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New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins: PFM Team Comparison

PFM rates the New England Patriots higher than the Miami Dolphins overall, with a major advantage. The main reasons are the stronger coaching operation and the stronger defense.

Current PFM Team Scores

Major edgeNE

New England Patriots

86.0PFM Team Score#7 NFL
MIA

Miami Dolphins

75.2PFM Team Score#24 NFL
Swap Teams Clear Comparison
PFM JUDGMENT

Why PFM Rates the New England Patriots Higher

Mike Vrabel gives the New England Patriots the stronger coaching operation. Preparation and in-game answers matter once the opening script no longer controls the game. The Miami Dolphins are closest in roster strength, where the teams remain essentially even.

New England also brings the stronger defense. New England adds the bigger big-play threat. That is enough to keep the New England Patriots ahead.

TEAM DNA COMPARISON

New England vs. Miami Across the Core Pillars

The farther a team reaches, the stronger the rating. Each category also calls out which team has the edge and the exact gap. Hover on desktop or tap on mobile to isolate one team.

NENew England Patriots
MIAMiami Dolphins
New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins Team DNA comparisonPFM category scores on a 0 to 100 scale. QB Stability: New England Patriots 84.0, Miami Dolphins 78.9, edge NE +5.1; Offense: New England Patriots 83.8, Miami Dolphins 78.0, edge NE +5.8; Defense: New England Patriots 83.8, Miami Dolphins 72.5, edge NE +11.3; Coaching Direction: New England Patriots 85.0, Miami Dolphins 72.5, edge NE +12.5; Roster Depth: New England Patriots 80.4, Miami Dolphins 79.4, edge NE +1.0. Hover on desktop or tap on mobile to isolate one team at a time.
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MIAMI’S BEST PUSHBACK

Roster Strength Is Miami’s Only Close Fight

Miami's roster gives the team one place to push back. Miami sits only 1 points behind New England in Roster Strength, but close is not the same as an edge. New England still has Drake Maye at quarterback and Mike Vrabel leading the coaching staff, two advantages the Dolphins cannot match in this comparison.

COMPLETE COMPARISON

Where Each Team Has the Edge

PFM Team Score

NE86.0
New England Patriots 86.0
MIA75.2
Miami Dolphins 75.2
Major New England Patriots edge

Overall NFL Rank

NE#7
New England Patriots #7
MIA#24
Miami Dolphins #24
New England Patriots ranks higher

QB Stability

NE84.0
New England Patriots 84.0
MIA78.9
Miami Dolphins 78.9
Clear New England Patriots edge

Roster Strength

NE80.4
New England Patriots 80.4
MIA79.4
Miami Dolphins 79.4
Slight New England Patriots edge

Coaching Direction

NE85.0
New England Patriots 85.0
MIA72.5
Miami Dolphins 72.5
Major New England Patriots edge

Recent Performance

NE87.7
New England Patriots 87.7
MIA68.7
Miami Dolphins 68.7
Major New England Patriots edge

Offense

NE83.8
New England Patriots 83.8
MIA78.0
Miami Dolphins 78.0
Clear New England Patriots edge

Defense

NE83.8
New England Patriots 83.8
MIA72.5
Miami Dolphins 72.5
Major New England Patriots edge

Franchise Direction

NE78.1
New England Patriots 78.1
MIA72.9
Miami Dolphins 72.9
Clear New England Patriots edge

Explosiveness

NE88.7
New England Patriots 88.7
MIA70.2
Miami Dolphins 70.2
Major New England Patriots edge

Conference Rank

NE#2
New England Patriots #2
MIA#12
Miami Dolphins #12
New England Patriots ranks higher

Division Rank

NE#1
New England Patriots #1
MIA#3
Miami Dolphins #3
New England Patriots ranks higher

Outlook

NESuper Bowl ContenderMIANeeds More Help
Stronger outlook: New England Patriots
TEAM CONSTRUCTION

How These Teams Are Built Differently

New England Patriots

Strongest Rating
Explosiveness
Category Edge
Explosiveness
Biggest Matchup Concern
No clear matchup concern

New England's clearest category edge is Explosiveness. The explosive-play advantage belongs to the New England Patriots against the Miami Dolphins. One chunk gain can rescue a drive that was otherwise going nowhere. Miami does not own a separate category that creates a major matchup concern.

Miami Dolphins

Strongest Rating
Roster Strength
Category Edge
None in this matchup
Biggest Matchup Concern
Explosiveness

Miami's strongest current rating is Roster Strength, but New England still leads that category. The biggest problem in this matchup is Explosiveness, where New England owns the clearer advantage.

SCHEDULE CONTEXT

Which Team Has the Tougher Road?

New England Patriots

Full schedule rank: #9

Toughest stretch: Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo Bills

Strongest opponents: Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions

View New England Patriots Road Ahead

Miami Dolphins

Full schedule rank: #3

Toughest stretch: Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots

Strongest opponents: Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers

View Miami Dolphins Road Ahead

Miami has the tougher Road Ahead at No. 3. The strongest opponents include Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, and San Francisco 49ers. New England also has the more favorable road, which adds to the stronger coaching operation and the stronger defense.

View the complete all-32 Road Ahead

Ratings and Schedule Freshness

PFM ratings updated August 25, 2026. Schedule data updated June 29, 2026.

How to Read This Comparison

PFM Team Score determines the overall order. The Team DNA comparison puts five core pillars on the same 0–100 scale, while the full rows show every current category.

PFM compares overall team strength rather than predicting one matchup. Road Ahead adds schedule context without changing PFM Team Score.

See the complete PFM NFL Team Rankings and methodology.

PFM ratings updated
How PFM grades NFL teams