What ‘Shocked’ Shannon Sharpe In Patriots’ Loss To Dolphins

For a moment Sunday night, it looked like the Patriots extended a potential game-tying drive in miraculous fashion.

Trailing Miami by seven with a minute left at Gillette Stadium, New England needed to convert a fourth-and-4 from the Dolphins’ 33-yard line to keep its hopes of a Week 2 win alive. Mike Gesicki was short of the first-down marker after catching an out route from Mac Jones, but the Patriots appeared to move the chains when Cole Strange powered himself forward after collecting a lateral from the veteran tight end.

Unfortunately for New England, the initial ruling of a first down was reversed. Referees determined the Patriots’ left guard was inches short of a first down, which sealed a 24-17 victory for the Fins.

Shannon Sharpe believes the officials’ flip-flop wasn’t warranted.

“I am shocked they overturned the call because I see nothing that’s conclusive to definitively say that he was short of the line to gain,” Sharpe said Monday on ESPN’s “First Take.” ” … When you go back and look at it, on the field they said first down. How can you go and look at the replay and say, ‘No, he was short of the line to gain.’ I don’t believe they should have overturned that call.”

Gesicki and head coach Bill Belichick were visibly frustrated after the refs changed the call. But unlike Sharpe, former NFL official and current rules analyst Terry McAulay thought it was “clear and obvious” Strange didn’t gain the necessary yardage to keep New England’s drive going.

Fair or not, the Patriots will have to live with the results and move onto Sunday’s Week 3 road matchup with the New York Jets.