That wasn't how it was supposed to end.
The Patriots were in the red zone with a chance to take the lead late in the fourth quarter, but Damien Harris fumbled on the 11-yard line and the Dolphins recovered.
Miami then ran out the clock to hold onto a 17-16 win.
It spoiled a terrific debut for Mac Jones, who went 29-for-39 with 281 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions.
New England was 1-for-4 in the red zone, which was one of the biggest differences in the game.
Here are 10 quick thoughts on the game.
1. Jones was excellent in his debut. The rookie seemed confident and in control the entire way. One of the more impressive things was his ability to stand in the pocket and take a hit while delivering a strong throw. The Patriots should feel very good about their future,
2. When it comes to the Alabama quarterbacks, Jones is clearly the better of the two and likely will have the better NFL career. It’s evident why Miami still has questions with Tua Tagovailoa. The second-year player makes some questionable decisions with the football and doesn’t have a very strong arm. They will continue to be linked to Deshaun Watson until his situation get resolved.
3. While the fumble is what everyone will be talking about, Harris showed why many have predicted him to have a breakout season. The third-year back finished with 100 yards on 23 carries. He ran extremely hard, while staying patient to find the right hole. He also had two catches out of the backfield, which was a pleasant surprise.
4. Nelson Agholor had an excellent Patriots debut. The veteran finished with five catches for 72 yards and a touchdown. The team certainly hopes he can stay consistent, which has been something he’s struggled with over the course of his career.
5. The Patriots played a ton of players on defense both up front and in the backend. This speaks to how deep the roster is and how many talented players they have on that side of the ball, particularly in the front-seven. It looked like the unit went smaller after the opening Miami drive that resulted in an easy touchdown. The defense is so deep its able to adapt to whatever the opposition likes to do.
6. Trent Brown suffered a calf injury early in the first half and Justin Herron replaced him at right tackle. He remained on the sideline with his helmet off. Herron was decent filling in for him, but he did have penalty and missed a few blocks.
7. Penalties were an issue for the team in the preseason and it carried over into this one. New England was flagged eight times for 84 yards. Some were questionable calls, but by in large this is something the Patriots need to clean up as typically they are one of the fewest penalized teams in the league.
8. There were certainly some issues for the Patriots defense. Their cornerbacks seemed to be giving Miami receivers a lot of room underneath and there were several missed tackles. In addition, when the unit went to zone there seemed to be some communication breakdowns, which are bound to happen early in the year. These need to be cleaned up moving forward.
9. After fumbling in the first quarter, Rhamondre Stevenson barely saw the field afterwards. We’ll see if he’s the inactive running back next week and J.J. Taylor gets the game-day roster spot. Putting the ball on the ground was an issue, as the Patriots fumbled three times in the first half, but only lost one. That isn't including the costly fumble at the end by Harris.
10. It was great to see Gillette Stadium at full capacity and the crowd was into it from the start. Fans were on their feet virtually the entire game and made a ton of noise on third downs. Football is much better with the stands full.
