Patriots-Dolphins Ups & Downs: The good, the bad, and the ugly from Week 18

Author Matt Dolloff

January 9th, 2022 9:18 PM

The Patriots finished their resurgent 2021 regular season on a sour note, falling 33-24 to the Dolphins on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium. It was a mistake-filled affair for the Patriots, who in recent weeks have reverted to the way they looked early in the season.

No question, the sloppy football has to stop now, or the Patriots will be one-and-done in the playoffs. We already know the Bills can beat them when they’re not playing a clean game. And the talented Bengals would have potential to make them pay for unforced errors.

But clearly, no matter who the Patriots end up playing in the Wild Card round, they’re going to need to clean up the turnovers, penalties, and general miscues. They’ll be hard-pressed to win again if they look the way they did in Miami.

That said, the Patriots did have some bright spots in the game, and those “ups” are why they were within three points late in the fourth quarter. But the “downs” were too much to overcome. Here are the full Ups & Downs from Week 18…

• UP: RB Brandon Bolden

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  Easily the Patriots’ best player on the field. Bolden rushed seven times for 46 yards and a touchdown on the ground, and also made two catches for 20 yards with a receiving TD. If not for Bolden’s contributions, the Patriots might have gotten totally blown out. He’s had a sneaky-good season as the Patriots’ go-to receiving back since he’s had to step up in the absence of James White.

• DOWN: QB Mac Jones

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  Arguably his worst game. That’s mainly because of his ball security, or lack thereof. His interception, which resulted in a pick-six, was a poor decision and an inaccurate throw to boot. He failed at the two most important on-field qualities for a quarterback. And of course, there’s the snap from Ted Karras that he botched into a turnover. Jones made a handful of nice throws once the Patriots had to start throwing more, but not nearly enough to overcome the back-breaking mistakes. They’ll be one-and-done in the playoffs if he makes mistakes like that again.

• UP: WR Jakobi Meyers

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  Four catches for 70 yards doesn't look like a spectacular line on paper, but two of Meyers’ grabs were highlight reel-quaity and helped keep the Patriots in the game. Meyers may never be a consistent high-end playmaker at this level, but he’s been making big-time plays this season and could (read: might need to) emerge as a go-to guy in big-time situations in the playoffs.
• DOWN: Punt coverage

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  Patriots special teams coordinator Cam Achord had a bad day. It’s not his fault that the refs called a bad penalty against Brandon Bolden on the Dolphins’ fake punt attempt (pictured above), but they did almost give up the first down anyway. The real bad mistake came when Lawrence Guy lined up improperly on fourth-and-1 to get an illegal formation penalty, which gifted the Dolphins a first down. This unit has had its share of bad games over the course of the season, and the scrutiny should start with Achord.

• UP: TE Hunter Henry

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  All things considered, it wasn’t a bad day for Mac Jones’ weapons. Too bad they didn’t really start making plays until the Patriots went down by three possessions. But Henry sparked the entire offense with a 35-yard grab in the second quarter, which set up the Pats’ first touchdown. Henry led the team with five catches and 86 yards.

• DOWN: CB Jalen Mills

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  Mills’ killer pass interference penalty may or may not have been warranted. But the contact he made with the receiver - in the end zone - was clear. Mills’ penalty set up the Dolphins with first-and-goal from the 1, and they capitalized with a killer touchdown that put them back up 14 points. That penalty wiped out any momentum the Patriots maybe have been building.
• UP: LB Kyle Van Noy

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  Not a great game overall for Van Noy, the linebackers, or the defense. But KVN gets a nod for actually making a play at some point in the game, which was his sack of Tua late in the second quarter. It came after the Patriots had scored their first touchdown and gave the team a chance to score again before halftime. It was one small bright spot on a day that didn’t have many.

• DOWN: OL Ted Karras

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  The fumbled snap between Karras and Jones, which Miami recovered, turned out to be a pivotal moment in a game that was a three-point margin until the meaningless final touchdown. The replay looked more like Jones was culpable, because the ball was right there for him to handle. But it’s not really a coincidence that the fumbled snap happened right when Karras had to fill in for David Andrews, who appeared to have an equipment issue.

Next Ups & Downs come after the Patriots’ Wild Card game, which has yet to be scheduled. It could be as late as next Monday night.

Click here for complete New England Patriots coverage at 985TheSportsHub.com.

Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @mattydsays. You can also email him at [email protected].

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Author Matt Dolloff

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