Dolphins Patriots Week 1 Recap

place in the a f C East. We're gonna get to my takeaways from the game, the individual efforts that stood out to me, and if I have time at the end, we'll play a segment or two from the post game show with me F and O J. McDuffie. Did I miss anything else? I don't think we did. Win win, win, win win. Did you think we were going to play it? If you did? From the Baptist Health Studios inside the Baptist Health Training Complex, this is a Victory Monday edition of the Drive Time Podcast. What

more do you want? A divisional road win to start the season. Every game is important, but when you can get one on the road in the division. That just the added elements in terms of tiebreakers, conference records, division records,

head to head. How many folks out there had the New England Patriots or have the New England Patriots in the playoffs as far as their preseason predictions while going on the road and taking out a team like that, that's a big, big victory and a great way to start the season, especially when Buffalo lost to the Steelers and the Jets lost to the Panthers. So it's one and oh from Miami in the a f C East, everybody else, oh and one looking up at your Miami Dolphins.

Some of the things I was impressed by with Dolphins in this game before we get to the five takeaways was their ability to overcome some of the more challenging moments that this game presented. If you're like me watching this game, I'm certain you had some white knuckle moments where maybe you never thought the game was seriously in jeopardy or in doubt, or the Dolphins would have a chance to lose the game. That's kind of the way

I felt about it. Because of the nature of even though the Patriots held the football for so long and

converted so many third downs. The lack of explosive plays and Miami interns ability to hit those explosive plays always made me feel like Miami was more of a threat to win the game than the Patriots were, especially when you take into account the red zone success, which you know as Coach Flores has mentioned this in the past, like I go back to the Denver game last year and reporters were asking questions to Coach Flow about what strength the Broncos have, and he was like, well, I

think a lot of folks are overlooking this team because they are good in certain areas, and one of those areas was, in fact, the red zone. And Miami executed both offensively and defensively beautifully in the red zone today. So in the most critical elements of the game, who rose to the occasion, who made the plays, who made the plays to set up the plays that ultimately decided the game. Your Miami Dolphins did more times than not in this contest. But they had to do it by

overcoming some difficult moments. And the first one I point to is a penalty that was accurately called like the letter of the law is that if you hit a quarterback low, you're gonna get flagged for it. And that's what happened on the land and Roberts third and short sack that eventually wound up turning into a touchdown where it would have been a field goal attempt otherwise, so technically a four point swing. But on that play, the Dolphins came back from that. They didn't sulk on that.

They didn't look at the officials and say, well, that moment was taken from us, and it wasn't, because that was the right call. Even though Roberts with the lean, the direction, the fact that the fullback kind of blocked him into that position where he was going low, the

Dolphins did not let that defeat them. And I think that is a defining characteristic trait of the Miami Dolphins underhead coach Brian Floors, and something to be very proud of, I think, is their resilience in tough moments like that. How about the fact that they didn't melt down or give up. In terms of the drives that were extended over and over and over again, the Patriots had three drives that were fourteen or more plays and only two only one of those rather resulted in a touchdown. The

other two were field goals. So Miami did a fantastic job of staying true to the plan and they might have bent a little bit, but they never really broken those big moments. And if you go back to the penalty, if that doesn't get called that way, then it turns into three field goal drives and the Patriots only wind up with nine points in the game against the stout Miami defense, but also offensively, when the Patriot did have their moments with their own offense, the Dolphins offense rose

to the occasion and answered right back. Right after New England goes down and takes that ten to seven lead in the second quarter, Miami responds and gets points, and then comes back on the other end of the second half and gets points on that drive to take a

lead that they would never relinquish. So Miami's ability to react and respond the tough moments that the Patriots made plays or maybe the elements went against them, that to me was encouraging and a sign of this team's mental toughness and an ode to the type of people that Brian Flores and Chris Career on the staff bring into this facility, into this building. Guys that are gonna be tough, They're gonna rise the occasion and never let the moment

get too big for them. I thought that was among the most encouraging things we saw today out there against the Patriots, especially for a team and again, as coach Flores has mentioned in the past, like, this is the team, right, This is the result of all those draft picks and all that free agent capital or cap space capital you had into one to remake this roster under the vision of Chris Career and Brian Flores, And this is the team.

