5 takeaways from the Patriots’ 31-24 win over the Dolphins
COMMENTARY
From the mid-July moment Tom Brady took to Facebook and announced he would accept the NFL’s four-game suspension, the early part of this Patriots season became a referendum on New England’s ability to respond to adversity. Sunday took that notion to a whole other level. Ultimately, the Pats’ ability to answer a challenge proved enough to escape their home opener with a nail-biting 31-24 triumph over the Dolphins.
Early on Sunday afternoon, the Patriots’ response to their quarterback situation was going better than anyone could’ve reasonably expected, with Jimmy Garoppolo following up an impressive win at Arizona by tossing three touchdowns and staking his team to a 21-0 first-quarter lead over the visiting Dolphins. He deftly navigated the pocket. He masterfully moved his feet to create opportunities. He drilled a variety of difficult throws. It’s hard to argue Brady would’ve done better.
It wasn’t until Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso drove Garoppolo to the turf — and from the game — late in the second quarter that the Pats’ mettle was truly tested. Or that the Patriots really proved something.
Rookie quarterback Jacoby Brissett entered the game for his first pro action with the team already in position for a Stephen Gostkowski field goal, and from that kick forward the Dolphins outscored the Patriots, 24-7. Miami was throwing for the end zone with a chance to tie the game in the final ticks, and so it’s reasonable to say the Pats escaped.
However, they survived not simply because Patriots safety Duron Harmon picked off Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill with two seconds on the clock. They moved to 2-0 because, at the critical junctures, the Patriots made the plays necessary to overcome the mounting adversity.
Those began on the first series after Brissett entered, when Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins picked Tannehill to keep the pendulum from swinging too far before the half. Then coming out intermission, when the Dolphins took the ball, Patriots linebacker Jonathan Freeny forced a fumble to stunt another Miami chance at seizing momentum. On the subsequent series, the Patriots went 68 yards in five plays to take a 31-3 lead.
To Miami’s credit — and in a disconcerting turn for the New England defense — the Dolphins scored touchdowns on their next three possessions, and pulled within seven points with more than six minutes to play. There was still plenty of time, and the Patriots were teetering with a rookie under center. But Brissett, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, and most of all running back LeGarrette Blount (29 carries, 123 yards) then pieced together a 13-play drive that swallowed 5:02 of the 6:06 left. Had Gostkowski not shanked a 39-yard chip shot, the game would’ve been over at that point.
With the Texans coming to town Thursday, the Patriots’ next response will need to come quickly — and on the field. Against an elite defense, it’ll be a significant test for the Patriots no matter who is throwing the passes.
Although, early on, that appears to be the kind of thing this team thrives on.
Five takeaways:
- Strong starts: Part of the Pats’ impressive ability to respond is a credit to the coaches, and the way the team has repeatedly come out of the locker room. They’ve now reached the end zone on their first offensive series of all four halves they’ve played. Defensively, their first four series have yielded a total of just 76 yards, three punts and a turnover.
- Third-down success: Maybe the most impressive thing about Garoppolo’s first two starts was his work on third down, with the Patriots following up last week’s 10-for-16 effort by converting five of the seven chances they faced before their first-stringer went down, including his second and third touchdown passes. To put that success rate in context, consider that over the previous decade the Patriots have successfully converted at least 62.5 percent of third downs in just 17 games, and only twice did it in back-to-back weeks. Those consecutive instances came in 2007 and 2012, when New England produced the second- and fourth-highest scoring regular seasons in NFL history.
- Bennett getting involved: After he did the bulk of his work along the line of scrimmage in the season opener, some expected tight end Martellus Bennett (5 catches, 114 yards) would again be used primarily as a blocker in Week 2, particularly with Rob Gronkowski inactive again. Apparently, the Dolphins bought in to that thinking. They all but ignored the Patriots’ tight end at times, including leaving him unchecked as he ran up the seam for a 20-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. Several times the Patriots used misdirection to give Bennett even more space to run once he got the ball in his hands.
- Chris Long making his presence felt: On another busy day, the defensive end racked up a couple of hits on Tannehill, made a tackle in the backfield, pursued down the field to fall on the ball after Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry fumbled along the sideline, got a paw on a Tannehill throw during the final minute, and crunched the quarterback on his desperate final heave. It remains to be seen if Long can approximate the departed Chandler Jones in more ways than merely by inheriting his No. 95, though so far he’s made more of an impact this season than Jabaal Sheard or Shea McClellin among the edge players the Patriots are counting on with Jones gone and Rob Ninkovich suspended.
- Kicking Woes: The kicking game was an issue for the Patriots all day — not only with Gostkowski’s miss at the end. Punter Ryan Allen didn’t help the defense in the second half. Repeatedly kicking with a chance to pin the Dolphins deep, he averaged just 32 yards on his four tries, failing to tighten the field for Tannehill.
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