Pats let opener slip away
Harris fumble allows Miami to close it out
FOXBORO — Over the first week of training camp, under a blazing July sun, the Patriots lived in the red zone.
Bill Belichick pitted his offense against his defense every practice, emphasizing the importance of performing inside the 20-yard line. The Pats’ entire season might hinge on that area of the field. Every inch mattered.
But clearly, after Sunday’s season opener, Belichick’s message hasn’t hit home.
Driving toward a late, go-ahead score against Miami, Patriots running back Damien Harris barreled right and fumbled in a crowd of teammates and would-be tacklers with 3:35 remaining. Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard had punched the ball free, then quickly recovered it on the 9-yard line, where the Pats’ hopes of victory all but died. Two first downs later, Miami salted away a 17-16 victory.
“I’m not going to let this mistake define me,” Harris said afterwards.
The Patriots (0-1) scored just one touchdown on four red-zone trips, their other possessions leading to short field goals. Harris’ fumble short-circuited a second-half comeback powered by rookie quarterback Mac Jones. In his NFL debut, Jones went 29-of-39 for 281 yards and a touchdown.
But Jones couldn’t do it alone. Defensively, the Patriots allowed touchdown marches to start each half, the latter capped by a 3-yard touchdown pass from Tua Tagovailoa to rookie Jaylen Waddle. Waddle’s score registered as Miami’s last points of the game. Tagovailoa finished an underwhelming 16-of-27 for 202 yards, with one touchdown and a pick, while the Dolphins managed just 74 rushing yards.
On their opening series, the Fins covered 80 yards over 10 plays without a huddle. Their haste created problems for the Pats’ new defensive front, which got gashed on the ground and had trouble lining up snap to snap. On the last play, Tagovailoa pulled the ball on a zoneread, fooling Pats linebacker Josh Uche, and scooted three yards around the right end for a touchdown.
The Patriots’ defensive discombobulation proved contagious, with rookie running back Rhamondre Stevenson fumbling on their next offensive possession. Lucky for the young back, the Pats defense then forced Miami into a three-and-out highlighted by a sack from ex-Dolphins captain Kyle Van Noy. He finished with three tackles and a pass deflection.
Back with the ball, the Patriots pieced together their first of three 70-yard drives on the day, all of which ended in field goals. The series stalled when Isaiah Wynn was called for holding at Miami’s 14-yard line. The Pats took eight penalties for 84 yards in total.
Tight end Jonnu Smith did Wynn one worse, coughing up the Pats’ third fumble on third-and-long, which David Andrews quickly reclaimed. Nick Folk then connected on a 27-yard field goal early in the second quarter.
“Yeah, it’s not good enough. Got to take care of the ball better,” Belichick said. “Ball security, penalties, too many little missed things, situational football. Just all of it.”
Trailing 7-3 with minutes left in the half, Jones fired his first NFL touchdown pass, a 7-yard strike to Nelson Agholor over the middle. The rookie then repeatedly refused the ball heading toward the sideline, as teammates tried to get Jones to keep it as a memento for his first NFL game. Why?
“Because it doesn’t really matter,” Jones said. “It was one touchdown. We’ve got to score more. It’s not like the game was over right there. We’ve got to do better in the red zone and get more touchdowns, and we will.”
The lead wouldn’t last, however, with Tagovailoa driving Miami down for a game-tying field goal as time expired on the first half. Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders hit from 48 yards.
Despite totaling 165 yards over their three second-half possessions, mostly thanks to Jones, all the Pats could show for their work was two more field goals and Harris’ fumble. The fumble followed a tipped interception Jonathan Jones corralled at midfield up against the Patriots sideline, a turnover that also seemed to finally turn the tide. Alas …
“That’s football,” said Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson “(expletive) happens.”
Here were the best and worst Patriots performances from Sunday:
Best
QB Mac Jones After the first quarter, he didn’t look like a rookie at all. Credit to Jones for repeatedly standing in and delivering against Miami’s pressure.
WR Nelson Agholor Officially listed as questionable with an ankle injury, the Pats’ high-priced free-agent wideout wasted little time proving he could play, leading the team with 72 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Worst
Ball security Three fumbles in the first quarter. The Patriots may never hear the end of it from Belichick.
Pass protection Jones took eight quarterback hits in addition to his strip sack. That’s far too many for a rookie the coaching staff worked to protect with its play-calling.
Penalties It’s rare to see a Patriots team this undisciplined. They may not play another game with this many whistles.