That Stings: Ex-Patriots’ Fingerprints All Over Dolphins Victory

FOXBORO, Mass. -- It's no secret that the Miami Dolphins roster has its fair share of former New England Patriots.

There were five former members of the Patriots who suited up for the Dolphins on Sunday night, with three more either occupying Miami's practice squad or sitting on injured reserve.

In short, that's a lot.

If those guys weren't lucky enough, having made the move from Foxboro, Mass. to South Beach, they also walked away from Gillette Stadium with a victory in Week 2 -- as the likes of Isaiah Wynn, Justin Bethel, Jake Bailey, Braxton Berrios and Chase Winovich all got a measure of revenge on their former team. In fact, it felt like all of them had a major part in doing so.

Wynn got the start at left guard for the Dolphins, playing in just his second game since leaving the Patriots this offseason. It was at his new position that the 27-year-old probably played his best game in multiple seasons, helping running back Raheem Mostert gain 121 yards on the ground and opening up a lane for one of his two touchdowns on the night.

"It always feels good to come back to where you started, or where you had a stint, and execute," Wynn said. "It meant a lot."

The impact that Wynn had was a consistent one, but it wasn't as nearly impressive as the one Bethel had in limited playing time. The 33-year-old, who mostly plays special teams, made what might have been the biggest play of the day for Miami -- sticking Patriots tight end Mike Gesicki on fourth-and-4 and forcing a lateral that would eventually end up short of the sticks -- sealing the game for the Dolphins.

"It's always cool coming back," Bethel said. "It's especially cool when you play a team -- you go to a team that's in the same division. You get to see the same guys you played with for a couple years, so it's always kind of fun to play a team you played for.

Berrios made a nice catch to set up a Dolphins score in the second quarter, while Winovich and Bailey were paramount on special teams. The loss would have hurt no matter what for the Patriots, but likely stung a bit more knowing their former teammates had such a big part in it.