The New England Patriots dropped their final game of the regular season with a disappointing 33-24 defeat to division rival Miami Dolphins. Bill Belichick's squad started out slow and was forced to play catch-up all game long and eventually fell short in completing their comeback bid in Week 18.
With the loss, the Patriots finished the 2021 season with a 10-7 record to nab the second spot in the AFC East. They will be heading to the playoffs as the sixth seed where they will be taking on another division rival in the third-seeded Buffalo Bills for the third time this season.
Unfortunately, the Patriots have been slumping as of late as they have lost three of their last four games before the end of the regular season. After having another subpar outing, they will surely need to go back to the drawing board and realign themselves in order to prepare for the Wild Card Round next week.
With that said, here are three takeaways from New England's Week 18 loss to Miami:
Patriots Week 18 Takeaways
3. Brandon Bolden has been a sparkplug for the Patriots.
The Patriots' backfield has been running thin this season after they opted to trade Sony Michel to the Los Angeles Rams back in late August for a couple of 2022 draft picks. Another veteran RB in James White continues to miss time after he suffered a hip injury since Week 3.
With a depleted unit, New England needed someone to step up and backup rusher Brandon Bolden has been rising up to the occasion as of late. In Week 18 against the Dolphins, he served as a dual-threat on the field with 46 rushing yards on seven attempts and a rushing TD to go with 20 receiving yards on two catches and a receiving touchdown for the Patriots.
Bolden might not be as talented as the other running backs that the Patriots used to have but he is certainly filling in his role well. Bill Belichick will definitely need him to continue to provide timely contributions for the team in time for their upcoming playoff games moving forward.
2. The efforts of the defensive unit have to improve.
For the most part of the season, the Patriots have been struggling in stopping the run and it was evident once again in Week 18 against the Dolphins. New England's defenders weren't able to make quick decisions on the field and still allowed Miami's backs to gain extra yardage even after getting the initial hit.
Aside from stopping the run, the defense also failed to tighten up as the Dolphins easily went up 17-0 with 77 yards in 15 plays in the first half. This eventually buried the Patriots in a deep hole and also allowed Miami to take control of the game early on.
Linebacker Matthew Judon, in particular, has been a no-show for the Patriots towards the tail-end of the season. On Sunday, he was penalized for roughing the passer which can be easily avoided, especially like a player of his caliber. Surely enough, the three-time Pro Bowler will have to bounce back and ensure that he gets to make his presence felt in the upcoming postseason.
1. Mac Jones needs to get over his slump as soon as possible.
Rookie quarterback Mac Jones was able to make a strong impression for the most part of the season where he was seemingly playing like a vet on the field. However, the past month has looked different as his performance regressed a bit as he made a handful of questionable decisions on the field. Realistically speaking, just like any other rookie, the Alabama product still has to go through some growing pains to get fully acclimated to the pace of the NFL.
Against the Dolphins, Jones evidently struggled as he started out slow for the Patriots. He wasn't able to make the right reads on the field which caused him to throw an interception early in the game. Additionally, his errors forced the team to play behind their opponents which eventually led them to fail in mounting a comeback as time expired.
Jones concluded the tilt with 261 passing yards on 20-of-30 passes completed to go with a TD. Sure, he is still a rookie who is still going through the motions of adjusting to the next level and is bound to make mistakes occasionally. However, he must not forget that he is QB1 for a reason and that his level of production can make or break the Patriots' postseason campaign.
Without a doubt, it is crucial for Jones to pick himself up and get back on the right track as soon as possible in order to give his team a good chance of making it deep into the playoffs this season.
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