The New England Patriots secured their first win of the season against the Tua Tagovailoa-led Dolphins, improving to 1-1 through their first two games. It was an encouraging performance, as the Patriots scored 33 points to take down a historically potent Miami offense that features De'Von Achane, Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle.
Drake Maye had a trio of touchdowns, and Rhamondre Stevenson looked excellent. The highest-paid Patriot, Milton Williams, closed out the game with a fourth-down sack. All in all, there was plenty to like about what individual players brought to the table, though one player stuck out in a bad way: rookie kicker Andy Borregales.
The former Miami Hurricane was the first kicker selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, but thus far has been shaky. In Week 1, he missed a 40-yard field goal, and on Sunday, he missed a pair of extra points that forced the team to go for two later on. Should Miami have scored on their final possession, an extra point would have been enough to seal the win.
The team shouldn't have to deal with these types of scares late in the game.
A new kicker may be what the Patriots need after Andy Borregales' continued struggles
Borregales made the team over Parker Romo, who was perfect in the preseason and was excellent with the Vikings last year. On Monday night, he stepped in for Younghue Koo for the Falcons, going 5/5 with a 54-yard long. In his two-season career, he is 16/17.
With his performance, bringing Romo back might not be an option: Atlanta may opt for him over Koo the rest of the way. Regardless, adding kicking competition, if nothing else, seems like a good idea at this point.
Jake Moody
While Moody's NFL career hasn't panned out, his college resume is impressive. He didn't miss an extra point in five seasons at Michigan, and in 2021, he won the Lou Groza Award, the award for college's best kicker.
The former third-round pick was recently released by the Niners and signed to the Bears' practice squad, but in the event Borregales has another bad week, signing him from Chicago wouldn't be the worst idea. Perhaps a change of scene could do him some good and return him to his college form?
The practice squad isn't an option for the Patriots right now, but should he be released or the Patriots like him more than Borregales, Moody would undoubtedly be on the shortlist.
Zane Gonzalez
Gonzalez had a game-winning kick in the playoffs last season that pushed the Commanders over the hump to beat the Buccaneers as time expired. The ASU alum was drafted by the Browns in 2017 and has bounced around the league since, but has not had a team since April after being released by the Commanders, who signed Matt Gay.
He hasn't missed an extra point since September 19, 2021, when he played for the Panthers. He's gone 25/29 in that time on field goals, a make rate of 86%. All things considered, he'd make a more than satisfactory practice squad addition if nothing else: competition is key. Unlike Moody, Gonzalez could be signed to the practice squad today, and the sooner competition comes to Foxborough, the better.
A mixed bag
With the ascensions of practice squad players like Parker Romo in Atlanta and the signings of veterans like Matt Prater to replace the injured Tyler Bass, there will be players released in the coming weeks. If Atlanta opts for Romo over Koo and releases him, the Georgia State alum should be atop the Patriots' kicker shortlist.
41-year-old Matt Prater is another option should Buffalo opt for Bass instead: he's 6/6 through two games with a 52-yard long. Even Riley Patterson, whom the Patriots just faced against Miami, could be a name to look out for: Jason Sanders is on IR with a hip injury until at least Week 4, when the Dolphins could cut Patterson.
For now, the best option might be to add Zane Gonzalez or another veteran to the practice squad to put pressure on Borregales. That would give the team another few weeks to evaluate the situation and see if he can turn it around. If he can't, there's sure to be a handful of veteran kickers available sooner rather than later.
Hopefully, the Venezuelan national can get back on track, but should he continue to struggle, the team has options.