MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo stood alone in the last sliver of fading sunlight on the visiting sideline, shuffling around and waiting for a game that had long been decided to end.
When it did, Mike McDaniel, the energetic, eccentric coach of the Miami Dolphins, met him at midfield for more than a courtesy handshake. The two had a lengthier-than-usual talk. It wasn’t controversial — it looked like it was done in more of a “feel bad for ya, so keep your head up” kind of way.
Back in the locker room and away from the field where the Patriots lost a not-as-close-as-it-sounds 34-15 game, the mood wasn’t somber. There’s a level of resignation or frustrated acceptance right now about what the Patriots are, and, crucially, where they are, which is a long way from where they hoped.
This current group of players that was blown out by the Dolphins isn’t a few tweaks and roster adds from success. At this point, it’s fair to question just about every position on the roster — and, yes, the coaching staff as well. That’s because this was the kind of loss that stops all of the supposed momentum and progress the Patriots hoped to be making as this season plods along.
Mayo hoped his team was turning a corner with wins in two of its last four entering Sunday, perhaps headed for the kind of late-season surge Bill Belichick brought in his first season in New England.
But Sunday was an all-around debacle, and the team is left to pick up the pieces.
The saddest part about the state of the Patriots is that this result wasn’t some anomaly so far removed from their play to this point of the season. This was the team’s worst loss since, what, five weeks ago against the Jaguars? Last year in Germany? Or 34-0 to the Saints? Maybe 38-3 to the Cowboys? The point is, a franchise that used to routinely dismantle opponents now doesn’t have to look too far in the rearview mirror to find duds on par with this one.
And while there are plenty of reasons for that — we could spend a lot of time debating just which aspect of this roster is the worst — the defense may be the most concerning.
The Patriots knew their offense was going to be a work in progress. Jacoby Brissett started the season at quarterback as a bridge to rookie first-round pick Drake Maye. They knew that even if things broke just right — and they certainly haven’t — they’d still have to use most of their offseason resources to continue to improve that side of the ball. Get another wide receiver. Fix the O-line. Maybe a tight end, too. All the things we’ve talked about for months.
But they never thought they’d need a total overhaul of the defense, as well. But after a total mess of a game from that side of the ball continued the unit’s downward trajectory, the Patriots showed just how much work is needed there, too. They need at least a couple of cornerbacks given Marcus Jones’ struggles and Jonathan Jones’ contract status. They need at least another linebacker after the poor play of free-agent signing Sione Takitaki. They need at least one more pass rusher since they can’t get to the quarterback, ranking 30th in the NFL in pressure rate.
Though New England has plenty of financial and draft resources, that’s a lot of fixes required for a team that also needs multiple new offensive linemen and at least one high-end wide receiver. With the defense as bad as it is, the Patriots will have some tough calls in the offseason about how to prioritize their needs. What if the last of the free-agent money comes down to a starting guard or a pass rusher? That won’t be an easy choice.
The disaster from the defense Sunday was more than just Christian Barmore still easing his way back in and Ja’Whaun Bentley and Jabrill Peppers being out. It was a total collapse. Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw for 317 yards and four touchdowns. The Dolphins had 23 first downs. Receiver Jaylen Waddle ended his slump with 144 yards and a score.
“It’s embarrassing,” defensive tackle Davon Godchaux said. “It’s a tough pill to swallow.”
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The most worrisome part for the Patriots is the questions a loss like this yields about the coaching staff. So far, Mayo has been relatively hands-off with the defense, preferring a CEO-type role while letting DeMarcus Covington run the unit.
But what evidence is there that the current setup should continue? Despite a short run of more positive play earlier this month, it feels like the defense is getting worse.
“It starts with me in getting these guys ready to go,” Mayo said afterward.
To be clear, it wasn’t just one position that struggled against the Dolphins. The Patriots were so bad on both sides of the ball that it’s difficult to pick out who had the worst game.
Was it left tackle Vederian Lowe, who was flagged for four penalties in the first half alone while letting pass rushers waltz into the backfield repeatedly, another sign of the Patriots’ dire offensive tackle situation?
.@zachsieler strips the ball & Jordyn Brooks scoops it up!
📺 #NEvsMIA on @NFLonCBS & @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/ig2Ke3vizk
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) November 24, 2024
Was it Marcus Jones, the undersized do-it-all man who was repeatedly roasted in such a concerning fashion that cornerback is quickly becoming one of the team’s biggest offseason needs?
Was it Kyle Dugger, the once-reliable safety who too often looked lost on the back end and was too slow to react on the Dolphins’ first three touchdowns, upping concerns about the four-year contract he signed in April?
Or was it right tackle Demontrey Jacobs, who was so bad at right tackle that the Patriots left Lowe in and used his backup, Sidy Sow, to replace Jacobs?
.@chopyoungbull is THAT guy. 🪓😤
📺 #NEvsMIA on @NFLonCBS & @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/QocDoTg8BB
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) November 24, 2024
There were a lot of guilty parties in Sunday’s performance.
“My message to the team was, ‘Look, this is the NFL — (it) just wasn’t good enough,’” Mayo said. “Gave up too many big plays, tackling, scheme, whatever you want to call it. Just overall execution defensively wasn’t good enough.”
To be clear, the Patriots offense wasn’t good either. Despite throwing for 222 yards, this was Maye’s worst game as a pro. The O-line was terrible. The receivers made mistakes.
But that side of the ball was supposed to be the one that struggled and had issues. That the Patriots can’t figure out their defense, the unit they thought would bring them success — Mayo’s area of expertise, no less! — is the bigger problem.
At the beginning of the season, Mayo was confident wins would come as the season wore on because his team would play smart football and dominate defensively. But the Patriots do neither of those, and now their offseason plan is about to get more complicated if they need major changes on the defensive side of the ball, too.
(Photo of Jaylen Waddle celebrating a Dolphins touchdown with Jonnu Smith: Megan Briggs / Getty Images)
