The New England Patriots were able to hang on to win in their home opener despite blowing a three touchdown lead against Miami.
Jimmy Garoppolo, who had been the presumed starter for the first four games during Tom Brady’s suspension, was taken out of the game due to a shoulder injury sustained from a Kiko Alonso hit. Garoppolo had been on fire, throwing 3 touchdowns in the first half. Back up Jacoby Brissett was able to do enough to hold off the surging Dolphins, leading the drive when Garopollo went down on to a field goal and another drive in the third to a LeGarrette Blount touchdown run.
While Ryan Tannehill had great numbers, 32 completions out of 45 attempts for 389 yards and two touchdowns, his two interceptions and lack of success in the first half doomed Miami’s comeback attempt. Jarvis Landry had a great game (minus his fumble), receiving 10 catches for 137 yards. Davante Parker wasn’t too far behind with 8 catches for 106 yards.
What it Means
Another week, and another game where the scoreboard and stats looked closer than they really were. While Miami did mount a nice comeback, this game was the Jimmy G and friends show until his injury. Blount stepped up big in place of Garoppolo’s absence, carrying the ball 29 times for 123 yards. While most of his runs were small, he did make a big impact in the game with some nice first down pickups.
Garoppolo reportedly has a sprained AC joint, which should give some fans relief. While Brissett will be starting, Garoppolo will be playing in the next game as Brissett’s back up, with Julian Edelman being the emergency quarterback. He might end up playing in week 3 if Brissett can’t get the job done, and start in week four if he is healthy enough.
Stat of the Game
Logan Ryan, Malcolm Butler, and Patrick Chung combined for 20 tackles and one assist. To compare, the rest of the team (14 different players) recorded 18 tackles and 7 assists, with five of those 18 coming from Jamie Collins. New England’s secondary was doing a lot of work near the end of that game.
Unsung Hero
New England made a great decision when they traded for Martellus Bennett. While he did not have a great impact in the receiving game against Arizona, he made some amazing blocks in the run game and played a huge majority of the offense snaps. Bennett was not only a huge impact in the run game, but also improved his receiving stats with a touchdown reception, 5 catches, and 114 yards. Surprisingly, these numbers were mostly unmentioned by the commentators during the game. Don’t worry Bennett, you’re getting your recognition here.
Noteworthy
Miami got absolutely no help from there run game, with the team combined for a total of 16 attempted rushes, with 6 of those coming from Tannehill. As mentioned before, Blount had 29 carries all by himself. A huge reason for this was the early injury of Arian Foster. Foster, who came over in free agency, has had a history of injuries and did not play much in his last few season with the Houston Texans. You have to wonder how much the Dolphins regret getting rid of Lamar Miller.
What’s Next
The New England Patriots square off against the Houston Texans at home in the second Color Rush game of the season. The Patriots will wear their first brand new jersey design since 2003 on Thursday Night Football, live nationally on both CBS and the NFL Network. Kickoff is at 8:25 PM eastern standard time.