And it's a very young team, and they have shown that mental fortitude in big moments, and especially out there today in opener to overcome those things that really went against them in a few ways. So to me, this was a really impressive moment for those young guys to rise to the occasion and get a big win in

a game that really this team. You know, over the last twenty or so years, it's a game that this team has found ways to lose that particular game, that particular outcome tends to go in the opposition's favor with regards to the Miami Dolphins, and I just I just think it's different when you can overcome all the things that went against you and all the challenges and not getting too down yourself in that building, in that tough place to play with a raucous crowd back for the

first time since twenty nineteen. Just I can't be more impressed by their ability to overcome all the things that we're just working against them in that game. Also liked the ability to to start the game and open up the third quarter with touchdown drives. I mean, that's that's where the coaches really tend to make their hey in terms of you know, we're gonna do this to start

and see how they adjust. And for their ability to go out there and put together a plan or a script both in the first half and coming out of the break in the second half that put not just points on the board, but touchdowns on the board. How big of a deal was that and really the difference in the game those two possessions and either one of those could be the difference in the game in a

seventeen to sixteen Miami Dolphins victory. And then Brian Flores message after the game also liked this as well, talking about how it's good to get a win, but there are corrections to be made. And this goes back to the part of the team, the young team that loves to be here in football is important to them. How those guys will be excited to make the corrections they have to make and get ready for next week against

the Buffalo Bills. But that's down the road. We are still within the twenty four hour window to really enjoy this victory. Enjoy your first season opening victory since season. It's good to be one and oh, it's good to be unbeaten. It's good to be at the top of the division. Let's go ahead and kick off our five

takeaways from the game. Takeaway number one, there goes that man again, first and tent Patriots from the Dolphins eleven Miami seventeen Patriots sixteen with three thirty five left to play. They actually think, don't They gives the Patriot Harris and he is who's got it? Alanda Roberts hit him. Dolphins say they do, but let's see who. Well, somebody's the bomb pile with the blue jersey on Jolephins. Who's got it? Yeah? Well,

but don't write wow wow is right. The Dolphins come up with a huge takeaway that eventually puts them in the winner circle. Xaviing Howard forces the fumble, recovers the fumble. Big time players in big time games. And X had a great quote that Seth Levitt told us about on the postgame show, saying that they try to lull me to sleep, I try to find the football, and boy does he He sure finds the football tent X last year.

You might recall in the Week fifteen game last year against the Patriots, on one of the few catches he gave up, he forced to fumble on Jacoby Myers that gave possession back to the Miami Dolphins. He also had a chance of all the recovery for a touchdown in that game that, of course, as we know, did not go uh. It came off the board because somebody was

out of bounce when the ball touched them. But in this game, Xaviing Howard, once again you never hear from him because they just didn't throw the football in his direction. And you have to imagine that was one of the plans for the Patriots, like, hey is pretty good, let's

go ahead and stay away from that guy. And he found a way to make a big play in the biggest moment of the game as it looks like the Patriots are gonna at least, at the very least put three on the board and forced the Dolphins offense to have to execute a two minute drive against that defense

in that building with that crowd noise. But none of that had to happen because of Xaviing Howard punching the ball out and the Dolphins you heard their Landon Roberts on the scene as well a couple of other Miami

