Dolphins 24, Patriots 17: Instant analysis

The Miami Dolphins defeated the New England Patriots 24-17 on Sunday night from Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Tua Tagovailoa completed 21 of 30 passes for 249 yards and a touchdown with one interception. Raheem Mostert led the Dolphins on the ground with 121 yards on 18 carries and 2 touchdowns. Jaylen Waddle paced Miami […]

Craig Smith — College Football & NFL Trending News Writer

Sep 17, 2023 11:35 PM EDT

The Miami Dolphins defeated the New England Patriots 24-17 on Sunday night from Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

Tua Tagovailoa completed 21 of 30 passes for 249 yards and a touchdown with one interception. Raheem Mostert led the Dolphins on the ground with 121 yards on 18 carries and 2 touchdowns. Jaylen Waddle paced Miami with 4 catches for 86 yards.

Here are my thoughts and observations from the Dolphins' Week 2 win.

What I liked

David Long, Jr. and Bradley Chubb met at the quarterback on second down to kill the Patriots' promising opening drive. Vic Fangio dialed up the pressure, and the Pats' left guard whiffed on his assignment leaving Long unblocked.
Tua taking what was available underneath on the first drive. New England was playing 3 safeties deep, and short catch-and-run passes in zone coverage to Braxton Berrios, Waddle, and Tyreek Hill moved the sticks. Patient, took what was there.
Salvon Ahmed with an end around run into the red zone. Man, he looks so fast with the ball in his hands.
Bradley Chubb forcing a fumble on the final play of the first quarter, which was recovered by DeShon Elliott. Chased and ran down WR Demario Douglas, who had picked up a first down. Great hustle play to end a New England drive that was in field goal range.
The 2nd and 19 wide receiver screen to Waddle for 27 yards into the red zone on the second drive. Gonna be hard to pick up much deep in that situation, so Tua got the ball in Waddle's hands with some blockers out front, and he took off for a big gain.
Durham Smythe with a great seal block on Pats LB Jahlani Tavai on Mostert's 8-yard touchdown run. Got him just enough space to get past him and to the corner of the end zone.
Andrew Van Ginkel had a tackle for loss and then, on the next play, forced a near-fumble on the following play that was reviewed and ruled an incomplete pass. He was all over the field on Sunday and played at a very high level in place of Jaelan Phillips.
Elliott broke on the ball and broke up a 3rd and 8 pass with under 2 min to go in the half to force a field goal. Great read, got there quickly.
Tua was simply unconscious in the first half (15/20 for 181 yards and a touchdown), especially on the final drive. The pass to Barrios on the wheel route between two defenders for 18 yards was an elite throw.
The play call on the touchdown to go up 17-3. Motion drew a defender away from Hill, who then had room to cut outside ahead of his defender, with the ball waiting. It's the little things like this that make Mike McDaniel an offensive whiz.
First half Miami run defense was excellent, holding New England to 30 yards on 13 carries.
Jevon Holland shot the gap and tackled Rhamondre Stevenson for a 3-yard loss on a toss sweep on 3rd and 1 from Miami's 43 on the Pats' opening second-half drive. Forced a punt instead of allowing New England to get into field goal range. Big play.
The fade to Waddle for 32 yards in the third quarter. Couldn't have walked it up and placed it better, and Waddle jumped over the cornerback and pulled it in.
Xavien Howard shut down the Patriots' drive after the blocked field goal with a huge interception. He got his body between Devante Parker and the ball and pulled it in along the sideline.
Van Ginkel with a second sack with under 10 minutes to go to put New England in 3rd and 20, which resulted in a punt. Huge game from #43.
Speaking of 43, that was the distance of Mostert's touchdown run on the next offensive play for Miami to push the lead to 24-10. That's just not something you see very often from Miami's offense or New England's defense. Massive credit to Isaiah Wynn and Kendall Lamm on the left side. What a great job they (and the entire line) have done during this young season.
Bradley Chubb got a sack to put New England in 2nd and 18 with 1:30 left. That turned out to be a game-saver.
And wow, what a play by Justin Bethel to keep Gesicki from reaching the first down marker on 4th and 4, and then Van Ginkel, Holland, and a host of tacklers dragged down Pats lineman Cole Strange after Gesicki pitched the ball out of desperation. That's an ending this writer has never seen since watching football since the 1980s. Second straight year the Pats have seen a wild pitch end with a heartbreaking loss.

What I didn't like

Offensive line lost big boy football on first and goal (and second and goal) against New England's front on its first drive. Blown up.
A three-and-out with a third-down sack on the first drive of the second half. OLB Matthew Judon put a very good spin move on Austin Jackson, which resulted in Tua's first sack of the season.
A holding penalty on Jackson turned a first down run into 2nd and 15 late in the third quarter. Miami wasn't penalized much for the game (6 for 46 yards), but that one was impactful, as Miami had to settle for a field goal attempt on a drive where they were looking to deliver the knockout punch.
And that field goal attempt was blocked by the Pats' Brenden Schooler and recovered in Miami's territory. Motion man just ran in off the edge and flew past Christian Wilkins for an easy block. One of the most effortless blocks you'll ever see.
Letting Mac Jones run for a 16-yard gain on 3rd and 15 early in the fourth quarter. The conversion ended up with a Jones to Hunter Henry touchdown two plays later to draw to 17-10.
Tua badly underthrew Hill on a deep ball with 10 minutes left, and CB Christian Gonzalez jumped straight up and picked it off. A big miss.
Yet another missed center-QB exchange, and this one at a terrible time. On 3rd and 1 from the New England 35, a misfire forced Miami to try to 55-yard field goal, which Jason Sanders pulled wide. A big shame because Miami's offensive line was starting to impose its will on what should have been a game-ending drive.