Move over 2018, there’s a new miracle in Miami. Hitting the road for the first time this season, the New England Patriots took to the Magic City and made sushi out of the Miami Dolphins with a 43-0 shutout win. Before today, the Patriots had lost five of their last six games in Miami. So are the Patriots really that good? Or are the Dolphins just that bad? Read on for a post-game analysis of what went right and what went wrong on both sides of the ball.
Miami Dolphins Appear Washed Up in 43-0 Shutout Against New England Patriots
Miami Dolphins Have a No Good, Very Bad Day
From kickoff to game-ending interception, this game was a bad show for the Miami Dolphins. Ryan Fitzpatrick completed just over half of his passes, throwing for 89 yards and three interceptions. Two of those interceptions were returned for touchdowns, thanks to Stephon Gilmore and Jamie Collins. Josh Rosen, perpetually stuck in bad NFL situations, didn’t fare much better. Rosen completed seven of 18 passes for 97 yards, but fell victim to a game-ending interception from Collins (his second of the day).
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Former de facto Patriots defensive coordinator Brian Flores is off to a rocky start in Miami. Through two weeks, the Dolphins have been outscored 102-10. The Patriots, meanwhile, have outscored opponents 76-3. Ouch.
Top-Notch Performance From Patriots Defense
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“Dominate” was the word of the day, as spoken in Devin McCourty‘s pre-game speech to the secondary. The defense followed through, putting on a clinic throughout the day. Both Collins and Gilmore returned interceptions for touchdowns, but McCourty was able to reel in another steal. Up until the final minutes of the last quarter, the Patriots defense had actually racked up more yardage than the entire Miami offense.
Both of Miami’s quarterbacks fell victim to a total of seven sacks, thanks to outstanding performances by rookie Chase Winovich and veteran Michael Bennett, among others. On one hand, it’s easy to be proud of this team’s defense given two weeks of stellar performance. On the other hand, a shutout against the Miami Dolphins – who traded away Laremy Tunsil, viewed widely as one of the league’s best up-and-coming offensive linemen – almost seems too easy. Still, a performance like this – in disgustingly humid weather – is nothing to frown at.
Antonio Brown and the Patriots Offense Outperform
It didn’t take long for the Patriots to get Antonio Brown involved in the offensive scheme of things. Before the end of the first half, Tom Brady found Brown for his first touchdown with the team. Brown saw his fair share of snaps through the first half, but seemed limited in the second half. For now, it seems like the Patriots just wanted to get Brown acclimated. With four receptions, 56 yards and one touchdown, I’d say he’s getting there.
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Julian Edelman grabbed all four targets for 51 total yards, while Phillip Dorsett went three-of-three for an additional 39 yards. Josh Gordon wasn’t as accurate as we would have liked, but one thing is clear: It’s going to be hard to stop this passing offense. Setting each of these four players loose on the field with Brady in the pocket is almost too easy.
Speaking of easy, Brady himself snuck one in for a touchdown. While it was just delicious watching the classic quarterback sneak play, we’d be lying if we said we weren’t fearful for the 42-year-old GOAT’s safety when doing so. Please, Tom, don’t hurt yourself.
Looking Ahead: Patriots Return Home to Take On New York Jets
The Patriots will return to Foxboro for Week 3 and prepare for another divisional matchup. Next week, they’ll take on the New York Jets who – for now – are missing Sam Darnold thanks to a wicked case of mono. Keep an eye out for our preview of that game coming out later this week.