Dolphins on the scene for that big play. But Xaviing Howard and again credit here to you know, Chris Year in his front office and Brian Flowers and his coaching staff are finding a way to get Exaviing Howard back in here and make sure that he was happy and ready to be on the field week one to make a big play that changed the game. So Exaviing Howard finding a way to make a big play despite the fact that he just was not that involved with how

the Patriots attacked this defense all game. But when it came down to it, the big time player, the big time play in the big time game. Takeaway number two. And I wrote this early on, but I think it's still is worth talking about because we talked about this throughout the course of the off season with some of the additions Miami made, and we saw Jalen Phillips and Javon Holland get some action out there today on this Miami Dolphins defense. But the ability to be multiple and

get different looks and create pressure in different ways. Like, yeah, Matt Jones didn't take a lot of sacks today, but he was under pressure a lot, and he made some good throws to space against receivers kind of running free in that short I was gonna say short to intermediate, but it was largely short throws. I mean, average depth of target was very thin for mac Jones. At one point deep into the first half, it was barely over two yards. I'll have to go back and check on

that on the Tuesday podcast on the Omissions podcast. But they were throwing a lot of stuff short and really just taking nickel and dime options and going up and down the field that way. And the Miami Dolphins would clamp on that offense in the crucial moments on the third downs in the red zone and get off the field that way. But philosophy wise and performance wise, especially early on their ability to create pressure and put Jones

under some of that dress in multiple ways. And the one I'm looking at here is the initial play where mac Jones through the football backwards like he got hit and turned and tried to throw it to a running back next to him because he got hit, the ball went backwards and was a huge fumble and a huge loss. That pretty much, no, not pretty much. It did end that first drive for the Miami Dolphins to get that

victory in that game. A big reason for that was that first drive and pushing them out of field goal range and getting pressure with whether you're in a four man or four down look, getting sending just four guy, sometimes sending three men on pressure, mixing it up with blitz and stunts and twist and having backers come up into the a gaps and rush that way, rushing off the edge and something blitz is that way cat blitz is.

I mean, the big play that caused the backwards pass from Mac Jones was a cat blitz Cat means cornerback where Byron Jones comes in and I thought maybe he would get the credit for the sack on that because he was the last one to really hit Jones before he went down, but Christian Wilkins was the closest one in the neighborhood on a you know, a backwards past fumble that goes towards the player who's closest on that. So Wilkins winds up getting the sack on that play.

But you saw Byron Jones come clear on that. We saw Nick need Him come on some blitzes. We saw some defensive backs come, some linebackers come. Some guys drop out and play that way too. So their ability to really get multiple that way, I think speaks well for the defense long term and the ability to attack teams

down the stretch on your schedule. I also liked on that particular play that was looking like one of those bootlegs, and I go back a lot to the Jared Goff game last year against the Rams where he would try to get some boot action and because of the boot action of the outside stretch zone coming back against the other side of the formation, you then have the quarterback comfortable because the play action in the wide zone fake has created false steps for the defense, are giving them

Ie candy that gives him a clean pocket. But when you just blitz off that weak side edge, that's not there anymore. It speeds everything up the quarterback on the offense wants to do. And I thought they did a good job on that, on that particular play and just in general to create different looks to get enough defensive wins to ultimately win the football game. Take Away number three ten early third quarter play acting fake rolling, it's watt touchdown breaks. Me just got outside and got in guys,

catching knew exactly where that goal line was. He dove for the flag and got it. Joe. I mean, that's his first NFL Miami Dolphin touchdown and that play. I mean, first of all, I love when I can tell you, guys things that I've seen firsthand here at practice and training camp that then translate into the game and you

can say, oh, yeah, yeah, Travis told us about that. Well, that touchdown catch I thought was indicative of Jalen Waddle's competitive toughness and running through an arm tackle or running through contact. They're right at the goal line and the pylon to find pay dirt, to find the end zone. And you heard his reaction there. His voice was picked up pretty well on that radio call there from Jimmy Jimmy Cephalo and Jason Taylor and as well as Joe Rose, and that was a fantastic call as well as a

play by Jillian Waddle on that play. But just how tough he is and how much grit there is to his game For a guy that you know incorrectly gets billed as a pound receiver, I mean he is that, but a guy that can't make physical, tough plays because of that, which is such a misnomer or a misconception with how certain guys play the game. Waddle is as tough as they come and making those tough, physical catches.

