Fins flip script on Pats
Miami capitalizes off penalties, turnovers
FOXBORO — The Patriots lost the Dolphins game just as they had won so many others in the past.
Falling on the wrong end of the turnover and penalty war is usually what Patriots opponents do.
That’s always been a tried and true formula for Bill Belichick-coached teams, feasting on the self-inflicted wounds of their foes en route to victory.
Only, it was the Patriots who were done in by costly miscues during the seasonopening 17-16 loss to the Dolphins — none worse than Damien Harris’ fourth-quarter fumble at the Fins’ 9-yard-line with 3:31 left to play.
Eric Rowe wrestled the ball out, Xavien Howard recovered, and that was the ball game, as Miami managed to run out the clock.
Harris, who otherwise had a terrific game gaining 100 yards on 23 carries, doesn’t plan on plays like that being the norm for him going forward. He wasn’t happy over the result.
“It was a tough play. Obviously I have to do a better job holding onto the football in a critical situation like that,” he said, “but, it’s a long season. I’m not going to let this mistake define me. I’m just going to move forward.”
Harris wasn’t the only culprit contributing to the loss.
Rookie Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled the first time he touched the ball, in the first quarter after he caught a pass. Stevenson found himself on the bench the rest of the way.
The Patriots fumbled four times in all, losing two.
Then there were a ton of penalties — eight accepted that cost the Patriots 84 yards of real estate.
A holding call on Isaiah Wynn in the second quarter, nullifying a 13-yard Damien Harris run that reached the goal line, ultimately forced a field goal. A personal foul on Matt Judon during a nice Gunner Olszewski return that would have put the Patriots in great field position, instead left them starting on the 28.
Those were just two examples of how penalties hurt.
“It’s not good enough. Got to take care of the ball better,” Bill Belichick said after the loss. “Ball security, penalties, too many little missed things, situational football. Just all of it.”
Coaching factored in as well. Can’t let them off the hook.
Usually, it’s the Patriots who start fast in the first and third quarters with scoring drives. Sunday, it was the Dolphins who put together impressive drives starting the game to go ahead, and later recapturing the lead at the start of the third quarter with another long drive.
On their first possession they went 80 yards on 10 plays for a touchdown. Starting the third quarter tied 1010, they went 75 yards in nine plays. So the Pats didn’t seem prepared for either situation, or focused at the start of both halves, and had to adjust on the fly.
The Pats don’t usually make mistakes or come out flat at the start of halves. They typically wait for other teams to mess up, and capitalize. That was the blueprint when Tom Brady was the quarterback.
The Patriots got mistakefree quarterback play from Mac Jones Sunday, but didn’t hold up their end of the bargain elsewhere with more turnovers (2-to-1), and more penalties (8-to-5) than the Dolphins.
“I would just say we did not do our job,” said cornerback Jonathan Jones. “Like you said, (it was) uncharacteristic. That is something we cannot have if we want to win those games. From every phase I believe. If we want to win, we cannot do those things.”