The New England Patriots, led by offseason addition Cam Newton, silenced their doubters on Sunday with a 21-11 victory over the Miami Dolphins.
Miami opened the game with a three-and-out, eventually punting away to New England. The Patriots and Dolphins each exchanged punting drives before New England drove 80 yards in six minutes, finishing the drive with a four-yard rushing touchdown from Cam Newton.
Miami’s next drive lasted just four plays before Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s pass to Preston Williams was picked off by Stephon Gilmore. New England ended up punting and the Dolphins took advantage of this quick return of possession as Jason Sanders connected on a 46-yard field goal.
The Patriots punted, but Ryan Fitzpatrick gave the ball back to Bill Belichick’s squad as Adrian Phillips picked him off. Offensively, the Newton-led Patriots moved the ball 29 yards but missed the ensuing field goal, giving Miami the ball. They were unable to score and the half ended.
The Patriots opened the second half with the ball and drove 75 yards in just under five minutes. The drive ended as Cam Newton rushed 11 yards to the right, diving into the end zone on a play that ended up being controversial as the officiating crew had no decisive video angle during their review, forcing the call to stand.
Miami went three-and-out and punted, leading to a New England drive that nearly resulted in six points. N’Keal Harry hauled in a nine-yard pass but fumbled at the last second. This play was ruled a touchback, giving Miami the football back. The Dolphins amassed 80 yards in just over five minutes, and the drive ended in a one-yard touchdown run from Jordan Howard. Miami’s attempt to go for two was successful as Fitzpatrick took it himself.
Up by three with 10:31 to go, New England began their next drive with a 23-yard rush from Julian Edelman that featured an extra 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty on Miami. The drive finished five minutes later as Sony Michel carried the ball for a one-yard score. Miami’s final drive lasted 11 plays and just under four minutes but ultimately culminated in an interception by J.C. Jackson in the end zone.
New England took over at their own 20, added nine yards on the ground, and secured the 21-11 win.
With the victory, the Patriots became the first original AFL team to win 550 games.
Cam Newton added a record of his own as he set the single-game franchise record for quarterback rushing yards.
Phillips and Chase Winovich both had strong showing for the New England defense, which is hoping to replicate their 2019 success despite various offseason losses and opt-outs. On the other hand, the offense looked questionable despite its 10-point margin of victory. The passing game is due to worsen, and N’Keal Harry offered signs of concern. The kicking game was also woeful, leaving Bill Belichick with a tough decision to make as Justin Rohrwasser waits on the practice squad.
The Miami offense, meanwhile, didn’t play as bad as it appeared despite being held to just 11 points. The defense struggled, though, and it showed. They were trampled in the running game and made a fool of by Newton. They need to improve on defense if they want any chance of being a relevant team this year.
Statistically, Newton completed 15 of 19 passes for 155 yards. New England added 217 yards on the ground, with Michel leading the way (75 rushing yards). Julian Edelman and N’Keal Harry each had five catches while Damiere Byrd and Jakobi Meyers finished without a reception. Phillips had nine tackles while Winovich had six. Derek Rivers added the team’s lone sack, which set Miami back nine yards.
Fitzpatrick added 191 passing yards on 20 completions but was intercepted thrice. Miles Gaskin surprisingly led the team in rushing with nine carries and 40 yards. Through the air, DeVante Parker caught all four targets for 47 yards before exiting with a hamstring injury. Preston Williams caught just two of seven targets but turned in 41 yards. Brigham Young and Jerome Baker combined for 26 tackles while Baker and Christian Wilkins each tallied one sack. Baker was also responsible for forcing a fumble, which Harry lost out the end zone. Finally, Kyle Van Noy made five solo tackles, including one for loss, in his return to New England.
Highlight Reel
Game 1, Interception 1 for @BumpNrunGilm0re! #MIAvsNE | #GoPats pic.twitter.com/MqZmT86qw6
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 13, 2020
👀 @CameronNewton's first TD in New England! #MIAvsNE | #GoPats pic.twitter.com/W6ED1gyUFs
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 13, 2020
INT for @Phillips_17 in his #Patriots debut! #MIAvsNE | #GoPats pic.twitter.com/LxfVwf6fcU
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 13, 2020
#️⃣3️⃣4️⃣ gets in!
@JHowardx34 for SIX!
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/oVhgoNwOLJ— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) September 13, 2020
Miami will host the Buffalo Bills next Sunday at 1:00 p.m. on CBS while the Patriots travel to Seattle for an 8:20 p.m. bout with the Seahawks on NBC.
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