Coming into their second matchup with the Dolphins this week, the Patriots weren't expected to have a tremendous game. Things haven't gone well for them in Miami over the years, so there was a belief that would remain the case on Sunday, even with Drake Maye under center.
Unfortunately, they have managed to play even worse than anyone could have predicted in all aspects of the game, with even the defense and special teams struggling to do much of anything positively in the first half.
The offense had some good moments, with Maye continuing some drives with his legs and making some good throws, only for most of them to be vetoed as the offensive line was hit with six pre-snap penalties, four of which were on Vederian Lowe.
To make matters even worse, the offense lost nine yards during their three drives in the second quarter, making it impossible for Maye to have done virtually anything.
Patriots actually lost 9 yards in three drives in the second quarter:
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) November 24, 2024
3 plays, -15 yards
3 plays, 11 yards
3 plays, -5 yards
How they expect a young quarterback to lead a team to success when he's not given any time to read the field or penalties negate positive play is beyond comprehension.
On top of it all, the defense has not appeared on the field so far. The missed tackles, wrong coverages, and mistakes continue to pile up, allowing the Dolphins offense to barely try and yet still come away with an impressive first half, which includes the most yards for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle since Week 1.
They will now start the third quarter down 24-0, with zero hope of making a comeback. It's highlighting the long list of questions surrounding the Patriots coaching staff and if they're the right group to lead the rebuild moving forward.
Despite the reports suggesting Robert Kraft has no plans to make any changes to the staff, more games like this should force him to reconsider that notion, especially when they have their quarterback in Drake Maye.