SOME OBSERVATIONS
I'll say straight away that winning a game they could easily have lost is much, much better than losing games they could have won. If what stood out to me on re-watching was a lot of bad stuff, we shouldn't forget the good.
GOOD
Start with the most obvious. Kyle Dugger. His play was the turning point of the game, no question. Not just because of the great run-back but because Teddy B got injured trying to tackle him. Skylar Thompson may turn into a decent QB but he was not ready to come in and the combination of poor throws and drops by not-quite-in-sync receivers gave the game to the Pats, despite their own best efforts to give it back.
Barmore. I'm no judge of individuals' contributions to interior line play. I just ask two questions. Does the line hold up against the run? Does it look better when someone is in there than when he's not. On Sunday the answer to both was "Yes!"
Meyers. Don't take this guy for granted! He does everything you want in a wide receiver -- runs where he's supposed to and catches the ball despite defenders. Of course, being led by Patricia, they have to misuse him and give him short screens to run. He may be a "slot receiver" but he's not Edelman, for goodness sake! For that you've got Bourne (remember him, Matt?) and you had Olszewsky (also you could have drafted my guy Khalil Shakir). I will weep when they let Meyers go in the off-season.
Peppers. I've been a Peppers fan since the beginning. I thought that, if he's really fully back from his injury, they've got a really dynamic and versatile player. So I was upset about the blocked punt against the Raiders that seemed to be his responsibility (though it also now seems that the refs messed up the play clock). But he was just the man for the scheme on Sunday.
Mac Jones. This has to be a qualified "good". There were some poor throws. A few missed swing passes that should have been made and some downfield heaves nowhere near the target. But he didn't throw any interceptions (or interception-worthy passes), didn't fumble and didn't take any unnecessary sacks (if the play doesn't scheme anyone open and the protection doesn't hold up, that's not the quarterback's fault). Nor did he have "happy feet". And he did make some great throws -- to Hunter Henry and Jakobi Meyers, in particular. Give him a good O-line and good offensive play designer/caller and there's something to work with. I think that's as true this year as last.
BAD
Special teams. Oh me! Is there really no punter out there better than Palardy? And running into the kicker! But at least Bryant didn't fumble.
Offensive play design and calling. Not as bad as sometimes, perhaps, but the usual failings were there: witless and obvious runs up the middle on first downs, long yardage and in the red zone; screens and swing passes that were equally obvious and immediately snuffed out by the defense; slow-developing or non-developing plays that gave Mac no suitable checkdown. I can only remember one successful run up the middle on first down (Harris from the two yard line). Otherwise, the running back numbers don't lie. I'm sorry for Harris and Stevenson. And I can't get my head around a world in which Nelson Agholor is on the field over Kendrick Bourne.
Soft defense. While the Dolphins sniffed out pretty much every swing or screen, through the whole first half the Pats let the back leak out to the sideline without sending anyone to cover. The result was an easy six or eight yards every time with Mostert (IIRC) bursting at least one for a very long gain.
Tavai in coverage. Zone coverage doesn't mean you find your position and just stand there when the offensive player sets up five yards away!
Judon. I get that teams will focus on the biggest threat and MJ is that. But on play after play on Sunday it wasn't clear what he was trying to do. Was he in coverage? Setting the edge? He seemed to be just hanging around. Stunt him. Use him as a decoy. But do something with him, please!
UGLY
Devin McCourty. Yes, the dropped interception was embarrassing and everyone in the stadium saw it. But here is something worse. Go back and look at the play before the missed long field goal (3rd and 7, 6:31 to go in Q2). The Dolphins have 5 wide receivers and Bridgewater misses a throw to Waddle. But Hill (yes, Tyreek Freaking Hill!) just cruises right past McCourty towards the endzone without McCourty even paying him notice. What part of the word "safety", don't you understand, Devin?
Calling a time out from the sidelines when the Dolphins had 12 men on the field. Come on, BB!
Trent Brown. Only one false start but I saw two more, at least. Haven't they got a competent O-line coach to cure those itchy feet?
The four-and-out at the end of the game. Goheels has said most of what needs to be said. Unimaginative and predictable -- that's the first three plays. The fourth down was just breathtaking. I can't make sense of it at all. What were they trying to do? The Dolphins had all 11 men at the LOS. So it would have had to be a pass -- no? But whom were they trying to get open? There was absolutely nothing on. If ever there were a time to take a timeout from the sidelines that was it!
Better options.
Punt. Surely even Palardy can do a little kick to the sidelines to get it inside the 10. Don't like your chances with that? Have Mac pooch punt it over the LOS and let mayhem break loose (my preferred option, but then I'm a European!) Try the field goal. It's not that long and what's the worst that happens if you miss? Don't like that, then what about a fake field goal?
In fact, pretty much anything would have been better than what they did!