And you also have a chance to see him really in his element as far as how they wanted to attack this defense and what his speed and the way he moves and the ability to get to him quick on the screen game, the ability to go deep over the top, which we also saw the crossing routes the very first play of the game, I mean the very first play of the game the Dolphins start. How are you feeling about this play when you saw it out the gate Miles casket, I'm running back to Au out

of the shotgun. Quick pass pulls it back up there, He's got Waddle, Waddle on the run, breaking tackles along the way for five. I probably dumped at the thirties six yard line by Devin mccordy. Welcome to the National Football League, kid, Right there, Taylor Waddle sixteen yards right out of the shoot to a to Waddle big focal point of the offense. And this one winds up with four catches, sixty one yards and the game winning touchdown. How about that for your first game, number six pick

in the draft, a game winning touchdown. He did have the one drop. Me and Seth and o J had a great segment on the postgame show talking about this, and o J said the ball was a little bit outside of his frame, so he's not going to frame it as a drop, and Seth was on the other side where he said, yeah, that ball probably should be caught, and o J eventually came around and said, I think he probably should have caught it, but let's not say it was an out and out drop because it was

a tough ball to catch. So that's the ball I think you'd like to get back for both To as well as Waddle. But all things told, you know, Jalen Waddle first NFL game, four catches, sixty one yards and that game winning touchdown. I just like how you guys got a chance to see what I've been seeing here in practice and really see how this kid gets it done over and over again and make so many plays.

Let's play one more sound clip for you here on Waddle, the play that started that big drive for the Miami Dolphins at the end of the first half. Alex Gasker. They're running back to him shotgunt trips to the left to throw a looking left throw without Wayne Ryland. Wanda went up like he was six three to catch that football running down the side, and he's got so much speed. If your cover him, you don't have time to be

looking back for the ball. What a catch. I mean, how many times we talked about those down the middle shots where he made a tough catch away from his frame, diving laying out in traffic, coming back for this football in this instance on a nice ball from two to kind of take advantage of the fact that defensive back was there in good shape but underneath and didn't have

a chance to really get his head around. Good play there by two ah to Waddle for thirty six yards to jump start a drive that wound up in points from Miami at the end of the first half takeaway number four, And it's the offensive mixing and sequencing and hurry up and just the general call and plan here for the Miami Dolphins offense opening up the game with an ad R touchdown to start. I mean, what's better

than that. You can't top you know, that type of a drive, that type of production to start a game off. But I just thought there was a good of personnel. We saw plenty of receivers in the game, tight ends in the game, different running backs in the game. They went some tempo and kept the Patriots. You know, you get into a certain look, you like that look, go tempo,

keep them on the field. And they only had one third down on that opening march where two it was four for four with forty nine yards and the touchdown rush to cap off that drive. I just thought there was plenty of mix and versatility offensively, just as there

was defensively. And I cannot wait to see where they go and really sequence off of those looks, because that's what football is, a catalog of plays each and every year, where you can then build off of that, grow off that and give teams different looks based upon what you've already shown on tape, and I thought Miami did a good job of putting enough on tape this week to say to make teams really say, hey, we have to be careful for this and and really check off A,

B and C and D on this particular look, and then they could do this look and build another E F G H. I don't know the alphabet, but you get what I'm saying. Plenty of different options off each play. I thought Miami showed well in that area. And my favorite sequence, and this is really the main part of

the takeaway. That opening drive for sure, but the sequence to close out the game when you touched down to waddle the Dolphins pushed the ball down the field and gained a bunch of yards and and really are chewing up chewing up yardage and the clock as well. But the sequence on the doorstep of the red zoner once they got into the red zone to go wildcap to savan Akhmed a nice little tendency breaker based upon what

you've seen. I mean, there's lots of quick game, there's lots of shotgun and r p O and zone read and that kind of stuff to then put them a formation in the game where most likely going to be a run. We've been to load up and get some some meat in the box and really close down and fill gaps and shoot, shoot those gaps and play the run. But they pick up eight yards from Savan Akhmed on

