The Patriots put up a goose egg in their first quarter of the 2022 NFL season, and that's something everyone should have seen coming.
This isn't an indictment of New England's unusually constructed offensive coaching staff and/or the supporting cast that surrounds second-year quarterback Mac Jones. It's because opening frames against the Dolphins haven't been very kind to Bill Belichick's team ever since Tom Brady left Foxboro for Tampa Bay.
As Patriots reporter Mike Reiss pointed out heading into the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium, citing ESPN Stats & Info, New England now has gone seven consecutive games without scoring a first-quarter point against Miami. The last time the Patriots did damage to the scoreboard in the first frame against the Fins was when the AFC East rivals met in Week 2 of the 2019 season, Brady's last with New England.
Fortunately for the Patriots, the Tua Tagovailoa-led Dolphins didn't find much success in the early goings of this season-opening showdown in South Beach. Miami took a mere three-point lead into the second quarter.
