MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Patriots’ transient offensive revitalization was enjoyable whereas it lasted. It additionally wasn’t actual.
After final week’s win over the Bills, we requested the place that staff got here from. It was obvious the place the staff that misplaced 31-17 to the Dolphins was hiding. This was the identical staff that struggled time and again by way of the primary six weeks of the season.
The Patriots struggled to maneuver the ball in Sunday’s loss in Hard Rock Stadium, gaining simply 218 complete yards on 51 performs, and so most of the points that plagued them in blowout losses earlier within the season tormented them as soon as extra in Week 8.
“We just got behind the sticks early, turned the ball over obviously, weren’t good on third down,” tight finish and offensive captain Hunter Henry mentioned Sunday. “Just situational football wasn’t great today. We were able to capitalize on the first turnover, but the second turnover, we really needed to put points on there. We just weren’t able to execute. They were able to do some good things too. You gotta give them credit too. Their D-line is really good up front. They move in, make a lot of plays in the backfield that we need to be better on.”
The Patriots’ offense confirmed promise late within the first quarter after security Kyle Dugger gave them the ball on the Dolphins’ 30-yard line after selecting off quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Quarterback Mac Jones hit Kendrick Bourne on a 24-yard catch and run landing to cap off a three-play, 30-yard drive. But they managed only a discipline objective early within the second half after linebacker Anfernee Jennings recovered a muffed handoff between Tagovailoa and operating again Raheem Mostert. The Patriots really moved backward 1 yard earlier than rookie Chad Ryland banged by way of a 38-yard discipline objective.
Jones was intercepted as soon as, and it could have been a pick-six for cornerback Jalen Ramsey if rookie large receiver Demario Douglas wasn’t in a position to pressure the All-Pro, getting back from damage, out of bounds. Jones almost threw two extra picks on the Patriots’ last offensive drive.
“Like I always talk about, every week is different,” Jones mentioned when requested why the Patriots couldn’t proceed their offensive momentum from Week 7. “Gameplan changes. We just needed a little more production from me, from everybody. That’s where it starts. It starts with the quarterback. I can be cleaner on my reads and all of that stuff. You’ve got to be really sharp against a team with a really good offense, and I thought the defense fought really hard. It’s a really good football team we played.”
Head coach Bill Belichick was requested after the sport if Jones would proceed to be the Patriots’ beginning quarterback.
“We all need to play better, yeah,” Belichick mentioned. “We all need to coach and play better.”
The Patriots had the identical offensive line mixture that protected Jones properly in Week 7. They let up three sacks and 4 extra QB hits on Sunday. And rookie large receiver Demario Douglas, an offensive sparkplug, continued to see an elevated function however picked up simply 25 yards on 5 catches. Wide receivers Kendrick Bourne (knee) and DeVante Parker (head) each left the sport with accidents, and the staff didn’t profit from officiating.
But it’s clear that the Patriots can not compete with a unit as high-powered because the Dolphins’ offense irrespective of how exhausting the protection fights. The Dolphins gained 390 yards on 73 performs whereas Tagovailoa tossed three touchdowns.
It was truthful to pump the brakes on declaring that the Patriots have been again after final week’s win. After Sunday’s loss, and based mostly on the primary six weeks of the season, it seems like merely an aberration.
Source: www.bostonherald.com