The Week 1 matchup between the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins is about to get underway. We’ll be live-blogging the entire game right here.
We’ll start with pre-game updates.
KEEP REFRESHING THE SCREEN: THE LATEST UPDATE WILL APPEAR JUST BELOW THIS LINE
Final Score – Dolphins 17, Patriots 16
It’s over turnovers are a killer.
Bill’s headset is off. Guess we can go home.
This is like an old-school Madden money play.
Slants. Slants. Slants. Dolphins have had them when they’ve wanted them.
Here is a look at the Haeei fumble.
Damien Harris has been great today, but this was a really bad mistake at a really bad time. (Video via @BenBrownPL)
Dolphins get a huge first down as they try to salt the game away after Harris’ fumble. Patriots corners struggling with the slants.
The #Patriots CBs haven’t stopped a slant all game. Brutal.
On the bright side, Damien Harris just got to 100 yards!
Killer fumble by Harris
Uh Oh. This is really bad.
That’s a Patriots fumble on the 9-yard line. Damien Harris coughs up the ball. 3:18 left in the game.
From @ESPNStatsInfo: Tua Tagovailoa is 0-of-4 with an interception while under duress. Mac Jones is 8-of-12 with a passing TD against such pressure.
Here is a look at the play:
Matthew Judon crushes Tua and Jonathan Jones gets an INT. Big time turnover by the defense.
In a game when quarterbacks have been hit quite hard quite often, Matt Judon might’ve just dished out the biggest hit of the day. Drilled Tua Tagovailoa on that attempt that was picked.
Matthew Judon absolutely BLASTED Tua Tagovailoa on that play. Didn’t realize how hard that hit was, at first. Holy cow.
Tua makes an inexplicable play forcing up a silly third-down throw that was intercepted by the Patriots’ Jonathon Jones. Mac Jones will get it back.
Massive play for the Patriots’ defense. Matt Judon buried Tua Tagovailoa, resulting in a prayer of a pass that was tipped and picked off by Jon Jones. Patriots take over at midfield.
The Dolphins are basically out-Patriots’ing the Patriots in this game
Tua is being outperformed by Mac Jones, his understudy at Alabama. Only way to fix this is to put together a game winning drive NOW.
Patriots have to settle for another field goal and it is good from Folk from 36 yards out. Jones inaccurate on a pass that would have gotten the team a first down.
Patriots driving.
Mac Jones is making his regular season debut and already looks like a seasoned vet. Cool, calm, collected in the pocket. Making good decisions. #Patriots #ForeverNE #MIAvsNE
Patriots’ tight ends coming up huge for Mac Jones. Bail out catch from Hunter Henry and a catch and run from Jonnu Smith on the next play.
This isn’t ideal.
Per ESPN, Mac Jones has already been hit 8 times. Rookie is taking his lumps.
Patriots have seemingly benched Justin Herron, who came in for the injured Trent Brown.
Yasir Durant in at right tackle. New England’s third RT of the day. Justin Herron (who filled in for Trent Brown) is standing on the sidelines with helmet in hand.
It’s money time, or will we call it Mac Time. With the Patriots trailing to start the final period, we could be seeing Jones’ first-ever fourth-quarter comeback win.
Third Quarter – Dolphins 17, Patriots 13
Penalties are killing the Patriots. An unnecessary roughness penalty on Shaq Mason wipes out big play to Kendrick Bourne.
Adrian Phillips was the defensive star of this last drive. Big plays on multiple downs.
Adrian Phillips was one of the best #Patriots players during training camp. He just made a nice play there on 3rd down. Solid. Dependable. Better than he gets credit for.
That drive was reminiscent of the 10-of-19 voyage in the Giants scrimmage. Mistakes everywhere, Jones still made throws to keep it alive. They finally broke on third-and-8 with pressure off Wynn and Herron, but Folk cut it to 17-13.
Nick Folk with a 42-yard field goal makes it a 17-13 game, Patriots trailing the Dolphins.
Herron is having problems. Drive stalls off the pressure as Mac gets hit again. Nick Folk field goal cuts the gap to 4, 17-13 #Dolphins.
This play set up another successful field goal from Nick Folk.
Mac drops it in the bucket to James White
James White flourishing with opportunities that might have gone to rookie Rhamondre Stevenson, who had a nightmarish debut.
Mac Jones gets excellent 32-yard completion to Kendrick Bourne wiped but he follows that up with a completion to the receiver that sticks despite a penalty to the Dolphins.
Considering how little Nelson Agholor practiced in training camp and that the WR was limited all week, I’m impressed that he’s having such a large impact.
5 catches
72 yards
1 TD
and counting…
Patriots driving now with Jones delivering another dart to Nelson Agholor.
