Four preseason games apparently weren’t enough for the New England Patriots.
Head coach Bill Belichick used the Patriots’ season opener in Miami as a glorified preseason game to test different combinations on offense and defense. In all, they used 37 different offensive alignments and 31 defensive alignments in 60 minutes against the Dolphins. If the Patriots were hoping to find any continuity to get on a roll, it wasn’t going to come Sunday.
The Patriots blamed their 33-20 loss on a lack of execution, but a lack of cohesiveness could’ve had just as much to do with it. Players filtered in and out of the game on nearly every play, and the Patriots might have spent too much time trying to fool the Dolphins rather than building team rapport.
Check out some of our findings based on tracking those alignments in every snap of the Patriots-Dolphins matchup.
OFFENSIVE LINE COMPARISON
The Patriots started Nate Solder at left tackle, Marcus Cannon at left guard, Dan Connolly at center, Jordan Devey at right guard and Sebastian Vollmer at right tackle. They mixed in Ryan Wendell at center, pushing Connolly over to right guard, for 19 snaps.
While Wendell was on the field, Tom Brady completed 10 of 15 passes for 102 yards and one touchdown with a sack and a fumble. The Patriots also ran the ball six times for 39 yards.
With Devey, Brady completed 19 of 41 passes for 147 yards with three sacks and a fumble. The Patriots ran the ball 14 times for 50 yards and a touchdown with Devey at guard and Connolly at center.
The Patriots’ offense was more effective with Wendell on the field, and it will be interesting to see if he receives more reps than Devey next Sunday in Minnesota.
DEFENSIVE LINE COMPARISON
The Patriots struggled to stop the run, and while many blamed a switch to a 3-4 defense and the line, just as much blame can be placed on the linebackers, who failed to effectively fill their gaps and fend off blockers at the second level.
The Patriots started Joe Vellano and Vince Wilfork on the defensive line, though rookie Dominique Easley and Sealver Siliga, with a club over his left hand, mixed in. The Patriots allowed 111 yards on 16 carries (6.9 yards per carry) with Vellano on the field, 102 yards on 22 carries with Siliga (4.6), 53 yards on 12 attempts with Easley (4.4) and 137 yards on 22 carries with Wilfork (6.2).
Stats don’t tell the whole story, of course, but that’s a positive sign for the play of Siliga and Easley. Easley was forced to play out of position at five-technique defensive end in the Patriots’ three-man front. He played better at defensive tackle in college at Florida.
BRADY STRUGGLES WITH GRONK
Brady appeared to be forcing the ball to Rob Gronkowski when the big tight end was on the field. Gronk saw 31 snaps (not counting penalties), and Brady completed just 9 of 25 passes for 74 yards and one touchdown with two sacks and a fumble with the All-Pro in the offense. The Patriots ran the ball six times for 27 yards and a touchdown with Gronkowski.
Gronkowski didn’t appear to be 100 percent yet, which is understandable, since he’s just eight months removed from ACL surgery and didn’t play in the preseason. Brady hit Gronkowski on just 4 of 11 targets for 40 yards and a touchdown.
THE TWO-TIGHT END OFFENSE RETURNS?
The Patriots ran 19 plays with two tight ends on the field, and Brady completed 4 of 8 passes for 27 yards and one touchdown in that set.
The Patriots ran 25 plays in a 21 alignment (two running backs, one tight end), 42 plays in an 11 alignment (one running back, one tight end), 14 plays in a 20 alignment (two running backs, zero tight ends), 18 plays in a 12 alignment (one running back, two tight ends) and one snap in a 22 alignment (two running backs, two tight ends). Gronkowski and Wright shared the field for just four snaps.
One would imagine that Brady would look his best with Gronkowski, wide receivers Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola and either Brandon LaFell or Kenbrell Thompkins, and running back Shane Vereen, but that wasn’t the case.
Brady completed just 2 of 10 passes for 12 yards and a sack with Vereen, Gronk, Edelman, Amendola, Thompkins and his starting offensive line. He completed 1 of 7 passes for 18 yards with a strip sack with Vereen, Gronk, Edelman, Amendola, LaFell and his starting offensive line.
Brady completed just 17 of 37 passes for 125 yards in an 11 alignment.
STRONG SAFETY BATTLE
Veteran Patrick Chung started at strong safety next to Devin McCourty, but Tavon Wilson and Duron Harmon rotated onto the field. The Dolphins completed 10 of 12 passes for 94 yards and one touchdown when Chung was on the field, 7 of 15 passes for 69 yards with an interception with Wilson and 1 of 4 passes for 17 yards with Harmon.
All three safeties appeared to play well in their limited action. Harmon mostly played in more of a free safety role, lined up back deep with McCourty.
