Omar Kelly: Gordon takes ownership for loss to Patriots: 'I got to be better'

Omar Kelly, Miami Herald on Nov 3, 2026

Published in Football

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MIAMI — There are those of us who only need to be warned once or twice not to do something, benefiting from shared wisdom and guidance.

And then there are individuals who must learn the hard way, touching the stove, burning their hand before they realize it’s hot.

A costly mistake Ollie Gordon II made during Sunday’s 24-19 fourth-quarter loss to the New England Patriots provided the second-year tailback a stove-touching, teachable moment that will hopefully show Gordon the importance of keeping his composure.

But what he learned Sunday was the price of trash talking Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane, which got him flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that triggered his team’s second-half unraveling against the Patriots.

Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan walked into the locker room after the game, and the first person he sought out was Gordon, who had just gotten out of the showers.

They talked quietly for a minute or two before parting with a hug.

There was no need to imagine what the conversation was about because the entire team and fan base saw Gordon lose his composure, say something slick to Spillane, who had just tackled him along New England’s sidelines.

Their helmets collided after the play was over, and Gordon seemingly took that as a challenge.

“He’s dead-ass wrong,” quarterback Malik Willis said when asked about his seemingly heated exchange with Gordon on Miami’s sidelines after the penalty. “That’s the honest truth.”

And Gordon, who had been working on being more composed during games, openly admitted he did something stupid.

“Ya’ll watched what happened. It’s one of those things where I got to keep my mouth shut and go back to the huddle,” said Gordon, who gained 69 rushing yards on 19 attempts against the Patriots. “It’s one of those things I need to work on the most. Especially in that situation. It just can’t happen.”

Gordon’s 5-yard run had just set up a third-and-5 from Miami’s 40-yard line.

If the Dolphins had converted that first down they would have likely been at midfield, and potentially could put the team in position to build on a 13-10 lead midway through the third quarter with another first down or two.

But Gordon’s mouth cost the Dolphins 15 yards, and when Miami failed to convert a third-and-20 when Gordon’s backup, Jaylen Wright, wasn’t able to bring in a short pass from Willis, that drive stalled.

Once the Patriots gained possession after a 48-yard punt they put together a 13-play, 73 yard drive that ended with a 2-yard touchdown run from Drake Maye, which provided New England its first lead of the game.

On the next series Willis’ pass was tipped and intercepted, and the Patriots scored another touchdown two plays later on a 48 yard run-after-catch play from DeMarco Douglas.

So, in the span of four possessions a three-point lead turned into an 11-point deficit. And the match that lit the fire was Gordon running his mouth.

“I have to be better for my team,” Gordon said. “I have to be better in the back end of games. Learn how to finish games.”

Continuing with the blame game, coach Jeff Hafley admitted he has to do a better job of coaching emotional players like Gordon.

“Being able to have honest conversations is really important,” Hafley said. “Good leadership is telling people the truth.

“[Ollie] has a lot of fire to him, a lot of energy to him, and I need to do a really good job of teaching him how to react in situations,” Hafley continued. “ I’ll continue to work with him on that. I know he cares.”

The Dolphins had plenty more opportunities after Gordon’s penalty to right the ship, overcoming the challenges that the team’s second-half belly-flop presented.

But those moments were squandered until it was too late, and that’s just it.

That’s the next step, the next lesson to be learned for this rebuilding, young franchise.

How do we teach a young team to maintain its composure when adversity arrives.

“Experience,” linebacker and team captain Jordyn Brooks said. “This loss will teach us that.

“We were a little fired up at halftime in the locker room. Everybody was excited after playing a great first half. I think we were a little too fired up,” Brooks continued. “An experienced team like the Patriots, who has been there and done that, they just remained calm through the whole thing and made crucial plays when they needed it, and it was enough for them to win.”

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