Bad Blueprint: Patriots Rally Again Falls Short in Loss to Dolphins
Fitting that New England wore its vintage throwback uniforms Sunday night, because Pat Patriot and the boys haven't began a season this poorly since 1975.
And if the Patriots keep committing turnovers that lead to early double-digit deficits, not Tom Brady nor an iconic logo or even Bill Belichick's red hoodie and Hall-of-Fame brain will be able to save this season from quickly skidding into the ditch. The Pats rallied in the second half but fell short Sunday night at an increasingly edgy Gillette Stadium, losing to the Miami Dolphins, 24-17.
They are 0-2 for the first time since 2001, and have started the season with consecutive home losses for the first time in almost 50 years - when they played at Schaefer Stadium, were coached by Chuck Fairbanks, quarterbacked by Neil Graf and finished 3-11.
Like they did in the season opener in Foxboro, the Patriots dug an early hole before rallying to make things interesting. They trailed 17-3 and 24-10 before touchdowns by Hunter Henry and Rhamondre Stevenson, a crazy blocked field goal and the first career interception by Christian Gonzalez gave them the ball with a chance to tie in the final minute.
“Stop playing from behind," said Pats' veteran center David Andrews. "It’s hard to play catch-up in this league.”
Last week they trailed the Philadelphia Eagles 16-0 and had a potential winning drive stall at the 20. This time the possible game-tying possession ended at Miami's 29 on a bizarre final play. On 4th-and-4, Mac Jones hit Mike Gesicki with a short pass. When the tight end realized he was going to be tackled short of the first down, he smartly heaved a desperation lateral. Offensive lineman Cole Strange make a leaping, acrobatic catch of the ball and bulled his way forward, but replays showed him being tackled inches short of the first down to end the game in heartbreak for the second consecutive week.
Two games. Two big early deficits. Two gutsy comebacks. Two dramatic final drives that fell short. Oh and two.
The Patriots bottled up Dolphins' receiver Tyreek Hill (five catches, 40 yards), but lost in part because they surrendered 121 yards and two touchdowns to running back Raheem Mostert. After Brenden Schooler's innovative blocked field and Gonzalez' leaping interception over Hill, the Pats seemed to have momentum.
But after a three-and-out, Mostert took a hand-off up the middle and ran 43 yards untouched for a touchdown and a 24-10 lead. For the second consecutive week, Jones could deliver an end-of-game scoring drive to complete the comeback.
The Patriots trailed 17-3 at halftime following a familiar bad blueprint that saw them again fall into an early deficit because of a turnover.
In the opener against the Eagles it was a Jones Pick 6 and a fumble by Ezekiel Elliott that dug a 16-0 hole. In this one the Pats were driving toward the Red Zone when rookie receiver Demario Douglas was stripped from behind and fumbled at Miami's 27. The Dolphins recovered and drove 73 yards, capped by Mostert's 8-yard run to give them a 10-0 lead.
After rookie kicker Chad Ryland made his first NFL field goal - from 49 yards - to cut the deficit to 10-3, the Dolphins scored just before halftime to take control of the game. Though New England's innovative strategy to play three safeties deep took away Miami's speed and long-ball threats, Hill slipped away from Kyle Dugger at the goal line for an easy 2-yard touchdown catch.
As it did against Philadelphia, New England's offense began to find a rhythm when it went to an up-tempo, no-huddle look, but a costly holding penalty on Strange and a near-sack allowed by Calvin Anderson thwarted drives and kept the Pats out of the end zone.
New England's longest play in the first half went for only 12 yards.