Mac Jones delivered a dart under pressure to Nelson Agholor. (Video via @BenBrownPL)
Here is the TD which capped a 9-play drive.
Legal block on Hightower, within a yard of the line. Dugger caught up in traffic. Motion forces Williams to the middle of the field and essentially takes him out of the play. Good design here by the Dolphins.
Tua finds Waddle for the TD, and this is officially a back-and-forth affair.
Tua to Waddle 3 yd TD pass to open 2nd half. 17-10 Miami. Buckle up folks! #Patriots
Halftime Patriots 10, Dolphins 10
Half: #Patriots 10 Dolphins 10
MIA makes a 48yd FG as time expires. Pats D settled in nicely after Tua led a scripted TD drive.
Mac Jones: 14/19 133yds 1TD 0INT
Damien Harris: 89 yards (72 rushing)
2nd Quarter – Patriots 10, Dolphins 10
Patriots head into halftime with the lead after some strong defensive plays, but Dolphins tie it up heading into halftime with a field goal.
I thought Jalen Mills would struggle in this game with an ankle injury and as CB2. That was QUITE the diving PBU to stop a touchdown.
Holy smokes Josh Uche just ended Liam Eichenberg. My lord. #Patriots
Here is the play that set up Mac Jones’ first TD pass. Questionable roughing the passer call against former Patriot Elandon Roberts. It’s also the play when Rhamondre Stevenson was blown up in pass blocking.
Here’s that controversial roughing the passer penalty (from Elandon Roberts on Mac Jones) on the Patriots’ touchdown drive.
Mac Jones trying to make a statement.
Mac Jones refuses the ball. That’s awesome. This guy is gonna fit right freaking in…. #Patriots
Mac Jones is 14/19 for 133 yards with a touchdown and 110.2 passer rating
Here is the TD throw from Jones to Agholor.
Here’s Mac Jones first career touchdown pass! (Video @BenBrownPL)
Mac Jones throws is his first NFL TD to Nelson Agholor!!! #Patriots
JONES TO AGHOLOR!!
The Patriots are in the end zone. TD pass from Mac Jones to Nelson Agholor.
Mac. Agholor.
First TD of a new era in New England football.
Yeah, Stevenson’s opportunities might be few after this debut.
Welp. That was quick.
Damien Harris is checking back in after the trainers made sure the dental work was set.
If Harris is OK, Stevenson might not play again after this, so he better take advantage of the opportunity.
Rhamondre Stevenson is on the field. We haven’t seen much (any?) of him since the fumble.
Damien Harris up on his feet and he jogs off to the Patriots sideline after having remained down following the play.
Looks like the dolphin’s player’s face mask hit Damien right in the face, and then damien’s own helmet also came down and hit him in the face
Uh oh.
Damien Harris got his helmet knocked off and he’s down on the field
Jones drills a 25-yard pass completion to Nelson Agholor. Patriots are in scoring range at the 26-yard line.
Damien Harris and the O-Line have been the MVPs on offense for the Patriots.
Damien Harris didn’t fall over here. He got a few more yards, obviously.
Christian Barmore just drove Jesse Davis into the backfield to put some pressure on Tua Tagovailoa on that third down. He’s looked like a passing-game weapon since camp began.
The #Patriots are playing great defense since the opening drive. A few break downs in zone coverage. But strong in man, owning Miami’s OL. Good stuff.
Thought Mac Jones could’ve led Jakobi Meyers a little more on his second-down shot down the field. (Ducks.) Jason McCourty made up ground with the ball in the air. Good play by him. But another few feet out front that’s probably completed.
Former Patriot Jason McCourty makes a huge play.
Good throw from Mac Jones to Jakobi Meyers. Better play from DB Jason McCourty.
Through almost a half of football, this Patriots’ passing offense doesn’t look much better than it did last year with Cam Newton. I’m just saying. It’s still VERY early, though.
Excellent play by Jason McCourty. Mac Jones put that one on the money to Jakobi Meyers, but McCourty got his hand in to knock it away.
Patriots are very fortunate to only be down 4 points at this point.
Patriots D fortunate on that drop by Jaylen Waddle. Looked like CB Jalen Mills wasn’t on same coverage page with fellow DBs Devin McCourty/Jonathan Jones as the play unfolded, and then DMac/Mills had a post-play chat to go over the details. Waddle bails them out.
Looked like some confusion in the Patriots’ secondary on that third down, but Jaylen Waddle bailed them out with a wide-open drop.
Here is Patriots TE Jonnu Smith’s front flip.
Ouch.
Dolphins back on the move. Tua throwing darts.
First points of 2021, courtesy of Nick Folk.
Smith took a nasty hit that forced that fumble.
Jonnu Smith fumbles, but the Patriots recover. Nick Folk kicks the field goal.
