Winners and losers from Patriots’ disappointing defeat vs. the Dolphins in Week 1
The New England Patriots were just yards away from taking the lead from the Miami Dolphins late in the fourth quarter before their comeback attempt was halted by a Damien Harris fumble.
Despite the 17-16 defeat, the Patriot showed flashes of competence throughout the game, and their rookie quarterback impressed in his opportunities.
Old friend Brian Flores’ team outplayed Bill Belichick’s again, as Tua Tagovailoa remained undefeated against New England. While he made some mistakes, including the interception to set up the potential go-ahead drive, he made plays when it counted and secured the victory.
Let’s hands out to criticism and some praise from this Week 1 loss.
LOSER: RT Trent Brown
The return of the massive offensive tackle lasted just one series, as Brown was removed from the game due to a calf injury. He was seen on the sideline with a large wrap on his right leg. https://twitter.com/ZackCoxNESN/status/1437163477311832066 Justin Herron came in and did not play well and was eventually replaced by newly acquired lineman Yasir Durant It's not great that Brown went down just minutes into this game. With the severity unknown, this could be something the team may have to deal with for at least a week.
WINNER: QB Mac Jones
There's not much more you can for out of rookie placed in the situation Jones was. The former Alabama quarterback completed 74% of his passes for 281 yards and a touchdown. Jones got a lot of reps in the preseason with backups and third-string guys, but this was his first real game work with the starters. If it weren't for the three fumbles in the game, he likely would've had the team in a pretty good position to win this game.
WINNER: WR Nelson Agholor
After a disappointing preseason, Agholor broke out in his regular season debut. The former Raider's great cuts and stellar hands surprised many fans. He put up 72 yards and a touchdown on five receptions, including Mac Jones' first passing touchdown. This was certainly great to see after a season of the Patriots struggling to get much going from wide receivers.
LOSER: RB Rhamondre Stevenson
Contrary to Agholor, Stevenson had a great preseason, leading the league in rushing yards and touchdowns. Unfortunately for the rookie, he fumbled early on in the game and was benched for most of the game after that. He only returned when Harris was taken out with an injury.
LOSER: Bill Belichick and staff
The Patriots committed an uncharacteristic amount of penalties in this game, as they had a flag thrown on them eight times for 84 yards. This has to go as a negative on the coaching staff. They have to be better than this if they want to make a run at the playoffs.
WINNER: K Nick Folk
Folk spent a good chunk of time on the sidelines during preseason and training camp while he was recovering from an injury. When Quinn Nordin made the roster over him, some questioned if this was it for the veteran kicker. Folk was re-signed to the Patriots practice squad and was elevated for this first game. He hit all three of his field goals and his lone extra point attempt, keeping New England in the game.
LOSERS: Cornerbacks
None of the cornerbacks looked all that impressive in this season opener. Jalen Mills had the one pass deflection in the endzone and Jonathan Jones had the late interception, but two plays didn't make up for the rest of the game. DeVante Parker finished with four receptions for 71 yards, while rookie Jaylen Waddle brought in his own four receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown. The Dolphins consistently ran a quick slant that seemed to work every time. That should've been addressed at some point, and they just kept allowing those easy completions.
1
1