the first Wildcat play. Then you go back to Wildcat and it's Malcolm Brown this time, and it's three yards in a first down inside the five yard line, down to the three. And I'm watching the game with with Juice and Seth and I tell them, you know, this is a perfect time to run play action. This is you ran the ball, You've had success with it. They're kind of on their heels getting backed up to the red zone or to the end zone, I should say

it to the goal line. Great time to fake a run, get those bodies coming up, and then you flick it out over in the flat to Jillan Waddle for a touchdown. Great sequence of play call there to find the end zone to get that touchdown. And that was the second touchdown, the final touchdown of the game from Miami. But our fifth takeaway here on the Sunday night recap edition of the Drivetime podcast is going to be the conclusion of the first drive for your Miami Dolphins, and the takeaway

goes to two a tonge by Lowa. The asking remains. The running back takes the hand out to keep touch. He held on to a great faith, told you outside these wide open he walks in for a touchdown, and the takeaway here from me, I just put to a time because again, you know, the numbers might not have looked great, but I thought it was a winning performance from two a tonge by Loa. And I continue to point back to this like we did last season, the moments where you gotta have it for two of is

when he seems to really really rise to the occasion. Now, the opening drive, yeah, that was great in theory because it kind of let at least the fans relax a little bit, certainly not the players and the team, but just to kind of take the pressure off and give the defense a chance to do what they do and play that style of the game where you're not so

concerned about, you know, these lengthy drives. You can continue to play don't let the ball over your head type of football and hold a team to just three scoring drives, two of those being field goals, six team points like in today's NFL. If you hold team of sixteen points, you're probably gonna win most of your games, if not

all of them. So that's a good game plan and it was able to be executed because Miami's opening script on offense took them down the field for a touchdown and seven points on the board and an early deficit for that Patriots offense. Then the Patriots take their lead after ten straight points after the initial touchdown and two drives the offense down the field and dang Near gets

another touchdown drive out of it. They wind up kicking a field goal on that drive, but they were close to getting six on that drive with a nice pass to Albert Wilson in the end zone, barely broken up on a great play by the defensive back, but driving that thing deep into Patriots territory after a big Patriots offensive touchdown to take the lead. You love to see that. And then to do the two for the double dip.

You you give the ball to the Patriots to start the game, so you can get it to start the second half, to go down and get a field goal to end a half and then come back with a touchdown out of the break ten straight points before mac Jones really even sees the ball now. He got it late I believe maybe he didn't get it late at the end of the first half, but ten straight points before they get the ball back to the offense to regain the lead. I thought that was incredible and just

shows you what two is all about. And then finally that final drive, it was one pass after one run that was called back on a hold, but the pass DeVante Parker on that quick slant for a big gainer to move the chains, or not not to move the chains, but to get Miami out of a big hole offensively out of a first and fourteen to gain like thirteen yards on that play was really perfect because then you can kind of kill the clock and get that first down on your second down run and then the Patriots

have to use all the time outs, which they did, and Miami still found a way to move the chains and push the push the ball uh to go into victory formation there at the very end of the game. So to his ability to really rise to the moment I thought was special. I thought he threw with zip. There was some good slants, like on one particular Davante Parker slant where Parker had not yet cleared the defender.

Working inside the numbers. You know, he starts outside and runs the incut route in behind the defensive back, and he had not yet cleared this defender. So he's on the left and two wants to throw the ball to the right of the defender, but he lets the thing fly before he clears the defender and then he comes across. Ball meets him there on time. Good zip, good pace. He pushed the ball down the field. I mean twenty seven passes for two two yards I believe was the

final tally. So that's up around seven and a half yards per attempt, which is a good number for a quarterback this in this day and age, you know, throwing the ball inside outside. I thought there was some talk about how, you know, teams might make two of throw the ball to the outside because he has had so much success throwing the ball inside the numbers. Well, the ball was going all over the field today. It was going vertical, it was going quick, and you know, we

mentioned a couple of drops. I don't want to call them drops, they were just good plays by the defense. And then the Wattle play we talked about already, But the play before that Davante Parker down the middle. That was a great throw in tight coverage and the ball hits Parker's hands first, but then the Patriots defensive back is there to put his hands on it. I guess could have been caught. I don't I don't know. It's a tough play. I'm not gonna get on anybody for

you know, not making a very difficult play. But I thought the takeaway from that play was just how good the throw was from two to put it in that position with that coverage, with that zip on his guy, and then to waddle after that, Like at those two throws from to uh, he was dealing. He was really feeling it, and I thought that kind of made the offense take a step back a little bit and just kind of go into a bit of a slump before they got it back together and put those two drives together.

