Dolphins-Patriots Week 5 Halftime Observations

Sloppy play and penalties are the story of a forgettable first half between Miami and New England.

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (38) scores a touchdown during the first half against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium. / Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

What stood out in the first half of the Miami Dolphins Week 5 game against the New England Patriots?

We'll start with the inactive list, highlighted for the fourth time in five games by a group of recent draft picks and young players — CB Ethan Bonner, OL Andrew Meyer, LB Channing Tindall, and rookie sixth-round pick Mohamed Kamara. Also inactive were veteran running back Jeff Wilson, Jr., quarterback Skylar Thompson, and veteran safety Jordan Poyer, who's out with a shin injury.

Along with wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. making his Dolphins debut, the team welcomed back veterans Terron Armstead, Kendall Fuller, Raheem Mostert, and David Long, Jr.

FIRST QUARTER

The Dolphins started on offense and looked better with the ball on their first drive than probably at any point over the past three games.

Particularly encouraging was getting tight end Jonnu Smith involved — finally.

The drive stalled after a first-and-10 from the New England 42 because of two mistakes that allowed for a 7-yard sack, Liam Eichenberg whiffing in pass protection at the line and Austin Jackson focusing on the outside rusher and allowing a free lane for blitzing linebacker Anfernee Jennings inside.

Another bummer on that drive was the running game's continuing struggles, with De'Von Achane gaining only six yards on two carries and Mostert stuffed for no gain on his one attempt.

The Dolphins' first defensive series showcased the afternoon it could be, with the front four taking advantage of a bad New England offensive line.

The Dolphins' next series highlighted some of the issues on offense this season and with Huntley at quarterback.

First, a quick throw behind the line to Achane lost one yard, a staple of the Dolphins' offense that has not worked this season.

On third-and-7, Huntley had Tyreek Hill open in the flat but threw low enough that Hill had to fall to make the catch — one yard short of the first down.

After the Dolphins got a freebie first down when New England had too many men on the field on the ensuing punt, Huntley was a bit late throwing to Beckham on a slant. Still, more importantly, cornerback Christian Gonzalez made a great play when he broke on the pass and got in front to make the diving interception.

As a sign of how things are going for the Dolphins, cornerback Kader Kohou had a chance to stop Rhamondre Stevenson in the backfield after a short third-and-2 reception. Still, the normally sure-tackling Kohou whiffed, and Stevenson got the first down.

On the next play, Ogbah, who's been playing great football, got caught inside. The defensive backs showed some sloppy tackling and an inability to shed blocks, and the result was the 33-yard touchdown run that gave New England a 7-3 lead.

The running game got going on the next drive with runs of 12 yards by Achane and Mostert, though Achane was injured at the end of his run when it appeared he was the victim of helmet-to-helmet contact. Achane was ruled out no longer after because of a concussion.

Huntley had a nifty 20-yard completion to Jaylen Waddle after scrambling up in the pocket. Still, Waddle later dropped a pass on a slant, more evidence of the offensive players failing to pick up their game in Tua Tagovailoa's absence.

The first quarter ended with the Dolphins trailing 7-3 after Jason Sanders missed a 41-yard field goal attempt.

SECOND QUARTER

The sloppiness of a bad 1-3 team, in this case New England, stood out in the Patriots' first possession of the second quarter. The Patriots were flagged for three penalties on the drive, including a false start on Leverett on a third-and-1.

On the ensuing third-and-6, rookie Chop Robinson put pressure on Brissett, contributing to the incompletion downfield.

The next Dolphins drive started well enough, with a 9-yard run by Mostert, but then flopped thanks to three penalties, including a holding on center Aaron Brewer.

The Dolphins' special teams had another breakdown. Jake Bailey's punt was blocked, giving New England the ball at the Miami 23.

But because this is a bad New England team, they couldn't get any points after two holding penalties when Joey Slye missed a chip-shot 34-yard field goal attempt.

Huntley had a couple of good completions over the middle, including another one to Jonnu Smith, but Smith then later failed to catch what looked like a catchable pass after Huntley scrambled to his right.

On the final play before the two-minute warning, Brewer snapped before Huntley was ready, the ball sailed past him, and a third-and-3 from the New England 25 became a fourth-and-25 from the 47, with it the chance to attempt a field goal. Oh, and the Dolphins were flagged for an illegal shift on the play because the players were not set when the ball was snapped, suggesting Brewer snapped it prematurely. Regardless, this was another sloppy mistake by a Dolphins team that's been making too many of them this season.

The Dolphins' offense got another shot before the half after a three-and-out, thanks to Kader Kohou's great coverage on a second-and-2. He stayed with the receiver stride for stride down the sideline and turned around to make a play on the ball — something that's been an issue for him.

And, of course, the Dolphins botched a 51-yard field goal attempt when Blake Ferguson rolled a snap to holder Jake Bailey.

This came after another completion to Jonnu Smith, who was one of the few highlights in yet another forgettable first half for the Dolphins.

The defense limited the damage by forcing a three-and-out, yet they trailed 7-3 at halftime despite allowing 98 total yards.

Ugh.