The New England Patriots, after undergoing scrutiny from local and national sports media, set a message by dominating the Miami Dolphins 38-7.
New England deferred to the second half giving the ball to the Dolphins which would result in a punt giving the ball to Tom Brady for the first time.
Brady and Sony Michel took the ball down the field for over 30 yards on the ground. Fans also didn’t have to wait long for wide receiver Josh Gordon to earn his first catch as a Patriot. The drive stalled at the three-yard line where Stephen Gostkowski kicked a field goal to give the Patriots their first lead since week one.
The Dolphins continued to struggle on offense, which gave the Patriots good field position where the team moved the ball to midfield. The drive stalled with Brady once again throwing an interception in the direction of Phillip Dorsett for the second time in two weeks.
Matt Haack punted away as the Dolphins couldn’t get anything going with Cyrus Jones setting the tone with a 20-yard punt return.
The Patriots, in need of some offensive energy, finally got it when Brady dropped back to pass and found speedster Cordarrelle Patterson for a 55-yard touchdown pass. New England continued their aggression on the ground handing it off to James White who broke free for an over 20-yard run to put the team up 17-0.
Michel continued his success, single-handedly getting the team across midfield bringing the clock down to the two-minute warning. The Georgia alum finished the half with 80 yards.
The Patriots continued their nearly flawless performance with another big Dorsett catch and run leading to a back-footed throw from Brady to White for his third touchdown pass and White’s second.
When Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins tried to finally get something going, undrafted rookie cornerback J.C. Jackson snagged his first career interception. Gordon made his second catch while Gronkowski left the game with an ankle injury as the Patriots looked to pad their lead.
After being labeled a bust by Tony Massarotti and others, Michel passed the century mark and scored his first rushing touchdown in a series of firsts this game, followed by a sack by newly signed linebacker John Simon.
Brady stayed in the game only to throw another interception and take a big hit with less than 10 minutes to go in the game.
Running back Frank Gore scored the Dolphins’ first and only score of the game to make it 38-7. Brian Hoyer stepped in for Brady and took a knee to bring the Patriots to 2-2 on the season.
The Patriots won’t admit it, but they heard the skeptics and the voices of doom and from the start of the game had their foot on the gas all the way until the end.
They didn’t get out of the game unscathed, however, as linebacker Elandon Roberts and defensive tackle, Adam Butler exited the game with lower body injuries. While Butler walked off the field under his own power, Belichick met Roberts near the sideline walking gingerly.
Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski also went to the locker room dealing with an ankle injury and did not return.
Top Performers: Offense – 4 Defense – 2
Offense:
Tom Brady: Brady rebounded with a three-touchdown performance and a 94.2 quarterback rating. Brady was on point with his throws and the only downside to his performance was two interceptions that were thrown carelessly.
James White: White has taken over the role of Dion Lewis and ran with it, racking up eight rushes for 44 yards and a touchdown. He also had eight catches for 68 yards and another score.
Sony Michel: The Patriots’ top selection had his coming out party today as he rushed 25 times for 112 yards and his first touchdown. Michel showed versatility running inside and outside with physicality and speed. Michel is the Patriots’ power back going forward.
Cordarrelle Patterson: Patterson had himself a day with three catches which included a 55-yard catch and run that put the game away early.
Defense
John Simon: Signed by the Patriots to replace Ja’Whaun Bentley, Simon recorded a sack and constantly made his way into the backfield at the tail end of the game. The former Houston Texan was a pleasant surprise and may have bought himself a little more playing time in the coming weeks.
The secondary: After being torched for two straight weeks, the secondary showed up not giving up any big passing plays and executing in both man and zone defenses blanketing Albert Wilson, Danny Amendola, and company.