So all at all, I thought a good performance from tah Again, the numb burs don't look great. Had a rushing touchdown, a passing touchdown, could have had probably two passing touchdowns if he wanted to just flip that thing in there too. I think it was Durham Smith, but he took the run because it was wide open, so why wouldn't you, But numbers not like fantastic. Obviously finishes the game sixteen two yards, a touchdown, and a pick, and the pick was that was not a great decision.

I mean he said after the game he wanted to try to throw that football away, just didn't get it out there wide enough and he got absolutely blasted on that play. And just that's gonna be the play that you look at that you really wish you had back. But all in all, I thought he mitigated pressure pretty well, kind of danced around back there, just didn't always have guys open. Based upon what I saw, we'll see more for the Tuesday podcast on the omissions and the All

twenty two. But I thought that what he had to work with, he did a good job of working with what he had to work with. So some of the big plays in this game we talked about to Ah to start the game, to Jylan Waddle on that sixteen yard rip, I mean, how great is that? Just kind of a check with me, stand out, throw that thing out there, get a nice chunk game to start a drive. How about the eight yard quick ript us off on Akmed, who I think looks fantastic with a speed and the

explosiveness the Miles Gascon hurdle before that first touchdown. What a run that was. And by the way, on Miami's two touchdown drives, Miles Gascon had nine touches for fifty nine yards on those two drives, so kind of a catalyst in both the running game in the passing game. The to a touchdown run obviously a big play. Two A two waddle for thirty six. How about two a to Parker to get that first drive of the second

half jump started where it's third and long. The Dolphins looked like it might be kind of another one of these three and ounce or quick drives that gets him off the field. But to a dials up to Vante Parker on a ball that they just did not really connect on a whole lot last year. I mean, they made connections on short, intermediate throws, but the long ball

from two to Parker just wasn't really there. The ball wasn't always there, but today it certainly Brown the running back on third down and eight to the Dolphins from their own twenty seven yard line tied it ten the beginning of the third quarterback to all there's too up throws a deep down the field Parker catch. Did he get his feet in barns? Yes, they're saying yes at the forty three yards Lord, New England will look at this one, though, Dolphin's quickly running to the staff. They

don't want to get to look at this one on. Yeah, New England up there waiting to see if they can see it. Meanwhile, Miami wants to hurry. I think he's so. This is a quarterback who has completed deep balls traditionally throughout his football career on timing and precision and guys running underneath it and accelerating through the catch to continue on. But to be able to throw this ball to Parker, to throw the ball through the wattle where he came

back and got it. That's a nice little, you know, throwing into coverage, throwing guys open type of nod there for Toungo by Loa And what a hell of a catch for Devanta Parker for thirty yards to go up and get that thing. That's what Devanta does. Four catches eighty one yards for Devantae Parker in this game. A couple of big plays for Emmanuel Ogball, a big third down pass breakup, got the hands up, swatch that thing down,

gets the Dolphins defense off the field. And then I thought the biggest play for aug Ball was one that didn't even count. It was a holding call on the offense because he had a devastating cross shop move his that go to cross shop move man. He gets those that shoulder kind of dipped inside and works both those hands across and fights off the hand placement of the offensive line, and he cornered and had Matt Jones dead two rights and mac Jones didn't even see him. He

was looking up the field. It was gonna be a kill shot, good chance to maybe get the ball out on that play. But the right tackle reaches around and grabs og ball and prevents him just before Jones throws the ball from getting to the quarterback. But it's a holding call. Pushing back ten yards wipes out that drive. How about the Dolphins defensive backs and nod of the cap here to Joe Alexander and Charles Burke's for the work they do to find the friggrant football man twenty

three straight games. Now with a takeaway for your Miami Dolphins that goes back to last season, actually into twenty nineteen, the longest streak in the National Football League, and all three today were forced fumbles. Only two of them got taken away by the Miami Dolphins, but all three possible takeaways forced fumbles by Eric Roe, Javon Holland, and Xavian Howard.

