It was not a weekend to be proud of for the New England Patriots. On a day in which the new look team was supposed to usher in a new era and defend their home turf, the Pats fell flat in nearly every category.
Aside from Kayshon Boutte and Harold Landry (who quietly had near league best days), New England was unimpressive. From the coaching to the play, there was a lot to be desired.
This left ESPN no choice but to tank the team’s ranking in the Week 2 power poll.
The Pats entered Week 1 in the 23rd position. After the 20-13 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Pats fall just outside of the bottom five at 27.
The only thing analyst Mike Reiss had to say about the performance was to sing the praises of captain Harold Landry.
“Landry, who was voted a team captain for the first time since high school, totaled 2.5 sacks in his Patriots debut,” Reiss wrote. “First-year defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, who also coached him in Tennessee, previously said, ‘He looks like a guy that’s got something prove. I’ve always loved Harold. I see a more mature player that understands now in Year 8 what his role is and what he wants to be.’”
Dolphins and Jets Finish Higher
The Patriots looked bad, I get it. But the Dolphins?
The Miami Dolphins had the absolute worst loss of Week 1 putting together a four quarter effort against Daniel Jones and the Indianapolis Colts in which the Colts scored every single time they touched the football. This is the first time this century that that has happened.
It was a 33-8 trouncing in which the Colts sent the Fins to the halftime locker room trailing 20-0.
On top of that, the Dolphins lost what should be their best corner. Even that was not enough to put the preseason 20th ranked team below New England.
As far as the New York Jets are concerned, they looked about as good as you can in a home loss. Aside from letting a 41-year-old quarterback throw for four touchdowns, the Jets were one 60-yard field goal away from a win.
They jump up three spots from 28 to 25.
Patriots Shift Attention To Miami
If you are a long time Patriots fan like myself, then you know how agonizing an early season trip to South Beach can be.
Even when Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski were bringing Lombardi’s to Boston, this was always a tricky spot for New England.
On paper, this should be a win for New England. Mike McDaniel is firmly planted on the hot seat. The Fins have more injuries than Kraft does rings. Miami’s Week 1 loss was as ugly as it gets.
But if history is an indicator, this one is going to be a lot tougher than it seems. The Patriots were a lot of people’s picks to get the 7th and final spot in the AFC playoff race. A loss to Miami in Week 2 could seriously be one of those games they are looking at at the end of the year that kept them out of the hunt.
Opponent be damned, this is a huge game Sunday.
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