Week 2 Game Thoughts: Dolphins at Patriots

mercury22nathan wrote:The Pats offensive gameplan seemed to be to attack Apple often and it was their most effective strategy – especially the back-to-back interference calls.  If teams continue to go after Apple, we might need to see Cam Smith get more defensive playing time.  The game felt much closer than it needed to be and Jones’ 74% completion rate was too efficient, however the 4.3 yards per pass just wasn’t enough and I was surprised they tried to force balls to Bourne (4 completions in 9 targets) instead of more thrown to the TE’s (11 completions in 13 targets) as those seemed to be working.

It will be interesting to see if No. 4 cornerback Justin Bethel or Cam Smith, Parry Nickerson or Kelvin Joseph can wrest the No. 3 cornerback job from Eli Apple, who was targeted repeatedly by the Patriots.

Per Pro Football Focus, New England threw at Apple 10 times and completed seven of those passes for 76 yards. Apple also was penalized three times.

The Patriots threw only twice at Kader Kohou, and completed both passes but for just 13 yards.

They threw twice at Bethel and completed both, but for just 6 yards.

The Patriots threw nine times at Xavien Howard and completed six passes for 46 yards, but Howard had an interception on one of those passes.

Just three of seven passes against safeties Jevon Holland and DeShon Elliott were completed, and for only 23 yards (all coming against Holland).

Among the linebackers, Jerome Baker was targeted eight times and allowed all to be caught for 41 yards and a touchdown. New England was 10-for-10 passing against Miami’s starting inside linebackers, going 2 for 2 for 22 yards against David Long Jr.

mercury22nathan wrote:2 games in and the Patriot's cracks are starting to show.

“Definitely got to play better and learn from it and be here early and leave late and do it together. I think that’s the biggest thing. If a couple guys are doing it, it’s not good enough, clearly," Jones said.

https://sports.yahoo.com/mac-jones-clarifies-not-calling-234947636.html

Jones tried to later say (not very convincingly) he wasn't calling out other guy's lack of time commitment and effort, but i think its pretty clear that is exactly what he was saying.

DolFan 316 wrote:

mercury22nathan wrote:2 games in and the Patriot's cracks are starting to show.

“Definitely got to play better and learn from it and be here early and leave late and do it together. I think that’s the biggest thing. If a couple guys are doing it, it’s not good enough, clearly," Jones said.

https://sports.yahoo.com/mac-jones-clarifies-not-calling-234947636.html

Jones tried to later say (not very convincingly) he wasn't calling out other guy's lack of time commitment and effort, but i think its pretty clear that is exactly what he was saying.

Hey, it worked when Brady did it, right?

"I think this is a role Mac Jones has become accustomed to playing, whether it was in high school or college, where he wants to be the tone-setter," Breer explained. "The reason why I correlated his comments after the game last week to what you heard coming out of his camp when he was a rookie is that there is a standard he was use to having in the program at Alabama, and he didn't feel like it was there when he was a rookie. Clearly it wasn't there last year, which I think led to a lot of the frustration personally.