Game story
In Week 17 of the 2015 NFL season on 2016-01-03, the Miami Dolphins took care of business against the New England Patriots, pulling away with a 20–10 final that built a comfortable lead.
The highest-scoring period was Q2 with 10 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
R. Tannehill (Miami Dolphins) paced the passing game, with +16.83 total EPA, and +9.7% completion percentage over expected.
On the individual side, R. Tannehill (Miami Dolphins) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +16.83 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (+15.2% win probability) landed in the third quarter when New England Patriots changed the game: (13:46) (Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass short middle to 28-J.White to MIA 6 for 68 yards (36-T.Lippett).
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Miami Dolphins | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 20 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 R. Tannehill · Miami Dolphins · Passing · +16.83 total EPA · 41 snaps · +0.41 EPA/play
- 2 D. Parker · Miami Dolphins · Receiving · +10.63 total EPA · 6 snaps · +1.77 EPA/play
- 3 G. Jennings · Miami Dolphins · Receiving · +4.49 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.90 EPA/play
- 4 J. White · New England Patriots · Receiving · +4.42 total EPA · 3 snaps · +1.47 EPA/play
- 5 Da. Williams · Miami Dolphins · Receiving · +4.05 total EPA · 3 snaps · +1.35 EPA/play
- 6 D. Sims · Miami Dolphins · Receiving · +3.50 total EPA · 3 snaps · +1.17 EPA/play
- 7 S. Jackson · New England Patriots · Receiving · +2.19 total EPA · 1 snaps · +2.19 EPA/play
- 8 D. Williams · Miami Dolphins · Rushing · +0.27 total EPA · 3 snaps · +0.09 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
R. Tannehill — MIA · Passing
R. Tannehill posted the highest total EPA (+16.83) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on Miami Dolphins's efficiency. Across 41 counted snaps, they averaged +0.41 EPA per play.
The signature play (+5.75 EPA) came from New England Patriots: (13:46) (Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass short middle to 28-J.White to MIA 6 for 68 yards (36-T.Lippett).
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Miami Dolphins — D. Parker (R. Tannehill pass)
- New England Patriots — S. Jackson
- Miami Dolphins — J. Cameron (R. Tannehill pass)
Field goals
- Miami Dolphins — A. Franks
- New England Patriots — S. Gostkowski
- Miami Dolphins — A. Franks
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The opening quarter: Miami Dolphins won the period 3–0. Miami Dolphins connected on a field goal from the NE 20 (Q1 53:10) — (8:10) (Field Goal formation) 3-A.Franks 38 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-92-J.Denney, Holder-4-M.Darr..
The second quarter: Miami Dolphins won the period 7–3. New England Patriots connected on a field goal from the MIA 16 (Q2 38:10) — (8:10) (Field Goal formation) 3-S.Gostkowski 34 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-J.Cardona, Holder-6-R.Allen.; Miami Dolphins found the end zone from the NE 15 (Q2 30:40); Miami Dolphins added 1 points from the NE 15 (Q2 30:36) — 3-A.Franks extra point is GOOD, Center-92-J.Denney, Holder-4-M.Darr..
The third quarter: New England Patriots won the period 7–0. New England Patriots found the end zone from the MIA 2 (Q3 27:37) — (12:37) 39-S.Jackson left tackle for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New England Patriots added 1 points from the MIA 15 (Q3 27:32) — 3-S.Gostkowski extra point is GOOD, Center-49-J.Cardona, Holder-6-R.Allen..
The fourth quarter: Miami Dolphins won the period 10–0. Miami Dolphins found the end zone from the NE 2 (Q4 7:05) — (7:05) (Shotgun) 17-R.Tannehill pass short left to 84-J.Cameron for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Miami Dolphins added 1 points from the NE 15 (Q4 6:58) — 3-A.Franks extra point is GOOD, Center-92-J.Denney, Holder-4-M.Darr.; Miami Dolphins connected on a field goal from the NE 1 (Q4 2:00) — (2:00) (Field Goal formation) 3-A.Franks 19 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-92-J.Denney, Holder-4-M.Darr..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- New England Patriots (Q3 28:46) — (13:46) (Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass short middle to 28-J.White to MIA 6 for 68 yards (36-T.Lippett).
- Miami Dolphins (Q2 30:52) — (:52) (Shotgun) 17-R.Tannehill pass deep left to 85-G.Jennings ran ob at NE 15 for 31 yards.
- Miami Dolphins (Q4 8:00) — (8:00) 17-R.Tannehill pass deep right to 11-D.Parker pushed ob at NE 6 for 46 yards (32-D.McCourty) [93-J.Sheard].
- Miami Dolphins (Q3 25:06) — (10:06) (Shotgun) 17-R.Tannehill pass deep left to 11-D.Parker to NE 41 for 29 yards (30-D.Harmon; 26-L.Ryan) [50-R.Ninkovich].
- Miami Dolphins (Q1 55:57) — (10:57) (Shotgun) 17-R.Tannehill pass short left to 34-Da.Williams to NE 34 for 9 yards (32-D.McCourty).
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- New England Patriots (Q3 28:46) — (13:46) (Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass short middle to 28-J.White to MIA 6 for 68 yards (36-T.Lippett).
- New England Patriots (Q2 32:00) — (2:00) (Field Goal formation) 3-S.Gostkowski 46 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-49-J.Cardona, Holder-6-R.Allen.
- Miami Dolphins (Q3 17:12) — (2:12) (Shotgun) 26-L.Miller right tackle to NE 39 for no gain (91-J.Collins; 97-A.Branch).
