Malik Washington broke a 74-yard punt return TD for Miami in the fourth, flipping a tight game by exploiting Patriots tackling. On the very next kickoff, Antonio Gibson answered with a 90-yard return, giving New England the next big swing in a wild AFC East clash. The sequence marked only the second time in NFL history a kickoff return followed a punt return TD, the first since a 1992 Washington–Atlanta showdown featuring Desmond Howard and Deion Sanders. New England held on 33-27 to go to 1-1 while Miami drops to 0-2.

The plays highlight how special teams can decide high-scoring games and create fantasy opportunities for return specialists. Washington and Gibson supplied the spark, and managers may factor punt and kickoff return upside into deeper rosters as the Patriots’ win shapes the early-season narrative in the AFC East.