Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle averaged 5.3 receptions and 72 receiving yards per game as he recorded three 1,000-yard seasons to open his NFL career. But he entered Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots with averages of 3.3 receptions and 40.4 yards per game for the first 10 contests of the 2024 season.

In the Dolphins’ 34-15 victory over the Patriots, Waddle had eight receptions for 144 yards and one touchdown.

Waddle said he did not get frustrated about his depressed statistics.

“I was more frustrated from the losses than individual, me having individual goals or anything,” Waddle said. “That’s more like a media thing, really. …

“It’s good. I can go back to college when we got a lot of playmakers all over the field. That’s what makes this game so exciting. That’s what brings the fans out, playing with such great talent. So, no, it can’t be like that.”

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Miami coach Mike McDaniel said Waddle didn’t wait for his 2024 breakthrough game. Instead, the former Alabama standout prepared to have it.

“Waddle has been taking his route running, his release work, the nuances of the receiver position, and he’s had so much growth over the last month and a half,” McDaniel said, “while also fielding questions left and right, whether it’s in the media or even at home, like: Where is the production, where is the production, where is the production? To get better when the ball isn’t coming your way so that you’re aptly prepared when the ball does, it’s everything that I believe in.

“It was an earned game for him. He got the opportunities, and because his mind has been in the right spot where he’s been focused on what he can control and not all the other noise, he was able to really make some big-time plays in those moments. It’s something that I don’t think people truly spend the time really putting themselves into receivers’ shoes. In the National Football League, especially if you’re one of the better receivers in the league, you have expectations of output that a lot of times you have no ability to control. A lot of players get worse from situations like that. He’s been eager to help the team win, and he’s been doing that week in, week out, by plays off the ball or plays when he doesn’t have the ball. For him to make some plays on the ball this game was much deserved, and we had a lot of teammates that are fired up for him.”

The 2024 campaign started normally for Waddle. He had five receptions for 109 yards in a 20-17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the season-opening game on Sept. 8.

But in the Dolphins’ second contest, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa left because of a concussion, and he spent four games on injured reserve. In those four games, Miami scored three touchdowns and totaled 546 passing yards.

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On Sunday, Tagovailoa played for the fifth time since returning from injured reserve. The former Alabama All-American threw for 338 yards in the season-opener, and he surpassed 300 yards for the first time since with 317 against the Patriots. Tagovailoa also passed for four touchdowns, after he had three in the previous game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

“Tua has been playing great ball,” Waddle said. “It’s really just him, for real. I can’t even explain it. He comes to work every day, and he just brings that swag, that confidence, and when he goes out there and plays like that, man, it’s just fun.”

The Dolphins posted their third straight victory on Sunday to improve to 5-6 this season.

“I think we’re headed in the right direction,” Waddle said. “We got big games coming up ending the year, so it’s important that we start playing our best ball heading into this last stretch of the season.”

Miami returns to the field against the Green Bay Packers at 7:20 p.m. CST Thursday at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. NBC will televise the game.

The temperature at kickoff for the Dolphins’ game against New England was 77 degrees at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Thursday’s high temperature in Green Bay is forecast to be 33 degrees, and that will occur before the nighttime kickoff.

“Cold-weather game,” Waddle said. “It’s going to be real football weather. They’re bringing their best. We’re bringing our best. Thursday night football, man, that’s what it’s all about.”

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1