: 

• Quarterbacks 
• Running back 
• Receivers 
• Tight ends 
• Offensive tackles 
• Offensive guards 
• Centers 
• Edge rushers 
• Interior defensive linemen 
• Linebackers 
• Cornerbacks 
• Safeties 
• Kickers 
• Punters 

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