The Patriots started their 2020 season on the right foot, as they took care of business and defeated the Miami Dolphins by a score of 21-11.
This was Cam Newton’s first game since September 12th, 2019. The former MVP performed well, shook off some early rust, and helped propel the Patriots to victory.
The new-look Patriots offense featured a lot of old school football tactics, and it was quite effective. Running the football, controlling the clock, and winning the turnover battle were three things the Patriots really excelled at during their week 1 performance.
The Patriots ran the ball 42 times, resulting in 217 total rushing yards. The 42 rushing attempts were the most rushing attempts from any team during week 1, and the 217 total rushing yards also led the NFL during week 1.
It was a group effort, but the leading rusher for the Patriots was Cam Newton. Carrying the ball 15 times for 75 yards, including 2 rushing touchdowns. It only took one game for Newton to get his name in the Patriots record book. Newton broke Steve Grogan’s record for the most rushing yards by a Patriots quarterback in franchise history.
Newton really showed how potent and electric he can be running the football, the Dolphins struggled keep him contained all game long.
To go with the 75 rushing yards, Newton also completed 15 of 19 passes for 155 passing yards. Newton’s 19 passing attempts were his lowest number of passing attempts in a game since 2011.
Newton connected with Julian Edelman and N’Keal Harry for a combined 10 receptions. They were the only 2 receivers to catch a pass from Cam Newton in this game.
Edelman looked good outside his 1 drop in the first quarter, as he hauled in 5 of his 7 targets. Edelman was limited this week in practice due to a knee injury, and only participated in 58% of the offensive snaps.
Wide receiver N’Keal Harry hauled in 5 of his 6 targets, but had a crucial turnover that hurt the Patriots in the second-half. The Patriots were up 14-3 and were driving into the red zone, and it seemed like the Patriots were destined to score a touchdown, which would be the nail in the coffin for the Dolphins. But, as Harry caught a pass he made an effort to reach the goal line, the ball popped out and bounced out of the end zone, which resulted in the Dolphins having offensive possession.
It seemed like it could have been the turning point in the game, Fitzpatrick drove down the field and cut the lead from 14-3 to 14-11. But, the Patriots offense continued to have success and went up 21-11 with a little over than 5 minutes remaining in the game.
Harry and Edelman may have been the only wide receivers that were factors in the passing game. But, it was obvious that the pass-game was not a priority for Josh McDaniels and the Patriots offense. They wanted to run the ball, and establish their identity as a run-first team.
Sony Michel, Rex Burkhead, James White, and J.J. Taylor combined for 26 total carries. The ground game was the key to success for the Patriots, and each of these running backs provided a different dynamic to the offense. Most plays they ran involved some sort of misdirection and many plays consisted of pre snap motions.
Many people were very interested to find out if Bill Belichick would shake up the playbook, to make it more fitting to Cam Newton’s playing style. The correct answer to that question was yes, as we saw Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels try new offensive concepts and schemes. Many of them worked wondrously for the Patriots.
The Patriots didn’t tell Newton to drop back 40 times and to make plays strictly as a pocket passer. Instead, Newton provided a balance as he kept the defense honest with his running and throwing ability. The element of surprise was certainly evident, and the Patriots have never had that luxury with Tom Brady under center.
The Patriots offense was on the field for close to 35 minutes today, and by the second half the Dolphins were evidently frustrated and worn down.
The defense also did its part, intercepting 3 of Ryan Fitzpatrick’s passes, and kept the Dolphins to a mere 3.2 yards per carry.
After getting burnt by DeVante Parker in week 17 last season, the Patriots kept him mostly in check this time around. Parker only caught 4 passes for 47 yards. Stephon Gilmore did a great job on Parker, and rebounded nicely after his rough week 17 performance. On top of having a good game against Parker, Gilmore also recorded his first interception of the season.
J.C. Jackson also recorded an interception, as well as newcomer Adrian Philips. Jackson and Philips both performed extremely well, the Patriots secondary to no surprise, will be the strong point of this defense. Philips also led the team in tackles. The secondary is obviously the catalyst of this defense, but, the defensive line, and the linebackers played a lot better than most people anticipated.
Most notably Chase Winovich who had 6 tackles, and made multiple effective plays from the outside linebacker position. He had 1 tackle for loss, 1 quarterback hit, and 3 run-stops. Byron Cowart and Derek Rivers were also productive in the Patriots’ front-7.
It was an all-around good start for the Patriots, and Bill Belichick was certainly pleased during his post-game press conference. He even singled out Cam Newton for his debut performance with the Patriots
“He’s a great teammate. He’s earned everybody’s respect really daily. He just continues to do everything that he can to help our team, and that’s really all you can ask from anyone, and he continually does that. Puts himself last and puts the team first, so I think he done a tremendous job there and I thought he played well today”
The Patriots have a tough week ahead of themselves, as they’ll return to action next Sunday night in Seattle, as they take on Russell Wilson and the Seahawks on Sunday Night Football. It’ll be a challenge for Cam Newton and the Patriots, but this game should tell a lot about this team.