Grading the five players to watch in the New England Patriots 27-24 loss to the Miami Dolphins in the regular-season finale.
The New England Patriots will be playing on Wild Card Weekend.
I repeat, the New England Patriots will be hosting the Tennessee Titans on Wild Card Weekend.
Like last season, the Miami Dolphins performed a miracle and this time it wasn’t in South Beach.
In Week 17, on a Sunday afternoon and in a game that still mattered for the Patriots, the Dolphins came into Gillette Stadium and punched Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl champions in the face.
Not only was the 27-24 loss to Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Dolphins an embarrassing one, it dropped the New England Patriots to the No. 3 seed, which means there will be no first-round bye. It also means the road to Super Bowl LIV is a much more difficult journey to a chance at winning title No. 7.
In all, there was some good performance and some disappointing ones for the New England Patriots. As for the five players to watch vs. Miami Dolphins, here are the grades of those players in Week 17.
Elandon Roberts with the play of the game
The linebacker/fullback was a player to watch going into the game and he didn’t disappoint.
Elandon Roberts was predicted to have a couple key blocks in the running game and an active participant on the defensive side with at least five tackles.
Well, defensively he only had one combined tackle, but on the offensive side he did have a key block on the Sony Michel touchdown run that tied the game 10-10. But he awakened the Gillette Stadium stunned crowed with this 38-yard touchdown reception that had Miami Dolphins defenders shaking their head:
Anyone who knows Patriots coordinator Josh McDaniels had to know he had a play like this chalked up in his back pocket, but no one was expecting it from that distance and at that point of the game.
While obviously ecstatic at the time following his first career NFL touchdown, Elandon Roberts was more concerned about the team losing the game and that first-round bye. Like a true competitor, the end result of the game is what truly mattered.
Grade: A-
Mohamed Sanu made progress
Okay, Mohamed Sanu did a couple things in this game that should give New England Patriots fans some hope.
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He did have a drop in the game as did a few of the Patriots receivers, but he had a couple key third-down conversions that showed just why the team felt he would be a valuable addition.
Now, he was predicted to have his best output as a member of the Patriots on Sunday. I had him with close to 10 catches for about 80 yards.
Well, that didn’t come close to happening as Mohamed Sanu had just 3 receptions for 35 yards.
But, in grading the veteran wide receiver, the play that really stuck out was a key third down conversion on the team’s go ahead drive late in the fourth quarter. Sanu broke his rout to get open for Tom Brady who had a ton of time to through.
That kind of adjustment is exactly what a quarterback like Brady loves running routs. More of that in the playoffs and perhaps the New England Patriots offense will have enough to actually make a deep run.
Overall, the jury is still out on Sanu as far as this season is concerned. However, he made some nice plays on the field that should definitely be marked on his progress report.
Grade: B-
Chase Winovich did not run wild
Well, the strength of the New England Patriots as a team is the component that ended up letting the team down in this Week 17 matchup.
The defense just wasn’t good enough against a team that really came to play. Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was sacked just one time and was able to do his thing passing the ball.
Where does Patriots rookie Chase Winovich come in?
Entering the game, he was a player to watch because of the mobility of Fitzpatrick. Due to his high motor, Winovich was predicted to record at least two sacks in this game.
What actually happened?
Chase Winovich only combined for a tackle in the game and didn’t seem to be on the field enough to create some of that pressure on Ryan Fitzpatrick.
In all, Winovich was just a part of the total disappointment of the day. The entire defense just seemed a second late, inches short or missed tackles from tacking over control of the game.
Hopefully, it’s just a bad game and not where this defense is trending as an overall unit.
Grade: C
Brandon Bolden provided a key play
Brandon Bolden was a player to watch due to his versatility and for the mere fact that he was facing his former team.
Predicted to score a touchdown on offense and deliver a key play on special teams, Bolden came through on the latter.
He did not get the touches expected offensively as Sony Michel did suit up and was productive, but he did have a key kickoff return to set up a score.
Midway through the fourth quarter with the team down 20-17, Brandon Bolden ran through defenders for a 38-yard scamper that set the New England Patriots up in great field goal position.
Tom Brady drove the team down to eventually score to go ahead 24-20.
If the Patriots defense was able to hold the Dolphins, Bolden’s return would’ve been a key play in the game.
Instead, it’s a play most fans won’t remember mostly due to the shock of losing to the Dolphins.
Grade: B+
Tom Brady had one costly mistake
In losing to the Miami Dolphins and thus losing a first-round bye, what the New England Patriots really lost was a chance to get some rest and get some of their key players healthy.
One of those players is obviously 42-year-old quarterback Tom Brady.
In what could’ve been his last regular-season game in a Patriots’ uniform, Brady ultimately did what he does best in leading a go-ahead touchdown late in the game, but a few of his mistakes contributed to the loss.
Most notably, there was the pick-six to former teammate Eric Rowe in the first half of the game. The errand throw put the team down 10-3 and gave the Miami Dolphins the hope they needed to win the game.
Predicted to throw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns, Brady did come close to that with 221 yards and two touchdowns.
The interception and a few overthrows did hurt the offense. Some dropped passes in key situations didn’t help the matter either.
Overall, Tom Brady still passed the test, but was definitely just average in a game the New England Patriots had to win.
We don’t say that often.
Grade: B-