It doesn't matter if you start strong if you can't finish strong. The Patriots' offense found that out the hard way.
After a day in which nothing seemed easy for Mac Jones and company, center and team captain David Andrews said the Patriots had only themselves to blame.
"We beat ourselves," he said. "Three, four turnovers, strip-sack for a touchdown. More of a 'can't win until you keep from losing' kind of day than anything else."
Andrews noted positively that the Patriots did run the ball decently, though the overall numbers (22 carries for 78 yards) won't necessarily reflect it because New England fell behind so much.
Additionally, there were moments where the offense got into a flow, especially to start both halves. The opening scripts in both cases generated strong drives, though the first ended in an interception on a jump ball in the end zone intended for DeVante Parker.
But miscommunications along the offensive line led to big hits on Jones, including the one that led to the aforementioned strip-sack for a touchdown that put the Patriots on the back foot early.
"I think there were a lot of positives. Parts of me are encouraged. Parts of me are -- you know, we let one slip away," a dejected Andrews added.
Though there were indeed positives to the performance, it's odd to hear the Patriots talk about Sunday's game as one that "got away" given the final score.
You could argue they controlled the action offensively to start the contest and should have come away with more points, sure. What's more: the Dolphins didn't do a whole lot of anything special offensively. Miami only mustered one touchdown -- a 41-yard catch-and-run by Jaylen Waddle -- and only scored 13 points when they had the ball.
But the Patriots had their chances to keep the game within reach and couldn't do it, finding themselves down 17-0 going into the half.
Still, Andrews' overall point can't be denied: this offense did beat itself, and it couldn't generate chunk plays to make up for its inconsistency. That's a tough way to win in today's NFL.
