REMADE DEFENSE FLASHES POTENTIAL, CONCERNS IN LOSS
Uche, Barmore shine, Hightower rusty
Every season, the lesson of Week 1 is forgotten.
As the NFL annually draws near, excitement over what could be overtakes all memory of what was last September. The first Sunday arrives, sloppy football ensues, and a few good teams lose while bad teams triumph. Overreactions inevitably follow.
But remember: last season, the Jaguars beat Indianapolis in their opener, then lost 15 straight.
Three years ago, the Pats started 1-2 after losses to Jacksonville and the Lions, then won the Super Bowl. The bottom line here: deep breaths.
The Patriots’ penalties and turnovers Sunday should be cleaned up in short order. Even if they lose at the Jets this weekend — yes, it’s possible — the sun will still rise over New England next Monday. The season is long — longer than it’s ever been, in fact.
Beyond the obviously troubling and exciting — hello, Mac Jones — there was much more to be learned from the Pats’ season opener.
Here’s what the film revealed about their 17-16 loss to Miami on Sunday:
Mac Jones
ADJUSTED COMPLETION PERCENTAGE » 82.8%
UNDER PRESSURE » 14-19, 102 yards
AGAINST THE BLITZ » 14-18, 112 yards
0-10 YARDS » 23-27, 159 yards,
TD
10-19 YARDS » 4- 6, 76 yards
20+ YARDS » 2-3, 46 yards
NOTES » It would have been reasonable to expect a solid performance from Jones in his NFL debut. This was not that.
The kid was excellent. Jones survived an onslaught of Dolphin blitzes, with Miami sending extra rushers on 47.5% of his dropbacks and got just one sack. Jones also finished as one of the most accurate quarterbacks across the league, when accounting for two batted passes, one throwaway and a drop. In the words of Dolphins defensive back Jason McCourty, Jones really didn’t make any mistakes.
Everything he showed in the preseason — command at the line of scrimmage, above-average accuracy and poise — came to life Sunday. Now the rookie needs to do it again.
Studs
S ADRIAN PHILLIPS » Aside from Jones, no player was more impactful on a snap-to-snap basis than Phillips. Over 33 defensive plays, he recorded one hurry, a run stuff and allowed one completion on three targets. The throw was a hopeless screen pass on third-and-long that
Phillips sniffed out for a twoyard loss.
He often rotated with Jonathan Jones, dashing to the sideline whenever the Pats wanted to deploy their three-corner nickel package as opposed to three safeties. Whenever Phillips took the field, Miami felt it.
LG MIKE ONWENU » On a difficult day for pass protection, Onwenu allowed only a single hurry and crushed his runblocking assignments. He routinely absorbed blitzers with ease and deftly passed off Miami’s interior twists and stunts. He was rarely off-balance, even while on the move to swallow up second-level defenders.
Big Mike picked up right where he left off as a rookie.
Duds
LT ISAIAH WYNN » To Onwenu’s left, Wynn struggled immediately, losing his matchup on Jones’ opening-drive strip-sack that would have been his fault had Dolphins linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel not also come free. Overall, Wynn allowed two QB hits, a run stuff and was whistled for holding. The Pats need their left tackle to wall off all pressure coming for Jones if they hope to protect him this season.
Instead, he was one of their worst-performing offensive players Sunday.
RB RHAMONDRE STEVENSON » The first-quarter fumble was
bad enough, but Stevenson also got bulldozed in the second quarter on one of his two snaps of pass protection. The blown block would have led to a sack, had Dolphins linebacker Elandon Roberts not been flagged for roughing the passer after taking Jones down around his knees. That’s what got Stevenson benched for good in his NFL debut.
Offensive notes
■ Personnel breakdown: 46.7% of snaps in 12 personnel, 40% in 11 personnel, 9.3% in 21 personnel, 2.7% in 10 personnel and 1.3% in jumbo personnel.
■ Pressure rate allowed: 42.5%
■ Yards per carry: 4.2
■ Third downs: 11-16
■ Red-zone efficiency: 1- 4
■ Broken tackles: Damien Harris 6, Kendrick Bourne, Rhamondre Stevenson, Jonnu Smith. : Sacks allowed: Team 1.
■ QB hits allowed: Shaq Mason 2, Isaiah Wynn 2, David Andrews, Damien Harris.
■ Hurries allowed: Team 3, Justin Herron 2, Michael Onwenu, Jonnu Smith, Mason.
■ Run stuffs allowed: Team 2, Wynn.
