New England Patriots: Five Takeaways From Pathetic 33-20 Loss To Miami

Sep 7, 2014; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; New England Patriots tight end

(87) is tackled by Miami Dolphins cornerback Jamar Taylor (22) in the second half at Sun Life Stadium. Miami won 33-20. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

4. Rob Gronkowski’s return

The big man finally made his return to the football field today, and I think we saw a little good, and a little bad. I don’t have any official numbers in front of me, but I would guess Gronkowski played roughly 50% of the offensive snaps (44% from Mike Reiss).

Gronk didn’t seem 100% healthy, but it was obvious his presence on the field helped New England. He finished the game with four catches for 40 yards, and a touchdown. At times, it seemed like Tom Brady was forcing it to number 87, which is one of the few bad habits Brady has. Far too often he will key in on Gronk, and ignore other open wideouts. Hopefully Brady changes that as the season progresses.

Overall, I would say this was a positive debut for Gronkowski, and as he said post-game, he just needs to continue to get better each week.