BSJ Game Report: Dolphins 20, Patriots 7 - Offense punchless as Mac Jones (back) injured

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Everything you need to know from the Patriots’  loss to the Dolphins in quickie form, with BSJ insight and analysis:

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES

Mac Jones (back) taken for x-rays, which were negative: The Patriots lost the game 20-7, which was bad enough, but to see their quarterback slowly walk to the x-ray room at Hard Rock Stadium was adding insult to injury. The x-rays were negative, according to a source, and he'll be evaluated this week.

Jones suffered a couple of big hits in the game, including a high-low collision that was flagged early in the fourth quarter. The Patriots made the unusual move to announce the injury and say that Jones would not be available to reporters after the game. Not usually a good sign. Most players, especially QBs, try to tough anything out to not give the media the appearance of a serious injury.

Offense continues to struggle: With two weeks to prepare for this game, the Patriots put together a very nice opening drive that saw them go all the way to the Dolphins' 22-yard line. Then Mac Jones decided to throw at Miami CB Xavien Howard against DeVante Parker, and the pass was intercepted. After that, the offense sputtered with a handful of really bad plays. In one stretch, they had a 7-yard sack, -2 run, 9-yard pass on 3rd and 19, overthrow and strip-sack for a Dolphins touchdown. Another negative run ended the next drive. But the bigger issue was the Patriots couldn't make any big plays and needed 15 plays and 8:21 to score their only touchdown of the game. Patriots never made sizable plays down the middle of the field.

"Moved the ball," Bill Belichick said. "We couldn't get enough points, and we got into their territory. We got in their six, seven times, whatever it was, and it was 7 points. So we've got to do a better job of finishing.

"Not enough good things to win. A couple bad plays really hurt us. Need to finish some drives better on both sides of the ball and make an impact. Just build on this and go back to work."

Kendrick Bourne benched until 4th quarter, promptly makes 41-yard play: Bourne continued to be a forgotten man for much of this game, as he didn't appear until late in the game. He's as perplexed as anyone as to why he's not playing.

"Not sure, just play my role, you know, and so whatever I gotta do, just waiting for that moment because I really don't really know," he said. "So just waiting on an opportunity. ... It's tough. You know, just keeping my mind in it, though knowing my teammates are capable. It's not about me."

What's the issue?

"Not giving the coaches what they want, what they would like to see. So just need to get better on my part," Bourne said.

SECOND GUESS

Didn't really have an issue both times the Patriots punted in Miami territory because both were 4th and 10 situations, but it would have to be not giving the Patriots' best athletes/playmakers — Bourne, Jonnu Smith and Nelson Agholor — more opportunities. The three combined for 7 catches (23 percent of Jones' completions), but 48 percent of his 213 yards. Get the ball into the hands of your playmakers.

FOUR UP

Matthew Judon: Seemed to always be around the ball with 5 tackles, sack and 4 QB hits.

Jakobi Meyers: Had a terrific catch on third down on the sideline and led the team with four catches for 55 yards.

Running backs: Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson combined for 75 yards on 17 carries. Could have used more touches.

THREE DOWN

Trent Brown: Appeared to be at fault on the strip-sack, and had other questionable plays. Declined to speak with reporters after the game.

Kyle Dugger: Had a great game around the line of scrimmage, but his bad angle and missed tackle before halftime on Jaylen Waddle might have cost the team the game.

Devante Parker: Two targets for a 9-yard catch and an INT in the end zone.

TOP PLAYS

INJURIES

S Adrian Phillips (ribs) left the game slowly under his own power before halftime and was later ruled out for the game.

S Jabrill Peppers (hand): Was in a lot of pain on the sideline but was tended to. Stayed in the game.

QB Mac Jones (back): X-rays were negative after the game, but he did not speak with the media.

TWO TAKES BEDARD WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

Patriots lost a winnable game, and weren't all that close: New England fell behind 17-0 at halftime to a mediocre Dolphins game with a first-time head coach, and trailed by two scores for the final 37:26 of the game. The defense played well enough to win — especially with Tua Tagovailoa trying to give them the game repeatedly — but the Patriots loss because the offense was inept. There's little question the offense that ended last season has regressed due solely to the coaching changes — the personnel is almost the exact same — and they are starting from a deficit this season. That cost them this game. How many more will it cost them?

Patriots have to clean up the blocking, and get the ball into the hands of its playmakers: This offense looked like a pop gun attack. The running game was effective, but there was nothing built off the backs of those plays to cause larger plays in the passing game. It was a rudimentary attack. To get better, they have to clean up the pass blocking first and foremost. Then they have to set up the attack. They only used two personnel groupings, there was hardly any play-action or run action, and there was very little motion with plays designed off of the motion (just a decoy). It was a rudimentary offense, that produced minimal results.