In that defensive secondary tip of the cap to g A and Coach Burke's forgetting those guys to really have that focus and emphasis on the football the last couple of years. And then of course to a on that final drive the quarterback keeper off the edge where he had the kind of awkward slide that was a big time play in a big moment where the Dolphins are

backed up. If you go three and out right there, I mean you're putting the ball basically at midfield with a good punt no return, it's gonna be tough to hold that Patriots offense from getting ten fifteen yards and possibly kicking a game winning field goal. So I first down there was paramount, looked like they had it set up a second and one comes back on a holding call.

Had to kind of reshuffle from there, and then they come right back and hit it again on that slant to DeVante Parker, which was the biggest play of the game from my money, to really put that thing on ice and get this offense really kind of going in the right direction on that drive to close this game out and wind up in victory formation. That's where you want to be. A couple more individual notes here. I talked about Miles Gaskin. Savan Akhmed I just love that

one to punch. And then you factor in Malcolm Brown some of the work he did in the wildcat game today, the short yard stuff he converted on as a running back, but Gaskins three down ability and pass protection to catch the football matchup based. I mean, he had a quick, a quick hitter from tow on the field goal drive, matched up on Dante high tower, which of course you want to get high tower out there and coverage, and Miles Gaskin was able to do that because he leaked

out and you have to go cover that guy. You can't just let him run free. So his ability to create matchups on linebackers and savan Akhmed I thought we're both apparent today in this game had a nice catching run where he got hit at the line, picked up six yards after initial contact. Just little stuff like that that you know, it's with these guys where they tend to make more yards than what's given to them based upon the blocking or what should be given to them

based upon what you have in the look. Talked about Davante Parker, for one, thought the body control was great, that the hands were great in this game, looking like vintage DVP. I thought Solomon Kiley had a nice game on a couple of the big Miles Gaskin runs, pinning guys and sealing off some gaps and getting some push and he just plays kind of nasty through the whistle. Thought. Liam Eikenberg had some good moments in his first NFL start.

He had some welcome to the NFL moments as well, but good to see him out there at left tackle in place of Austin Jackson, who of course was elevated to questionable on Saturday and then today removed from the injury port altogether, but he did not wind up playing without any practice reps. Tough to get out there on the field for game day. So Ikenbrook starts at left tackle, with Kiley at left guard, Michael Dieter at center, Rob Hunt at right guard, and then Jesse Davis at right tackle.

I think the offensive line could have had a better day, but all things told, Hey, the quarterback was upright for most of the game, and they did a good job of of getting enough points to win this game. Defensively, I thought Adam Butler had a big day and he had a He caused a hold just on the get off alone. He shot a gap and forced a guy to reach back there and grab him because if he didn't,

he was gonna blow it up for a TfL. That ended up causing the Patriots I think, a chance to get a touchdown on that drive because they were marching and they wind up getting behind the chain and could not invert after that. So Adam Butler nice work there. Christian Wilkins had some nice work against the run as well as the pass rush had the obvious sack there. Talked about Emmanuel Augma against the run too, man getting outside of the edge there on some of those run plays.

Thought he did a fantastic job in that regard. We talked about xaviing Howard probably not gonna have any stats on Pro Football Focus on the Tuesday podcast because he was just never really thrown at, but he will have the biggest play of the game there and the force fumble at the end. Uh Byron Jones, I thought I had himself a good game as well. You know, he gave up a few catches underneath, but we'll take that, will live with that every single day of the week.

