Instant observations following the Patriots' blowout win over the Dolphins in Week 2

As expected, the New England Patriots blew out the AFC East rival Miami Dolphins in Miami by a score of 43-0.

Here are some instant observations following the game that put New England at 2-0 on the season.

Antonio Brown had a strong Patriots debut

Antonio Brown made his Patriots debut Sunday afternoon, and what a debut it was. He was targeted eight times and corralled four of the passes for 46 yards including one score.

Tom Brady didn't hesitate to go to his new receiver early and often in the game. Brown played 25-of-64 offensive snaps, which is a bit more than expected, but not overly surprising when considering the type of work he put in this past week to learn the offense.

Seeing Brown on the field with Brady is an unfair sight. His production compared to his snap count should terrify teams going forward who will have to defend the All-Pro receiver, amongst the other offensive weapons this team has. Good luck to them.

Injuries strung offensive line out in Week 2

One downside to the Patriots' effort against the Dolphins was that the offensive line suffered another setback because of an injury. Starting left tackle Isaiah Wynn injured his foot early in the second quarter of the game, went to the locker room and did not return.

Marcus Cannon was missing the game because of a shoulder injury, so the offensive line was down two starters in the Week 2 matchup. He is expected to return soon, but not having Wynn makes the team very thin on the offensive line.

Against a better team, the Patriots may have been in serious trouble trying to protect Tom Brady. Hopefully Wynn's injury isn't serious and he won't miss time going forward.

Stephen Gostkowski was not good, again

Stephen Gostkowski is the other negative in the Week 2 blowout. The veteran kicker missed one field goal and two PATs.

If this Patriots team has to win a close game and they are in enemy territory, it's hard to think that they will put their faith in their kicker going forward. Gostkowski had his fair share of gaffes last season and during this past preseason. His inconsistency is starting to become alarming, especially considering this team has one some of their biggest games in franchise history by a small margin.

Gostkowski needs to get his act together.

Sony Michel had a nice bounce back game

After a lackluster season-opener, which included 15 carries for 14 yards, running back Sony Michel had a much better game in Week 2. The second-year back rushed 25 times for 85 yards and one touchdown. He also had one sloppy fumble in the fourth quarter.

Michel helped set the tempo on offense and had some hard-nosed efforts in the blowout win. His performance against Miami is more of what we expected this season from the former Bulldog. He dominated the backfield in touches and looked more explosive than he did in 2018. Expect more of that going forward.

The Patriots defense looked elite once again

After allowing just three points to the Steelers in Week 1, New England's defense managed to give up even fewer points than that to Miami. They pitched their first shutout of the season, though it was against one of the worst offenses in the league. Nevertheless, they were dominant, giving up just 184 yards of total offense, recording four interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns, and registering seven sacks.

This is one of the best defenses in New England in recent memory. That will keep being said until proven otherwise. Their depth, talent and coaching gives them the ultimate versatility and allows them to shutdown any weapons that an opposing offense may have. Facing Trevor Siemian and the Jets offense next week will prove that once more in Week 2.

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