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The Patriots dropped their season opener in Miami to the Dolphins, in a game that saw them take nine penalties for 100 yards and give up 200 yards on the ground.

The Pats looked good in the first half, with two sustained touchdown-scoring drives. But they never came out of the locker room in the second half. This drive chart shows how dead they were offensively.

It was fitting that there was a problem with a long snap that started the Pats’ problems. After cutting Danny Aiken last weekend, only to re-sign him Friday wasn’t the best thing for the player and it came back to cost them.

As expected there were a bunch of penalties and missed tackles, those can be cleaned up, but it was still disappointing to see the Patriots play so undisciplined. Miami figured it out and overcame the turnover problems they had in the first half. New England fell apart.

If Miami doesn’t have three giveaways in the first quarter is this game even close?

The run defense up the middle scared me coming into this one, and it looks like I was right to worry. Without Spikes and limited size/depth at defensive tackle, the Pats were gashed over and over in the second half. 

The concerns about the offensive line’s protection were valid and the whole offensive line looked overwhelmed in the second half. Rotating players didn’t seem to help.

Still, it’s just the first game of the season and things are never quite as bad as they may seem. The Pats have a tall task with Adrian Peterson next week though and they’ll have to fix their problems.

But take out the penalties and the missed tackles and there are the makings for a good defense, if only they can stop the run.

Offensively they were off their rhythm in this one for sure, but they’ll find it. They always do.