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Archives for January 10, 2022

Patriots Ups & Downs Week 18

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Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

The Patriots finished their 2021 regular-season in a slump, falling 33-24 in Miami to the Dolphins. The curse of playing in Miami continues, but it wasn’t just bad news for the Pats, Dolphins HC and former Patriots DC Brian Flores was fired this morning in a fairly shocking move.

For one last time before the playoffs here are your Ups & Downs from Week 18.

Ups ⬆️

Brandon Bolden

There isn’t much good stuff to talk about from yesterday’s game, but Bolden certainly is. He finished with two touchdowns and continued to show how important he’s been for the offense this season, filling the void left by James White. A top day for BB.

Jakobi Meyers

Meyers had another solid game to finish off his third regular-season on the roster. He hauled in four catches for 70 yards, including this absolute gem of a diving catch. Another up game to cap of a big up year for Meyers.

Jakob Johnson

Johnson stuck out on one key play for me yesterday, he made a great block to open up Bolden’s route towards the endzone. Sure, it’s a standard for the role of his position, but he flies under the radar a lot and I think he’s really improved this season.

Downs ⬇️

Mac Jones

A bad start for Mac yesterday that he never really recover from in a game where he looked flustered and not entirely focused. He made some good throws, flashing his ability, but his two turnovers were a big factor in yesterday’s loss.

The positives I take out of the game is that it was another learning experience for the rookie, he’ll get his first taste of professional playoff football on Saturday with his second trip to Buffalo. I think it’s safe to say he’ll throw more than three times, right?

Special Teams

Albeit a cliche, the Patriots have prided themselves on their special teams efficiency over the years, but this year has been a polar opposite of the work done in previous seasons, especially under Joe Judge more recently.

We’ve seen missed kicks, blocked punts, fumbles and penalties all year, and they had to go out on a high for the regular-season didn’t they. Lawrence Guy flagged on a crucial fourth-down for lining up over the Dolphin long-snapper which is an illegal formation and gave Miami a first down, effectively icing the game.

Whilst the book stops with Bill for all performances from the team, the fault really lies with Cam Achord, the second-year ST coordinator, and don’t be surprised if he’s demoted or banished completely from the staff in the off-season. Something needs to change.

Run Defense

Not being able to stop the run is an issue that has plagued the Patriots all year, it continued yesterday as the Dolphins racked up 195 rushing yards, courtesy of Duke Johnson and Phillip Lindsay. We thought this weakness would be fixed this year, but it certainly needs more focus ahead of the next campaign.

The Patriots fizzle out in Miami

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Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images

If the game against the Jaguars was a burger (get it, fifty burger) then the game against the Dolphins was those few limp, soggy, skinny fries at the bottom of the brown paper bag. Ew.

The Patriots are renowned for heading to Miami and not doing great, and well, Sunday was no different.

This season has been an inconsistent one for many teams as well as the Patriots. I mentioned earlier in the week that I was concerned the Dolphins were generally out for vengeance following the spanking they took by Mike Vrabel’s Titans. And i’m not too sure if what we watched was vengeance, but it felt to me simply that the Patriots lost the game rather than the Dolphins won it, but that’s all semantics for this 24 to 33 result.

Now, the Patriots didn’t need to win, and the Dolphins future is the same if they did or didn’t, but still, as a Patriots fan you can’t watch that match up and not worry about the length of time the Patriots will be in the playoffs.

The Patriots run defense did not do its job, the defense itself did not look like the line we have been used to watching lately. There are many questions and few answers, but the loss of Dont’a Hightower and Kyle Dugger, as well as Myles Bryant did not help matters. 

To compound the issue, the bright spark of Matt Judon we had at the beginning of the year seems to have really dimmed lately. 

And not to kick ya whilst you’re down, but the awesomeness that is Christian Barmore suffered an injury and is uncertain for any further games in the near future.

I love me a good take away, food and football, but Devin McCourty needed to make that interception catch and in hindsight it could have really turned the game around, there’s no guarantee of course but still…

But you know what folks? It isn’t all doom and gloom. Brandon Bolden, Damien Harris, Jakob Johnson and Hunter Henry came to play. These guys have shown up and owned up this season and have been the light in some of our darker days, and I know I’m a tight end enthusiast but you know I’m only speaking the truth about that Los Angeles pick-up.

The second quarter gave us some fab blocking by Kendrick Bourne for the Bolden touchdown. Unfortunately, the next offensive play the Patriots undertook had a great block by Hunter with Mac airing it out to… Bourne and Meyers having a chat. Okay so I am exaggerating, and we have no idea who was at fault but that play, not great Bob.

Kendrick Bourne still flashed his infamous smile, and proved he was definitely worthy of his free agency signing as he gave Dolphins linebacker Phillips a piggy back down the field! 

And so Patriots fans, that is the regular season fizzling out there, but, BUT, the Patriots are in the playoffs with their rookie quarterback, in a year that covid is still on the horizon. 

I don’t know about you, but I’m not certain about how sure I was that they would get this far in the first real rebuilding season, so it all feels quite positive when you look at the bigger picture. 

Either way, we are on to Buffalo! Go Pats!