■ Drops: Jakobi Meyers. : As expected, the Patriots ran their offense through new tight ends Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith, deploying 12 personnel on 68% of their snaps over their opening three drives.
■ But after a scoreless opening quarter, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels pivoted to more 11 personnel (three-receiver sets) on the team’s fifth series and found success. Jones also hit two firstdown passes that drive and found Nelson Agholor for his first passing touchdown.
■ Agholor ultimately keyed the offense’s shift to more spread personnel because, had he been ineffective or sidelined by his ankle injury, the Patriots would’ve been forced to turn to Gunner Olszewski, who isn’t taken seriously yet as a receiving threat.
■ On the ground, Trent Brown’s calf injury undercut the Pats’ plans to bulldoze Miami, but it’s hard to imagine one O-lineman, no matter how massive he is, making a significant difference.
■ Play-calling also factored in here. McDaniels repeatedly called for crack tosses — basically sweeps — which are effective against heavy man-blitz teams like Miami. The problem was he never quite nailed the timing.
■ The Dolphins’ defensive front looked much improved against the run, and held Damien Harris to 2.95 yards per carry after his first carry.
■ Last note on Harris: the essence of his game is still hard, bruising running, but his jump cut has added an extra dimension. He’ll break long runs soon, provided the fumbles stop.
■ The Pats’ inability to hit explosive plays silently hindered them. Their 14play drives in the second half both stalled out in the red zone because inevitably that’s what happens to 14-play drives, especially with a rookie quarterback at the helm.
■ Now freed from facing one of the NFL’s toughest cornerback duos, look for the Patriots to be more aggressive downfield and target Agholor specifically.
Defensive notes
■ Personnel breakdown: 46% three-safety nickel personnel, 39% three-cornerback nickel, 11% dime personnel, 4% base personnel.
■ Pressure rate: 31%
■ Blitz rate: 21%
■ Yards per carry allowed: 3.2
■ Third downs: 4-11
■ Red-zone efficiency:
0-2
■ Sacks: Kyle Van Noy, Josh Uche.
■ QB hits: Davon Godchaux 2, Matt Judon.
■ Hurries: Judon, Uche, Team.
■ Run stuffs: Team 2, Phillips.
■ Interceptions: Jonathan Jones.
■ Pass deflections: Van Noy, J.C. Jackson, Jalen Mills.
■ Missed tackles: Jackson 2, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Kyle Dugger, Godchaux, Mills.
■ Credit to Miami’s offensive coaching staff for scripting an opening-drive touchdown. The Dolphins also out-schemed the Pats on their second touchdown march, though to a lesser degree.
■ That series, which proved to be the gamewinner, was sustained by a perfect, 30-yard deep ball to DeVante Parker. On the play, a third-and-long snap, Parker leapt over J.C. Jackson for a nifty sideline catch; good offense beating good defense.
■ Later, Miami exploited Jaylen Waddle’s matchup against backup corner Joe-juan Williams, sending him in motion toward the center, then sprinting back toward the flat, where Tua Tagovailoa lofted an easy 3-yard touchdown.
■ Aside from those two drives, the Patriots seemed to be waiting for Tagovailoa to throw them a pick, and he finally obliged midway through the fourth quarter.
■ The Pats followed a bend- but- don’ t- break game plan, relying on a four-man rush to overwhelm Miami’s young offensive line and underneath zone coverage to eliminate Tagovailoa’s initial reads.
■ Had Stephon Gilmore been available, it’s easy to imagine the Patriots instead playing more bump-and-run coverage.
■ Gilmore would not, however, have helped the front seven take advantage of emergency left tackle Liam Eichenberg, who learned Sunday morning he would be changing positions. It was mind-boggling the Pats didn’t exploit his inexperience more.
■ Speaking of the front seven, it’s not time to worry yet, but Dont’a Hightower did not look himself. His movements were labored, and the Pats started two defensive series with him on the sideline. Worse yet, he was gimpy on the final defensive series and left the field with two-plus minutes remaining.
■ The Patriots’ new pass rushing core consists of Uche, Van Noy and secondround rookie defensive tackle Christian Barmore. That trio played every snap of the team’s new third-down package, with Hightower and Judon rotating out for at least one drive.
Statistics for passing depth, broken tackles and missed tackles courtesy of Pro Football Focus.
*12 personnel = one running back, two tight ends; 11 personnel = one running back, one tight end; 10 personnel = one running back, no tight ends; 21 personnel = two backs, one tight end.