The Patriots got back in the win column Sunday, but the 24-19 result in rainy Miami came with plenty of material for Mike Vrabel’s favorite three-part grading system: the good, the bad, and the s-t that gets you beat.
New England improved to 5-3, and while this wasn’t the kind of polished performance that turns heads, it was enough to leave Hard Rock Stadium with momentum. The first half, though, looked nothing like a team ready to make noise. The Patriots were outplayed by a one-win Dolphins team and went into the break down 10, only to flip the script after halftime.
That turnaround was the clearest positive of the day. Whatever Vrabel and his staff changed at the break, it had an immediate effect.
The offense, which had been bogged down for two quarters, came out attacking downfield and started finishing drives with touchdowns. After opening the second half with a three-and-out, New England scored on three straight possessions to seize control.
There were signs that the coaching staff made some real adjustments, too. Ben Brown replaced Walter Rouse at left guard, and the Patriots also seemed to lean more heavily into man coverage. The result was a sharper, more urgent team on both sides of the ball, especially on offense.
Still, the sloppiness was hard to miss. New England was hit with six pre-snap penalties alone.
Rookie tight end Eli Raridon was called for two false starts, while Joshua Farmer, Gabe Jacas, Dre’Mont Jones and Cory Durden were all flagged for offsides. Jones’ penalty wiped out an interception by Christian Elliss.
The Patriots finished with eight penalties for 46 yards.
Those mistakes didn’t end up costing them against Miami, but they were the kind of self-inflicted problems that can swing a tighter game. The Packers, who come to town next Sunday, are a much more dangerous opponent to hand extra chances.
The biggest issue, though, was the pile of missed opportunities that kept the game closer than it needed to be. After the Patriots forced two straight three-and-outs to start the game around a field goal drive, Efton Chism lost the ball after a short catch in the flat while trying to squeeze out extra yards. Miami’s ball-stripping aggression showed up there, and the turnover helped turn the first half in the Dolphins’ favor, leading to a game-tying field goal and a momentum swing.
There were other chances the Patriots let slip, too. Andy Borregales missed a 40-yard field goal, and Craig Woodson dropped what should have been an interception early in the third quarter. On top of that, New England had a rough defensive sequence inside the final two minutes of the second quarter, when Malik Willis picked apart the secondary on a touchdown drive that made it 13-3.
The Patriots eventually steadied themselves and pulled away enough to win, but the path there was messier than it needed to be.
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Among the newcomers, Jacas has become the name drawing the loudest buzz, which makes sense given how often he has been on the field and how disruptive he has been off the edge. A recent fan survey reflected that momentum, with Jacas emerging as the clear favorite over the other two rookies, and the split says plenty about how quickly this class has earned trust in New England. [Read more 🡒]