- Miami Dolphins (Q2 44:11) — (14:11) (Field Goal formation) 3-A.Franks 46 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-92-J.Denney, Holder-4-M.Darr.
Quarterback report card
R.Tannehill led all passers in efficiency for Miami Dolphins, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- R.Tannehill (Miami Dolphins) · 41 dropbacks · 61.0% completion · +9.7% CPOE · +0.41 EPA/play · +16.83 total EPA
- T.Brady (New England Patriots) · 27 dropbacks · 44.4% completion · -3.4% CPOE · -0.03 EPA/play · -0.73 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | New England Patriots | Miami Dolphins |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | -0.141 | -0.022 |
| Offensive success rate | 32.5% | 40.9% |
| Pass EPA/play | -0.124 | +0.410 |
| Rush EPA/play | -0.183 | -0.425 |
| Defensive EPA/play | +0.022 | +0.141 |
| Defensive success rate | 59.1% | 67.5% |
By the numbers
Miami Dolphins held the efficiency edge in offensive EPA per play (-0.02 vs -0.14), even if the scoreboard told a different story.
- Miami Dolphins: 12 drives, -2.02 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
- New England Patriots: 12 drives, -11.25 total EPA, 2 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- Miami Dolphins leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- R. Tannehill (Miami Dolphins) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
- R. Tannehill (MIA) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.
- T. Brady (NE) finished below expected efficiency — volume may have masked accuracy issues.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- Miami Dolphins FG (+3) — Q1 53:10 · NE 20 · Score 0-3
(8:10) (Field Goal formation) 3-A.Franks 38 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-92-J.Denney, Holder-4-M.Darr. - New England Patriots FG (+3) — Q2 38:10 · MIA 16 · Score 3-3
(8:10) (Field Goal formation) 3-S.Gostkowski 34 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-J.Cardona, Holder-6-R.Allen. - Miami Dolphins TD (+6) — Q2 30:40 · NE 15 · Score 3-9
(:40) (Shotgun) 17-R.Tannehill pass short left to 11-D.Parker for 15 yards, TOUCHDOWN. The Replay Official reviewed the pass completion ruling, and the play was - Miami Dolphins XP (+1) — Q2 30:36 · NE 15 · Score 3-10
3-A.Franks extra point is GOOD, Center-92-J.Denney, Holder-4-M.Darr. - New England Patriots TD (+6) — Q3 27:37 · MIA 2 · Score 9-10
(12:37) 39-S.Jackson left tackle for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - New England Patriots XP (+1) — Q3 27:32 · MIA 15 · Score 10-10
3-S.Gostkowski extra point is GOOD, Center-49-J.Cardona, Holder-6-R.Allen. - Miami Dolphins TD (+6) — Q4 7:05 · NE 2 · Score 10-16
(7:05) (Shotgun) 17-R.Tannehill pass short left to 84-J.Cameron for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Miami Dolphins XP (+1) — Q4 6:58 · NE 15 · Score 10-17
3-A.Franks extra point is GOOD, Center-92-J.Denney, Holder-4-M.Darr. - Miami Dolphins FG (+3) — Q4 2:00 · NE 1 · Score 10-20
(2:00) (Field Goal formation) 3-A.Franks 19 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-92-J.Denney, Holder-4-M.Darr.
Frequently asked questions
Who won New England Patriots vs Miami Dolphins?
The Miami Dolphins beat the New England Patriots 20-10 in Week 17, 2015 on 2016-01-03.
What was the final score of New England Patriots vs Miami Dolphins?
The final score was New England Patriots 10, Miami Dolphins 20 (NE 10-20 MIA) in Week 17, 2015 on 2016-01-03.
What was the score by quarter in New England Patriots vs Miami Dolphins?
Q1: New England Patriots 0, Miami Dolphins 3; Q2: New England Patriots 3, Miami Dolphins 7; Q3: New England Patriots 7, Miami Dolphins 0; Q4: New England Patriots 0, Miami Dolphins 10; Final: New England Patriots 10, Miami Dolphins 20.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in New England Patriots vs Miami Dolphins?
Miami Dolphins touchdown — D. Parker (R. Tannehill pass) (Q2 30:40) New England Patriots touchdown — S. Jackson (Q3 27:37) Miami Dolphins touchdown — J. Cameron (R. Tannehill pass) (Q4 7:05) Miami Dolphins field goal — A. Franks (Q1 53:10, 3 pts) New England Patriots field goal — S. Gostkowski (Q2 38:10, 3 pts) Miami Dolphins field goal — A. Franks (Q4 2:00, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in New England Patriots vs Miami Dolphins?
R. Tannehill (Miami Dolphins), 61.0% completion, +9.7% CPOE, +0.41 EPA per dropback, +16.83 total passing EPA. T. Brady (New England Patriots), 44.4% completion, -3.4% CPOE, -0.03 EPA per dropback, -0.73 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in New England Patriots vs Miami Dolphins?
R. Tannehill (Miami Dolphins) led the game in total EPA with +16.83 on passing plays. across 41 snaps. The top single-play swing was (+5.75 EPA): (13:46) (Shotgun) 12-T.Brady pass short middle to 28-J.White to MIA 6 for 68 yards (36-T.Lippett).. The biggest win-probability swing was +15.2%.
Season records after this game
New England Patriots
Entered 12-3 Now 12-4 L
Miami Dolphins
Entered 5-10 Now 6-10 W
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