It wasn’t pretty by a long shot, but the New England Patriots went on the road and handled their business in Sunday’s AFC East divisional showdown with the Miami Dolphins.
The game came down to a defensive stop from defensive tackle Milton Williams, who drove Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa into the dirt for a sack on the final drive in the fourth quarter. It was an impressive win for the Patriots, given their struggles historically when playing at Miami.
Sunday’s Week 2 win was the first time the Patriots have beaten the Dolphins on the road since 2019, when Tom Brady was the starting quarterback for New England. It took a nearly flawless effort from Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, a few key defensive stops late and a special teams touchdown to overcome the many self-inflicted wounds the team had in Miami.
Here were the studs and duds from the game:
STUD: RB Rhamondre Stevenson
For all of the talk of TreVeyon Henderson, Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson reminded fans why he is still the starter against the Dolphins. He hauled in five receptions for a career-high 88 yards, along with pounding the ball for 54 rushing yards on 11 carries.
On one play, Stevenson linked up with Maye on a 55-yard reception, which was a career best for Maye and Stevenson.
STUD: RB Antonio Gibson
The Patriots looked cooked after giving up a 74-yard punt return for a touchdown to Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington. However, veteran running back Antonio Gibson might have saved the game by returning a kickoff for a 90-yard touchdown on the ensuing drive. It was a game-changing play, which is something the Patriots didn’t have enough of last week.
DUD: ST Brenden Schooler
It isn’t often that you’ll find Brenden Schooler on this list, but he missed the first tackle attempt on Malik Washington’s 74-yard punt return. Cornerback Charles Woods also missed a tackle, but Schooler generally sets the tone on special teams. His missed tackle nearly flipped the game for the Dolphins.
STUD: DT Milton Williams
Milton Williams sealed the victory for the Patriots on the last drive of the game against the Dolphins. The veteran defensive tackle fought his way through the line on a pivotal fourth-down play and sacked Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to win the game. Plays like that are the reason why the Patriots signed Williams to a $104 million deal in free agency.
DUD: LB Robert Spillane
There were way too many missed tackles by Patriots team captain Robert Spillane. The veteran linebacker had a rough day wrapping up the Dolphins’ ball-carriers throughout the game. Granted, it’s no easy feat tackling De’Von Achane and many of the other offensive playmakers for Miami, but Spillane needs to play with better technique than what he showed in Sunday’s game.
DUD: CB Alex Austin
This was a rough matchup for Patriots cornerback Alex Austin, who struggled in coverage throughout the game. On one play, he seemingly lost Dolphins star wide receiver Tyreek Hill in coverage and gave up a 47-yard reception. The Patriots clearly missed Christian Gonzalez in this matchup, and it kept showing up with Hill taking anything he wanted against Austin.
DUD: OT Morgan Moses
Morgan Moses has had better games, and it clearly wasn’t his day in Sunday’s matchup against the Dolphins. The veteran offensive tackle drew three false start penalties that hurt the Patriots in the game. Penalties have been a lingering issue for New England, and it hurts when veterans rack up multiple mental errors on the field.
DUD: C Garrett Bradbury
Garrett Bradbury had a horrible snap in the fourth quarter that helped contribute to the bad field position and punt return for a touchdown by Miami. He snapped it low, and the ball rolled on the ground, where Maye recovered it to prevent a takeaway. Those kinds of mistakes are potential game-killers, and the Patriots were lucky to bounce back.
STUD: G Jared Wilson
Patriots rookie guard Jared Wilson was the very definition of a stud in Sunday’s game. He didn’t allow any quarterback pressures, and he helped spring the run game to life. There is a lot of excitement about Wilson as a future franchise piece along the offensive front. The Patriots still have some work to do, but they have finally figured out the left guard position, which was one of the biggest question marks in training camp.
STUD: P Bryce Baringer
Bryce Baringer’s strong leg kept getting the Patriots out of trouble against the Dolphins. His booming punts flipped the field multiple times in the Patriots’ favor. It was a strong bounce-back performance after a disappointing season-opening performance from Baringer in Week 1.
STUD: QB Drake Maye
How would Drake Maye respond after the Week 1 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders? That was one of the biggest questions entering Sunday’s matchup against the Dolphins. The Patriots’ second-year quarterback answered emphatically by going 19-of-23 passing for 230 yards and two touchdowns, along with 10 rushes for 31 yards and a touchdown.
Maye is a talented quarterback with significant upside, and the Patriots should be thankful to have him. This impressive performance was another step in the growth from the 23-year-old signal-caller, who displayed incredible patience throughout the game.
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