Nick Folk hits the 27-yard field goal
Dolphins 7, Patriots 3
Patriots have a 13-yard run to the 1-yard line called back because of a penalty. In any event, Harris is gashing the Dolphins.
Huge 23-yard completion to Jakobi Meyers from Mac Jones.
Now Mac Jones is getting into a groove.
#Patriots
It doesn’t look like Trent Brown is coming back in today.
Trent Brown has his right calf wrapped up
1st Quarter Patriots 7, Dolphins 0
The first quarter is over, and this guy is having a heck of a game.
Damien Harris in the first quarter:
6 carries for 60 yards. Great start for RB1.
The Stevenson fumble. It looks a little questionable.
Rhamondre Stevenson fumbles the ball on his first career reception. Not a great start for the Patriots early on.
Patriots back on the drive and Damien Harris continues to pound. He picks another first down. Providence Journal’s Mark Daniels drops the simplistic but logical advice:
The Patriots should feed Damien Harris
Rhamondre Stevenson walking into the facility Monday morning
FYI:
Right tackle Trent Brown is questionable to return with a calf injury. Justin Herron is in his spot. #Patriots
Huge play by the Patriots defense to force a punt. Nothing substantial on the return from Gunner Olszewski.
KVN!!!!!!!
Huge sack from the Patriots on third-and-11. Dont’a Hightower and Kye Van Noy met at Tua Tagovailoa. Good coverage downfield. Team defense.
It’s a fumble. I wonder if Stevenson will play the rest of the game. I’m serious.
Officials say they confirmed the fumble.
It’s a surprise as the Dolphins defense was back on the field and the Pats offense was getting ready to come back on.
While we’re waiting on the turnover call, this…
RT Trent Brown (calf) is questionable to return.
After a first-down completion to Meyers, Jones hits Stevenson on a checkdown pass. Stevenson gets the first down, but appears to fumble. It is being revealed. Could be a backbreaker for Patriots and Stevenson if this is a turnover.
If you were wondering how much rookie RB Rhamondre Stevenson would play early this season, he just had his first carry here in the first quarter. It went for 2 yards.
The Patriots are back on offense and Mac Jones is trying to get a drive started with a quick completion to Jakobi Meyers.
Tua faked Uche out of his socks…great play
8.0 yards per play*
Here is Tua’s TD “run.”
Dolphins take the lead on an easy 3-yard TD run from Tua. Twitter reacts to the Madden 22-on-rookie-like drive from Miami.
That was obscenely easy for the Dolphins.
Dolphins…
Really bad defensive start for the Patriots.
Dolphins went right down the field and scored with very little resistance.
Miami has the ball on the 11-yard line, first down and threatening.
Dolphins moving the ball well against the Patriots. They have the ball inside the 30-yard line.
Defensive starters for Patriots (nickel package):
DT: Deatrich Wise Jr.
DT: Davon Godchaux
DT: Lawrence Guy
OLB: Matt Judon
ILB: Ja’Whaun Bentley
ILB: Dont’a Hightower
CB: J.C. Jackson
CB: Jalen Mills
S: Kyle Dugger
S: Adrian Phillips
S: Devin McCourty
Dolphins are trying to start a drive. An RPO completion to rookie Jaylen Waddle for 17 yards has the Fins moving.
In case you’re wondering about Jalen Mills’ availability, he started.
Dolphins suffer a potentially hurtful injury to Raekwon Davis. He was down on the field for a while, but he gets off on his own power. Unfortunately for the Patriots, they have to punt after Jones’ first NFL completion.
Cam Newton favorite, Christian Wilkins sacked Jones on that fumble.
Here is a look at the Harris run on the opening play from scrimmage:
Some are blaming Jonnu Smith for this mishap.
Jonnu Smith has to see that blitz but Mac Jones compounds it by putting the ball into the turf behind him. No bueno. #Patriots
On Mac Jones’ first pass attempt, he is sacked as he was unable to get away from the pressure. Jones is sacked and fumbles. Thankfully, the Patriots hop on the loose ball.
Patriots still moving the ball after a first-down run from James White. Just 2 yards, but the chains are moving.
We are underway and so is Damien Harris. He breaks off a 35-yard big gainer.
Pre-Game Updates
Yeah, I just said that, Dan. LOL.
Patriots Militia basking in the glow of a Buffalo Bills Week 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. If the Panthers hold on, the Patriots could be in first place with a win over the Dolphins this afternoon.
Bills who? 😂
Who else is happy to be back at Gillette Stadium for Patriots football?
It’s so good to be back. #Patriots
It’s Mac Time for the Patriots. Fans, are you ready?
QB1.
New year, same @McCourtyTwins x @dandrews61 tradition.
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Dolphins Vs. Patriots: Score, Highlights and Twitter Reaction