I just love the way those two guys complement each other's games because Byron Jones can play that sticky man coverage where he just basically says, I'm not gonna worry about the ball so much. He will play the ball, but I'm gonna make sure this guy doesn't make any catches and that in turn can force targets back to Xaviing Howard, who we know what he can do with the ball skills as well. So I thought both those

guys played well together. And how you envision it when you go out and sign a Byron Jones and you have an Xaviing Howard in your back pocket. Eric Rowe, the tight end e racer, we call him all the time. Five catches forty two yards for John Hi Smith. I think it was three for thirty for Hunter Henry. So to hold those guys to that like, to me, those are the focal points of the offense, and I don't know what Eric rose coverage numbers were. We'll have that

for you on Tuesday. But I thought he played really well, came back from an injury, forced to fumble. Just a really solid player every single time he suits it up for your Miami Dolphins. And then Jason mccordy had a big pbut in the middle of the field on a ball that looked like it was gonna be a big completion for the Patriots offense, he would not allow it a big time completion or in completion there based on Jason mccordy. And he was just over the top all

day today making plays and and capping things off. Good work from him. Brandon Jones made two plays that I really loved. One on defense where he shot up the field with the instinct and kind of read the snap and got his keys and got in there and forced the running back on an outside run to bubble back inside to help for a a very like a one yard game, maybe a no game. And then on a kickoff he shoots in there and gets a stop where the Patriots wind up holding as well, so it's a

ten yard penalty. Pushed him back to the nine yard line to really give them fourteen yards of hit and yardage. Brandon Jones made some good plays in that way. And then Jason Sanders, you make a field goal in a game where you win by one, we have to give you a nod on that. And the distance on that field goal, I'm gonna find it for you here in just one second from Jason Sanders forty eight yards. I knew it was deep from deep, forty eight yard field goal.

This guy continues to connect from distance for this Dolphins team and again, and at one point Victory had to have that forty eight yard kick and Jason Sanders stepped up and nailed it. And so plenty of good to talk about here, plenty of corrections to make as well, and we'll have more for you on the Tuesday podcast to go ahead and get a better look at the All twenty two and break this thing down and come back with some numbers and some film evaluation for all

you guys here on the Drive Time podcast. But some of the guys who I don't think you know on the initial watch that had their best days. Some of those guys were guys that I just have no worries about long term. So for me, when they get it corrected, man to get a win like that, I just don't know how you can care about anything else. Before we get out of here, let's give you the final stats

for the game. The Dolphins have sixteen first downs of the Patriots twenty four, just four for eleven on third down compared to eleven for sixteen from the Patriots. The Patriots out gained Miami by quite a bit three two fifty nine the passing game to one eight five, rushing one to seventy four. They did run eighteen more plays seventy compared to fifty two in the game. The Patriots had the two turnovers, Miami had the one. The Dolphins were sacked twice by the Patriots pass rush. Dolphins got

to Mac Jones once, and the penalties. How about this one eight for eighty four for New England, five eight for Miami and time of possession goes in the Patriots favorite thirty sixty three seventeen. Sounds like a buck score that would go towards one team. It did not. It went towards your Miami Dolphins. If you have not listened to the post game show yet on five sixt w q AM and Kiss Country nine nine point nine, we

should have that available for you on my timeline. I'll go ahead and tweak that out a two hour show with me, Seth and o J giving you more Miami Dolphins coverage. But as for my time, that's gonna be my time. It is eleven o seven pm on Sunday night. Caroline Daddy is coming home. You all please be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcast. Leave us a rating, leave us a review. You can follow me on Twitter at Wingfield NFL. You can follow the Dolphins

at Miami Dolphins tough Enough. Check out the YouTube channel as well. All the postgame press conferences will be up there for you guys to go ahead and digest. Take a look at and get all your Miami Dolphins information as well as needs, and of course, the fish Tank Podcast with Seth and o J and Miami Dolphins dot Com Until next time sends up Dolphins at first place one and no baby, Let's go