Patriots

1st and 10. Just over a minute to go. 40 feet between the Patriots and the starting signal. Where was the run game?

COMMENTARY

The Patriots trailed by five when they had the ball on the Miami 12-yard line with 1:08 left in the game.

It was 1st and 10, and New England had all three timeouts. They ran the ball effectively, averaging 7.9 yards per carry. New England scored its only touchdown on a 33-yard run by Rhamondre Stevenson.

The run game has been the most promising part of the offense all season. That’s what this Patriots team does best on that side of the ball.

They had four chances to make their best offensive plays to go 12 yards and win the game. They abandoned the run and threw four incomplete passes, resulting in turnovers on downs.

Coach Jerod Mayo didn’t provide much explanation as to why they went so pass-heavy at the end of that drive.

“There’s been a lot of conversations about that,” coach Jerod Mayo said. “We ended up throwing the ball. That’s what we decided to do, and ultimately it’s my decision. I’d say we averaged over seven yards per carry, I’m not sure, so that was definitely part of the discussion. We just didn’t finish it.”

Running back Antonio Gibson, who carried the ball six times for 52 yards, was asked for his opinion on the lack of run plays during that series.

“I have no response,” Gibson said. “That’s coach AVP and we all support him. That’s our coach. He saw what he saw and his thought process was his thought process and we have to execute it no matter what he shouts.

Gibson and Rhamondre Stevenson each had runs of 10 yards or longer during the 11-play, 53-yard drive. The Patriots did some positive things in the passing game on the drive, with Jacoby Brissett finding Ja’Lynn Polk and DeMario Douglas for first downs.

Polk almost got the go-ahead, but the officials overturned the decision and ruled Polk out of bounds. It was a close call, but the right one, Mayo said.

The Patriots almost won, but the thought of being so close to victory and not giving the run game a chance from just twelve yards out still sticks in my mind. They said running the ball and playing physical football is part of their identity.

So it was weird to see them go all out with that with the match on the line, regardless of whether Polk stayed in bounds or not.

Here are some more thoughts on the promotion:

Punishments didn’t help

Mayo had a simple message for his team after committing just one fewer penalty (12) than the first downs he conceded on run or pass plays (13).

“We can’t do that,” Mayo said. “We preach all the time about penalties before and after the snap. It just wasn’t a good day.”

Mayo said the Patriots need to play smarter and that the mistakes are not due to a lack of effort. He said everyone, including himself, needs to be better.

“Yeah, the pre-snap stuff definitely bothers me,” Mayo said. “Look, we’ve got guys, they’re out there, they’re trying to do the best they can, but at the same time, not to sound like a broken record, it’s about execution, especially in critical situations.”

Brissett, whose 160 passing yards were his second-highest total of the season, said the Patriots need to cut down on mistakes for the offense to progress.

“Oh, sure. We make plays; we are just shooting ourselves in the foot,” Brissett said. “We go one step forward and then go back twenty steps.”

“We can’t do that, and until you get to that point we’re going to continue to be frustrated about the little things. You can’t leave the game to the referees, that’s not what football is about. We have to go out and play with a good foundation, technique and do the little things well.”

Fatigue was a factor

The Patriots gave up twelve of the Dolphins’ fifteen points in the second half.

Safety Marte Mapu posted seven tackles in his first game back from injured reserve.

Miami had the ball almost nine more minutes than the Patriots and produced long drives that wore down New England.

“Yes, I’m sure fatigue played a role in this match,” Mayo said. “You think about Marte, this is his first game and he plays pretty much every second.”

“I appreciate him doing that, but at the same time we have to be able to get off the field, we have to be able to move the ball offensively,” he added. “We have to win the time-of-possession game or at least be close, and they checked that again.”

Rhamundre Stevenson responded well to his short benching

Stevenson snapped his four-game fumble streak after spending the opening series on the bench behind Gibson.

He ran for 89 yards and a touchdown on 12 touches, his strongest performance since the Week 1 win at Cincinnati. His 33-yard touchdown, aided by strong blocking from Mike Onwenu and Kayshon Boutte, was a highlight.

Stevenson left the game shortly after a blow to the calf, but decided to return. He said he doesn’t expect the calf to be a problem in the future.

“I just felt a helmet in my leg, really in my calf,” Stevenson said. “I just had to make sure I was good and I was. I felt good to get out there again.

Dell Pettus makes his first start

With both Jabrill Peppers and Kyle Dugger out, Patriots rookie Dell Pettus made his first NFL start.

He was tied with Daniel Ekuale for the team’s nine tackles, including six solo tackles.

“It definitely sucks that we didn’t finish on top in terms of the outcome of the match, but this is why we practice,” Pettus said. “This is why I practice, this is why I study and stay on top of the playbook so that when my number is called, my teammates can have confidence in me and trust that I can do my job and can produce for the team.”

“So I’m grateful for it, but losing makes everything worse.”