Felger: The Dolphins “pantsed” the Patriots

The New England Patriots lost 31-17 on Sunday afternoon to the Miami Dolphins to fall to 2-6 on the season. On Monday's Felger and Mazz, Felger talked about the Patriots loss to Miami and how he thought the Dolphins "pantsed" the Patriots.

The Dolphins "Pantsed" the Patriots on Sunday....

Felger: You know that expression, that cliche, that play kind of says it all?

Mazz: Yep.

Felger: You know what I mean? I think that was one of those plays yesterday that says it all. It says it all about this Patriots team and where they stand against the Miami Dolphins. It sort of says it all, that one. Because, well I'll just expand on it briefly, it just says it all because I feel like you just got pantsed. There's obviously a talent disparity between the teams and how they're built and we'll spend a lot of time talking about that today because I think that's, you know, obviously the first thing on the list, it's real and it's exposed when you face a team like Miami that's built the way that they're built. But there's also instances in that game yesterday where I just sort of felt they pantsed you, you know what I mean? Like, they just...they got you. It'd be one thing if Jaylen Waddle was being covered and he just beat his guy man on man, and just broke away because he's faster than J.C. Jackson or Myles Bryant or whatever. And you'd say, "okay, well, that's just talent". But, you know, no one's within 20 yards of him and you got two guys biting on a fake and going the other way and he's just left all alone on fourth and one to seal the game. And it's like, that one's just sort of sticks out to me. I felt that the Tyreek Hill touchdown catch was another play like that. I felt the Mac Jones interception was another play like that, where it's just they just pick you apart. And so I thought that was one of those plays that say it all. It says it all about where you are and where this team is.

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The New England Patriots are 2-6 on the 2023 season after falling to the Miami Dolphins by a 31-17 final at Hard Rock Stadium. Here are 11 players graded either "UP" or "DOWN" based on the game...

Jones had a good touchdown drive off a Dolphins turnover to give the Patriots an early lead, and another good scoring drive late in the fourth quarter to keep the game within reach. But in-between, Jones was underwhelming.

After a clean game last week against the Buffalo Bills, Jones couldn't avoid a turnover in this one. And this time it was a bad decision and a bad throw, at one of the worst possible times. On the Miami 23-yard line with a chance to tie the game heading into halftime, Jones instead lobbed a floating outside pass attempt toward Kendrick Bourne, which Jalen Ramsey intercepted with ease.

Bourne was technically open, but Jones only had a chance to make that play if he gunned it as hard as he could. Instead of potentially tying the game, the Patriots ended up at halftime down 17-7 after the Dolphins grabbed a field goal off his interception.

Jones has a solid opportunity to rebound in the coming weeks, with games coming up against the Commanders, Colts, and Giants. But it's possible that Jones has made too many crucial mistakes at this point in the season for the Pats to have a chance to crawl out of the hole they've dug for themselves.

Jackson committed a killer penalty on the other side of the ball, taking a tug at Tyreek Hill's jersey to draw a flag for pass interference. The play would've been incomplete and forced fourth down. Instead, the Dolphins got first-and-goal from the 1 and scored a demoralizing touchdown. Tough play at a tough time for Jackson, earning him a "DOWN" for the day.

Unfortunately, Bourne will be making headlines more for a knee injury that forced him out of the game. But before that, Bourne caught 3-of-4 targets for 36 yards and a touchdown. If he's out for significant time, that'll be a tough blow to the Patriots, whether they planned to play him or trade him.

Elliott had a couple of tough runs on the Patriots' final touchdown drive, but that wasn't enough to make up for a rough day leading up to it. At one point, Elliott had four carries for just seven yards, and he was fortunate not to lose a fumble in the first half.

Dugger set a good early tone for the Patriots with a first-quarter interception, and led the team with eight total tackles, including a sack. One of his tackles on Durham Smythe prevented a touchdown at the goal line. Dugger bit on the play-fake that led to a late Jaylen Waddle touchdown, but that play was a team breakdown. Overall, a productive day for him.

Mapu (not pictured above) appeared to be the deep safety responsible for helping over the top against Tyreek Hill when the receiver caught a 42-yard touchdown. The rookie linebacker/safety hybrid has potential as a versatile coverage player, but that was a big mistake that ended up costing the team.

Barmore now has consecutive games with a sack after bringing Tagvoailoa down in the first quarter, and getting good pressure again on the throw that led to Dugger's interception. The Dolphins appeared to adjust well to Barmore as the game went on, but Barmore has been playing that well. He requires extra attention. If the Pats defense is going to be dangerous at all in the second half of the season, Barmore will have to play a big role in it.

Henry had just one catch until the fourth quarter, and finished with three catches for 28 yards. The Patriots' tight ends certainly have had a lot of blocking responsibilities amid problems on the offensive line, but Henry needs to do more for them as a pass-catcher, especially against an opponent like the Dolphins.

White had three tackles, one for a loss, and was more disruptive than the stat sheet would suggest. He's been good in recent weeks after having to take on a bigger role in the absence of Matthew Judon.

Seven tackles and a pass breakup for Tavai, who had one of his better games as a Patriot. It was for naught, and Tavai can only do so much himself, but he gets a thumbs up for this game.

Bryant was responsible for Tyreek Hill on the third-and-9 catch that kept the Dolphins' final touchdown drive alive. A better angle and tackle could have stopped Hill short and forced a punt. Hill is of course a tough matchup for any cornerback, but Bryant has shown in the past to be a better tackler than he's shown lately.

Next Ups & Downs will come after the Patriots return home to play the Washington Commanders in Week 9 at Gillette Stadium.

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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. Check out all of Matt's content here.