Matt Judon, Patriots ‘not going to hang’ their hat on the first one
If there were any bright spots in the New England Patriots disappointing 20-7 Week 1 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, it was that Matt Judon and defense only gave up 13 offensive points. It was just the timing of those points that made the game seem out of reach with the offensive struggles of the team.
With the team down 10-0 with the seconds ticking down to half time, the Dolphins decided to go for it on fourth down near midfield.
A gutsy call by Miami rookie head coach Mike McDaniel, but one that paid off as the Patriots defense was caught not ready and gave up a touchdown when Tua Tagovailoa connected with Jaylen Waddle on a play in which he shredded three defenders to gallop into the end zone.
New England Patriots defense gave up the one big play that broke the team’s back
In what was really the one explosive play of the game by the Dolphins, it was a play that Judon knows his team has to be ready for if they want to win football games going forward.
"“I think all the points knocked us back,” Judon said following the game. “That’s how you win games. You score more points than they did. A.J. is kind of hurt, and it’s fourth down. We know they’ve got to pass it, fourth and long, and we give up six going into the half, and then they get the ball back. So that hurt us. It definitely stings, and we can’t do that if we want to be a good team.”"
The Patriots’ defense went on to only give up a field goal the rest of the way. Not only did they limit the Tua to Tyreek Hill combination, but they also had the Dolphins quarterback in positions where he almost gave the ball away. Much of that was because of the pressure Judon applied.
He only had one sack to show for it, but overall, it was a decent showing by the unit. Along with Judon making plays, Jonathan Jones held his own against Hill, Deatrich Wise had a key strip sack on the Dolphins first drive and Kyle Dugger was absolutely ballin’.
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Those are a few positives to take away from the game, but Judon knows the defense is a work in progress.
"“I think everybody is a work in progress until the end,” Judon continued. “It ain’t over until it’s over. We’re not tucking, and we’re not ducking on smoke. We’re going to go back out there and work. We’ve just got to work harder, honestly. We want to win games. We want to be a good football team. We want to have a chance to compete. So, with that, a work in progress. It ain’t over till it’s over. We’ve got 16 more of these, and we’re not going to hang our hat on the first one.”"
On to Pittsburgh, the New England Patriots defense appears to be the key to the team staying competitive and winning a couple of these games in the first part of the 2022 NFL season. Until Mac Jones and the offense are able to gain some steam, Judon and the defense must limit explosive plays and create turnovers to give this team a chance to win.
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That is just how it is at this point, but like Judon said, this season is far from over. Despite the struggles, the Patriots had their chances. The offense got the ball back a few times with an opportunity to make the game even closer and often they shot themselves in the foot.
While it may appear, the season is already over, it’s good to hear some of the leaders refuse to give up on the team or give up on themselves.