New England Patriots-Miami Dolphins Notebook: Missed Opportunities, Another Loss
It was the same old story for the New England Patriots on Sunday in South Beach: one step forward, two steps back.
Just one week removed from an exciting upset victory over the Buffalo Bills, the Pats left multiple opportunities on the Hard Rock Stadium field in their 31-17 loss in Week 8 to the Miami Dolphins.
New England surrendered 390 total yards of offense to their AFC East rivals while mustering only two of 11 possible third-and fourth-down conversions. The Pats were also whistled for seven penalties, costing them 75 yards. While some Patriots fans will justifiably harbor resentment toward an abhorrent job of officiating during this contest, the team’s inability to execute when most needed once again defined what now appears destined to be a forgettable season.
At 2-6, the Patriots have the worst record in the AFC and appear headed for their first season of playoff irrelevance since 2000. While mathematical elimination from postseason contention is presently impossible, the team must seriously consider selling off some valuable assets at Tuesday’s trading deadline, with an eye turned to 2024.
Despite the unfortunate outcome, there were smatterings of positivity among the disappointments on which the Pats may build heading into Week 9.
Mac Jones’ Missed Opportunities Outweigh the Good
Having turned in perhaps the best performance of his career last week against the Bills, Jones took a statistical dip by completing 19 of 29 for 161 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. In fact, his 24-yard scoring strike to Kendrick Bourne was a perfectly-placed throw which gave the Pats an early 7-0 lead. Yet, the core of the 25-year-old’s struggles continue to stem from his tendencies to speed through his progressions. Jones missed open receivers on several occasions while forcing the ball into difficult areas of the field. On his lone interception, he simply did not put enough force on a throw intended for Kendrick Bourne. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey, making his Dolphins debut, baited into making the sideline throw which the All-Pro corner snagged and returned from Miami’s 23 to New England’s 40. The pick buried New England’s momentum, while adding an additional three points to the Dolphins’ halftime lead. Jones did exhibit some buoyancy in leading his team on a 12-play, 81-yard drive, capped by a three-yard touchdown pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster. However, Jones struggles with pressure — especially his ability to rise above protection issues along the offensive line — will continue to doom even the most gallant of efforts if improvements are not made in short order.
Miami Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb (2) sacks New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) during the second half of an NFL game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Oct. 29, 2023.
Jim Rassol / USA TODAY NETWORK
Offensive Line Labors in Encore Performance
New England once again deployed Trent Brown at left tackle, Cole Strange at left guard, David Andrews at center, Sidy Sow at right guard and Michael Onwenu at right tackle on Sunday. Nonetheless, the Pats were unable to recreate the cohesiveness of their Week 7 effort which saw them yield their lowest pressure rate of the season. The line surrendered three sacks on Jones, with Miami pass-rushers Christian Wilkins, Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb each notching one. In fact, Brown — in allowing Chubb’s sack— appeared to believe the play had ended and thus conceded his blocking assignment. Strange also spent some time on the sidelines working out his legs on a stationary bike. In those instances, he was relieved by Atonio Mafi. While Sunday was far from the line’s most appalling performance, the line’s difficulty with resisting Miami defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s defensive front in key situations contributed to another rough showing on offense.
Rough Day for Patriots Secondary
Facing the daunting task of containing Dolphins receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the Pats defensive backfield lost more than they won in Week 8. With the Pats defense starting in big nickel, the prolific pair of Fins each compiled over 100 receiving yards. Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa completed 30 of 45 passes for 324 yards. Waddle had seven catches for 121 yards and a touchdown, while Hill had eight receptions for 112 yards and a score. In the first meeting between the two teams, New England used an “umbrella” of three safeties to protect against the big play. However, with veteran Jonathan Jones still visibly limited by his injuries, the Dolphins challenged cornerback J.C. Jackson to some success. Save for a standout performance from safety Kyle Dugger, the Pats struggled to find answers for what is seemingly the NFL’s best and most versatile offense.
Injuries Take Their Toll
Though the secondary had its share of headaches in attempting to defend Miami’s pass-catchers, the middle of the Pats defense was clearly compromised by the loss of linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley, who exited the game in the second-quarter with hamstring injury.
New England also suffered the loss of two receivers, Bourne, and DeVante Parker in the second half. Parker suffered a head injury after a helmet-to-helmet hit from Dolphins defender DeShon Elliott. After sustaining the hit — which was incredulously not flagged for a penalty — Parker was assisted to the locker room and entered into concussion protocol. Bourne incurred a knee injury while attempting to make a sideline catch on third-and-9 from the New England 16-yard line. He left the game for further evaluation and did not return. He will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the injury’s severity.
While it may be a bit early to game plan for each player’s respective absence, it unfortunately adds an additional layer of difficulty to what has largely been a frustrating season for New England.
Up Next:
The Pats return home to Foxboro where they will host the Washington Commanders (3-5) on Sunday, Nov 5 at 1 p.m. at Gillette Stadium.
