Shame of Game - Patriots

[Denver2]

Tua played elite for most of the game then at the worst time he is blind out there. Real quarterbacks win when you’re in that situation.

That leads me to dishonorable mention to special teams kick coverage, just awful to allow a special teams TD on the next play. That play ended the game.

[Sibster]

Turnover Tua.  Second half, he was sacked three times, picked off once and had trouble several times getting the snap off on time.

The kick coverage team gets a dishonorable mention.   No excuse to be lax in coverage like that after your punt returner just gave you the lead.

[Downunder Dolphan]

From the NFL highlights package:

Tua actually looked decent up to the last quarter - then the overthrow of Hill, the INT, and the meltdown at the end.

Our defense still sucks playing zone. Even before Tua's last qtr, the momentum changed in the Patriots favor from late in the 3rd qtr with all the missed tackles on Stevenson. Goode's missed tackle on the kick return TD was terminally bad.

Ultimately, again I pin this on McDaniel. The team was slow out of the gates again, and despite everything we still had a chance with our last drive... which was then doomed by unnecessary burning of timeouts and penalties.

Tua said this after the game: “That was really frustrating. It was frustrating with the communication, with the guys inside the huddle and then what the personnel is, then the play for those guys. Do we have too many guys in, why do we have another guy running in? Just the whole operation of that was not up to standard, was not up to par and I’ve got to do a better job with our guys in that sense.”

If McDaniel's head is so far up his own ass that he can't see his playcalling and slack attitude is costing the team, and losing the players, then he deserves to be shown the door.

This game was better than last week (which isn't saying that much) but the fundamental problems and mistakes remain, and are still holding us back. That's on coaching.

[fyo]

Multiple false start/delay of game penalties, starting forward on a motion before the snap, and let's not forget a wholly unnecessary illegal contact on a 2nd and 25 (that would have been 3rd and 25).

The offensive line also looked like absolute garbage in the 4th quarter.

Tua looks scared when he's flushed from the pocket, which is understandable given his injury history, but the accuracy, ability to anticipate, and decision making - that used to make up for his lack of a big arm - are nowhere to be found. I was going to bitch about him underthrowing Tyreek on the long bomb, but it was the third longest completion (in terms of yards through the air) of anyone this season so far. It still felt like he lofted it more than necessary, but I'm going to admit my initial irritation was probably unwarranted.

Ultimately, I think the play calling needs to be changed to make this offense work. Teams won't respect anything deep if we don't go deep, so they just play a lot of cover 2 with everyone else either in the box or close to it. That just makes it hard to get any consistent plays going. For the two quarters where things were actually moving, this felt like what we were doing, in addition to lining up fast.

Overall, my SotG goes to McDaniel, but with an HM to Tua and Marshall (for the inexcusable illegal contact).

[Dave Gray]

You guys are on the wrong side of the ball.

It's Anthony Weaver.

The defense has forced 2 punts in two games and one of them was on a bad snap.  The Patriots are bad offensively and we couldn't stop them at all.

In addition, the right side of the offensive line is beyond terrible and there was no protection, all day.

I konw everyone wants to take a dump on Tua, and that's fine, but he generally played pretty well and we were even in a position to win the game if Achane didn't just step out of bounds.  Even the final pick that Tua threw was in desperation time with the right side of the line absolutely letting someone just run in.

I have additional frustrations with McDaniel (I guess) or whoever the buck stops with in terms of the general pre-snap offense.  False starts, illegal motion, wasting timeouts, and delay of game -- not to mention just general lack of urgency that leads to rushing or last minute snaps.....way, way, way too much of that.

[Downunder Dolphan]

I wonder if Ross noticed this being flown above the Stadium before the game?

[Sibster]

I'll bet it was the same people who flew the Fire Jeff Ireland banner

[masterfins]

Turnover Tua.  Second half, he was sacked three times, picked off once and had trouble several times getting the snap off on time.

That's just classic Tua, he can't bring a team from behind, or keep his team in it, in close games.  I'm sure a Tua fan will point out one or two other times, but I have seen Tua play good and win down the stretch only ONE time in his 4 year career with Miami, and that was against Dallas.

To be fair I think the issue with not getting the snap off on time is McDaniels' fault because he doesn't get the play call in timely, then the communications cuts off with 15 seconds left on the time clock and Tua doesn't have the play.

[masterfins]

um um ah um ah um ah um um McDaniel.  Once again this year he is unable to get plays called in to Tua timely.  HE NEEDS TO LET THE OC CALL THE PLAYS!

[masterfins]

You guys are on the wrong side of the ball.

It's Anthony Weaver.

The defense has forced 2 punts in two games and one of them was on a bad snap.  The Patriots are bad offensively and we couldn't stop them at all.

I get why you say this, and I agree the defense hasn't played well.  The backfield has suffered from injuries, and they weren't that great to begin with this year.  I am very disappointed in the defensive line, they have talented players who aren't getting it done.  They need to be pressuring the QB.

[Spider-Dan]

The defense has been absolutely dreadful.

On average, there are about 6-7 shutouts across the league in a season, where an offense accomplishes exactly nothing all day; it is unremarkable.  And the offense hasn't even done that.

In contrast, the number of games where a defense allows a score on every drive is far, far lower.  Last week's defensive effort was legendary in how bad it was, and this week's effort was barely better.  And yet all the talk is about McDaniel and Tua.

[dolphins4life]

The front office.

When you overpay for players, the rest of the team suffers. 

[masterfins]

You guys are on the wrong side of the ball.

It's Anthony Weaver.

The odd thing is Weaver will probably become the interim HC if McDaniel gets fired mid season.  But then again the interims are usually gone to another team the following season.  It would also give Miami the advantage of satisfying the Rooney Rule so they could find their new HC quicker than other teams.