Story by
Dolphins Squander Chance At Big Win Against New England
- Story by
- Dolphins Squander Chance At Big Win Against New England
Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Miami had a shot at their second win of the Jeff Hafley era, but they let it slip away on Sunday. The Dolphins held a 13-3 lead at halftime against the Patriots, according to Sports Illustrated . They looked like the team everyone expected to be when the season started. Then the second half happened, and the game fell apart in a way that hurts to watch.
The turning point came when a replay official overturned a Dolphins fourth-down stop. That call gave New England a fresh set of downs and kept a touchdown drive alive. Sports Illustrated noted that this play gave the Patriots the lead for good. It is hard to argue with the result, but the process left a lot of fans angry. One bad call can change the whole game, and this one changed it completely.
Advertisement
Self-Inflicted Wounds on the Field
Even without the bad call, the Dolphins made mistakes that hurt them. Ollie Gordon II got flagged for unnecessary and unsportsmanlike conduct for yapping at an opponent. This turned a third-and-5 into a third-and-20 in a forgettable third quarter, per Sports Illustrated. A second-week practice squad elevation saw Zane Gonzalez badly miss a 43-yard field goal attempt.
New England simply outplayed Miami after the break. The Patriots outscored the Dolphins 21-6 in the second half, according to The Phinsider. That is a huge margin in a game that was close for a long time. The final score of 24-19 does not tell the whole story of how the Dolphins choked away the win. They fought hard, but they could not stop the mistakes from piling up.
Chop Robinson Shines While Line Struggles
Despite the loss, there was one bright spot on the defensive side of the ball. Opposing quarterback Drake Maye was sacked twice by pass rusher Chop Robinson, who also recorded three tackles. He had eight pressures on the day, which was a 47.1% pressure rate against New England. No NFL defender this season posted a higher pressure rate in a single game than that mark, which stands as the second-highest. For the year, a 26.6% mark means Robinson now leads the entire league in pressure rate.
Advertisement
The offense could not help him because the line was missing pieces. Starting left guard Kadyn Proctor missed the game due to a concussion. More than necessary, center Aaron Brewer had to assist his replacement, Jarrett Kingston. The game felt like a return to a bad rookie season for second-year Jonah Savaiinaea.
The Dolphins will face the Detroit Lions next Sunday at 1 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium. They need to fix the penalties and the special teams before that game. To prevent another collapse of this kind, general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan must add more talent to the roster this offseason.
