MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – There were a lot of amazing elements of Sunday’s win by the Patriots in Miami.
When he has no pressure on him, Tua Tagavailoa still basically plays pitch and catch with his receivers against Patriot defenders.
The Patriots still really don’t have an answer for Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and DeVon Achane.
While John Parker Romo was elevated from the practice squad by Atlanta, Andres Borregales missed two extra points.
The Dolphins punted after their first offensive possession, then didn’t punt again until the fourth quarter. They scored on all four possessions in between.
The special teams gave up a 74-yard punt return for a touchdown to Malik Washington.
Why are these all amazing? Because in the end the Patriots won 33-27. The Dolphins are now 0-2 and their fans at Hard Rock Stadium must be wondering what in the world is going on. What is normally an automatic win for the Dolphins turned into a stunning and numbing loss, and this time no hook and lateral could bail them out in the end.
Meanwhile, the Patriots (1-1) won their first game in Miami since 2019. In hot and humid conditions which usually spell l-o-s-s for the Patriots. The Patriots hung with Miami and fought them tooth and nail to the very end. The Patriot defense gave up 358 total yards but their offense managed 333 total yards to help defeat the Dolphins. Mike Vrabel gets his first win as head coach of the Patriots, and looked like a little kid at the end of the game high-fiving his players.
Now here is why the game was so amazing.
The Patriot defense did manage 5 sacks of Tagovailoa for a total of 18 yards. The last of those sacks, by Milton Williams for nine yards with 53 seconds left, sealed the win for the Patriots. It basically came down to this: when the Patriots were able to pressure Tagovailoa, they pressured him into mistakes and sacks. When they didn’t, he hit his receivers with little effort and lots of accuracy.
Earlier in the fourth quarter, pressure on Tagavailoa produced the one and only turnover of the game (other than a botched shotgun snap from Garrett Bradbury to Drake Maye which was ruled a fumble but Maye recovered). Tagavailoa was flushed out of the pocket, rolled left and hurried a throw off his back leg which was picked off by Marte Mapu. With 2:21 left, the game seemed over, but an ill-advised incomplete pass by Maye led to a field goal and one more possession for Miami. But the field goal forced Miami to have to score a touchdown, so Mapu’s pick more or less was the beginning of the end.
Hill and Waddle combined for 11 catches for 177 yards, and Waddle did catch a touchdown pass. Achane had more catches, going 8 for 92 yards and a touchdown. Achane had 122 all-purpose yards, as he has emerged as a top running back in the NFL. These are numbers that usually win games for Miami. The Patriot defense made more plays, including some clutch fourth quarter plays that begat victory.
Perhaps the most amazing play of the day occurred in a bizarre fourth quarter sequence. Bryce Barringer punted the ball to Washington, who went right, broke two tackles and took off left and was off to the races. That made it 27-23 Miami at the time, and with 1:07 left and two timeouts, the Patriots looked like getting the ball last looked like good strategy.
But on the ensuing kickoff, Antonio Gibson took off down the right sideline with a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, giving the Patriots back a 30-27 lead. CBS broadcaster Andrew Catalon (no folks, not Jim Nantz) cried out “Are you kidding me?!” It was the exact right thing to say.
Give Borregales credit for nailing the 53-yard field goal in the end to complete the scoring and forcing Miami to score a touchdown on their final drive. But his two missed extra points in the first half do invite some concern. With Romo now the Falcons kicker and Nick Folk still in the league and Chad Ryland continuing to excel in Phoenix, it is a bit concerning to Vrabel that he may not have a completely reliable kicker. But Ryland figured things out, albeit in another city. Patience is required here, along with some due prudence.
Maye had eye-popping numbers: 19 of 23 passing, 230 yards, 2 touchdowns, and a 137.3 passer rating. Rhamondre Stevenson, like Achane, was the top offensive guy for the Patriots with 54 yards rushing and 88 receiving yards (142 yards combined). Tagovailoa was 26 of 32 passing for 315 yards, 2 touchdowns, one pick and a rating of 115.5.
The Patriots host Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers next week. Patriot fans need to get a good last look at this future Hall of Famer. Just as long as the defense gets a good look at Rodgers as well.
Any win by the Patriots in Miami is rare and should be greatly treasured. This one in particular might have far reaching implications for the rebuilding Patriots. Vrabel now has his team’s full attention. Maye certainly has his offense’s attention.
And if the Patriots play this well in heat and humidity, then let the snow take its sweet time to get here.
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Covering Boston Sports since 1997. Native of Worcester, Mass. Attended UMass and Univ of Michigan. Lives in California. Just recently retired after 40 years of public school teaching. Podcasts on YouTube at @thepic4139
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You never apologize for wins in the nfl. All won’t go perfectly in a league with a functional parity model. What I saw as a great sign with this team that is evolving, is the dialed up the D at the end of the game in the heat, on the road. And at a time when defenses are getting gassed. That showed heart and desire. Good win.