Jackson unimpressed by Tagovailoa
FOXBORO — Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson has faced Tua Tagovailoa twice now, and lost both matchups against the Dolphins’ young quarterback.
Still, Jackson doesn’t sound too impressed by him.
Asked about Tagovailoa’s interception in Sunday’s 1716 loss to Miami, Jackson indicated the Pats were expecting Tagovailoa to throw them the ball sometime during their season opener. Midway through the fourth quarter, Tagovailoa heaved a long ball down the right sideline while falling away from immense pressure and after he’d already spun backwards out of trouble. His pass dropped into a crowd, where it bounced off Patriots defensive back Jonathan Jones and two Dolphins pass catchers before settling into Jones’ hands for a pick.
“We was in his face the whole game. The front seven was crushing him the whole game. That’s what Tua do. If he doesn’t have his first read, he’s just gonna throw the ball up,” Jackson said. “And that’s when we capitalize on defense, when he makes mistakes like that.”
The interception appeared to swing the game back into the Pats’ control, until Damien Harris fumbled it away with less than four minutes remaining.
Said Jones: “They ran over routes, he just panicked under pressure and threw the ball up. I was able to come down with the ball. Set us up pretty good, we were not able to capitalize on it.”
Jackson’s ability to largely shut down Miami’s top wideout, DeVante Parker, went a long way to helping the Patriots defense hold the Dolphins to 17 points. Jackson allowed just two catches for 45 yards to Parker on five targets. He also had a pass breakup.
The longest completion Jackson allowed went for 30 yards, a deep ball on Miami’s opening possession of the second half. The pass converted third-and-8 for the Dolphins, who later finished the drive with what proved to be the game-winning touchdown. But again, Jackson wasn’t too impressed with his competition.
“I could’ve played it better, so he just made a good catch. It was all me. He didn’t really do nothing,” Jackson said. “It was all my fault. I gave him that.”
Tagovailoa finished 16 of 27 for 202 yards, one touchdown and a pick Sunday. He also led a 22-12 victory over the Pats last December.
Jones impresses Dolphins, Flores
Mac Jones came within 10 yards of completing a comeback win over the Dolphins.
To them, that was good enough to leave a solid first impression.
“He didn’t really make any mistakes,” Miami safety and former Pats defensive back Jason McCourty said. “He was poised. Even watching him in the huddle getting guys in, yelling, commanding, and a lot of what he looked like in the preseason, is how he performed. He gave his team a chance to win.”
Dolphins coach Brian Flores challenged Jones repeatedly with interior blitzes and other pressures. After the first quarter, Jones settled down and even completed seven passes in a row.
“I thought he did a really nice job,” Flores said. “Got the ball out, was able to kind of move their offense, pick up first downs, drive them down field. Yeah, I thought he did a very nice job.”
Agholor, Mills thrive despite injuries
After a few days of lingering uncertainty, the Patriots washed away all pregame anxiety when they released their inactives list. Not spotted on the list: Nelson Agholor or Jalen Mills.
Both players were not only active Sunday, but successful in making their team debuts. Mills made two tackles and saved a touchdown with a second-half pass deflection, his only breakup of the game. Throughout the day, he rotated at outside corner with former second-round pick Joejuan Williams.
Meanwhile, Agholor, the Pats’ new No. 1 wideout, finished with five catches for a team-high 72 yards and a touchdown. Though he later said he wasn’t pleased with his performance.
“I’m not happy. We lost, so that’s really where my mind is,” Agholor said. “I should do more to help the team, at the end of the day. And that’s the focus each week.”
Agholor and Mills both missed one practice last week and were limited during a light, in-stadium session Friday. Mills hurt his ankle in practice Wednesday, while Agholor’s status was unknown until pregame warmups when he stretched with the starters. He also battled injuries during the preseason.
Agholor scored on a 7-yard strike from Mac Jones late in the second quarter. He ran a return route along the goal line, initially angling left from a stacked alignment with Jakobi Meyers, then reversing back toward the middle, where Jones found him. Agholor was wide open amid Miami’s surrounding zone coverage.
“Jakobi ran a great route. We were both on the same side, and Mac threw a great ball,” Agholor said. “And the defense played a coverage that allowed me to pop open.”
Agholor’s success allowed the Patriots to shift from primarily playing through twotight end personnel to threereceiver sets after a scoreless quarter. Tight ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry combined for just eight catches and 73 yards, and their presence did little to help a run game that struggled to move Miami’s base defense. Then in the second half, the pass-happy Pats averaged 55 yards per drive operating from more spread formations.
Like Mills, Agholor rotated occasionally with a backup ( Gunner Olszewski). But his presence meant as much as his production, which certainly meant a lot considering where he was out just a few days ago.
OT Trent Brown exits early
Since returning to New England in early March, it’s been a happy homecoming for Trent Brown.
The Pats’ 6-foot-8, 380pound offensive tackle has repeatedly said he’s in a healthy place both personally and professionally in New England. That hit a speed bump Sunday.
Brown left after the team’s first offensive series with a calf injury. He was deemed questionable, but did not return. Second-year offensive tackle Justin Herron replaced him for the remainder of the game. Herron was called for a holding penalty in the second quarter and yielded to fellow reserve Yasir Durant, whom the team acquired on a cutdown day trade with Kansas City for a seventh-round pick.