Miami Dolphins wideout Jaylen Waddle earned our Player of the Game honors for his stellar performance in Week 8 against the New England Patriots.
Waddle caught seven passes, totaling 121 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown to put the game away in the fourth quarter.
Tyreek Hill presnap motion drew 2 defenders and left Jaylen Waddle wide open for what should be clinching TD for Dolphins.
Waddle and Hill have gone over 100 yards today: pic.twitter.com/mFtu9VQel1
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) October 29, 2023
Waddle made his presence felt all game long with New England focusing on slowing down Miami’s running game. He came up big when the Dolphins needed plays the most. His first catch came on a fourth-down play which he took for 17 yards into New England territory. While the Dolphins didn’t score, it allowed them to control the field position early on.
On the Dolphins’ final drive of the first half, Waddle and the offense took advantage of Jalen Ramsey’s first interception in aqua and orange. With the drive starting at New England’s 40-yard line, Waddle had catches for 11 yards and 17 yards to set up a field goal. This allowed Miami to go into the locker room up 17-7.
During the third quarter, following a Patriots’ field goal, Waddle showed off his elite route-running ability on third-and-9. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa found Waddle for 23 yards to set up Miami’s offense at the Patriots’ 31-yard line.
Jaylen Waddle embarrassing JC Jackson.
Gross pic.twitter.com/8pcDCww9YF
— Savage (@SavageSports_) October 29, 2023
This third-down conversion proved to be a key play considering the Dolphins finished the drive with a touchdown to extend the lead to 24-10.
It’s been a disappointing regular season for Waddle despite the team’s success. He hadn’t gone for over 100 yards in the first seven weeks while battling a couple of injuries. The former Alabama standout is aiming for his third consecutive 1,000-yard season, and he’s on pace to achieve that feat.
The Dolphins secured a regular season sweep of the rival Patriots with Sunday’s win and a 6-2 record on the season. They still hold a one-game lead in the AFC East standings heading into a showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs next week in Germany. That’ll be another game where Waddle and the offense must bring their best performance to pull off the upset.
