Seven Thoughts On Patriots’ Latest Loss To Dolphins

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- A make-or-break game in Miami proved to be the latter for the Patriots.

New England mounted a second-half rally but lost to the Dolphins 31-17 on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium. The loss dropped the Patriots to 2-6 on the season, all but ending any hope they had of clawing their way back into the AFC playoff race.

Just three 2-6 teams since the 1970 merger went on to make the postseason. The question now is whether the Patriots will sell off players ahead of Tuesday's NFL trade deadline and shift their focus toward 2024.

Here are seven quick-reaction thoughts on the Week 8 result:

1. Another big Mac Jones mistake
One of the game's defining moments occurred late in the first half. With the Patriots down 14-7 and driving, Jones tried to hit Kendrick Bourne down the right sideline but found cornerback Jalen Ramsey instead.

Ramsey, who made his Dolphins debut Sunday after a stint on injured reserve, peeled off from DeVante Parker to intercept Jones' ill-advised pass inside Miami's red zone. He returned it 49 yards before being driven out of bounds by Demario Douglas, and the Dolphins got a field goal on the ensuing possession to take a 10-point halftime lead.

Yeah. @jalenramsey did THAT. 😤 pic.twitter.com/bvppRqFbhK

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) October 29, 2023

The Patriots are 0-6 this season when Jones throws an interception and 2-0 when he doesn't.

New England's offensive momentum from last week's upset win over the Buffalo Bills melted in the Miami heat, with Jones going 19-for-29 for 161 yards and two touchdowns with one INT. No Patriots player topped 40 receiving yards.

Rookie Demario Douglas, who drew a double team on an early Jones touchdown pass to Kendrick Bourne, led New England with five receptions on seven targets, but those went for 25 total yards.

2. Two wideouts go down
DeVante Parker suffered a concussion on a third-quarter hit to the head from safety DeShon Elliott that likely should have drawn a penalty. He showed clear signs of impairment after the play and was ruled out within minutes.

One drive later, Bourne awkwardly twisted his knee while being tackled along the Dolphins' sideline. He walked off under his own power, was taken to the locker room after a brief stop in the sideline medical tent and, like Parker, quickly was ruled out for the rest of the game.

Bourne scored the Patriots' first touchdown Sunday and has been their most productive receiver this season. He also had been viewed as one of their most valuable trade chips if they chose to be deadline sellers. A serious knee injury, though, obviously would make a trade unlikely. Either way, it's an unfortunate break for one of the Patriots' top performers.

3. Late arrival for JuJu Smith-Schuster
The Patriots' struggling veteran slot receiver was active Sunday after missing two games with a concussion, but he didn't see the field until after Parker and Bourne both exited with injuries.

Smith-Schuster's lone target resulted in his first touchdown as a Patriot -- a 3-yard score on fourth-and-goal that cut New England's deficit to seven. (A 31-yard Jaylen Waddle touchdown on the ensuing drive iced the game for Miami.)

Smith-Schuster also sparked a near-brawl when he leveled Dolphins safety Brandon Jones on a desperation Jones heave with two minutes remaining.

4. Kyle Dugger, playmaker
Dugger set up Bourne's first-quarter touchdown when he intercepted an errant Tua Tagovailoa pass. It was the first takeaway of the season for the fourth-year safety and a return to form for a player who forced four turnovers and scored three defensive touchdowns in 2022.

Like Bourne, Dugger is a potential trade candidate who is in the final year of his contract. Another of those, linebacker Josh Uche, missed Sunday's game with foot and knee injuries.

5. Tough day for J.C. Jackson
Jackson has been a valuable and necessary addition to the Patriots' secondary since his return via trade earlier this month, but this was not the veteran cornerback's finest outing.

Tua Tagovailoa frequently picked on Jackson in the first half and beat him for a pair of touchdowns: a 42-yard bomb to Tyreek Hill and a 1-yard slant to Cedrick Wilson. Jackson also was flagged for a questionable pass interference penalty on Hill that extended a Miami drive and led to Wilson's score.

The Patriots could not corral Hill or Waddle in this game, with Miami's elite receiver duo combining for 15 catches for 233 yards and two touchdowns. Tagovailoa threw for 324 yards and he improved his career record against New England to 6-0.

6. Ja'Whaun Bentley injured
Already down Matthew Judon and Christian Gonzalez, the Patriots lost another defensive pillar Sunday when linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley suffered a hamstring injury. He exited toward the locker room during the second quarter and did not return.

Bentley, the Patriots' defensive captain, entered Sunday with the second-highest snap rate of any New England defender (95%; one snap behind team leader Kyle Dugger). Mack Wilson was his primary replacement and has some noticeable missteps in coverage. The Patriots also missed Bentley's blitzing ability.

7. Tyquan Thornton scratched
You can add "healthy scratch" to the young wideout's inauspicious list of career achievements. The Patriots opted to sit Thornton on Sunday after he caught just two passes on three targets for 8 yards across his first two games back from injured reserve.

New England used a second-round draft pick on Thornton, and over his first 1 1/2 pro seasons, he has 25 catches for 255 yards and two touchdowns. Could the Patriots look to trade him ahead of Tuesday's deadline? Perhaps. But what could they hope to get for an underperforming player who was widely viewed as a Day 3 prospect to begin with?

Rookie wideout Kayshon Boutte also was inactive for the seventh straight game.