Patriots Hit Breaking Point in Loss to Dolphins

The New England Patriots ended up hitting a breaking point in their loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Nov 24, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai (48) and safety Jaylinn Hawkins (21) attempt to tackle Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith (9) during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium. / Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots entered today's game against the Miami Dolphins with a 3-8 record. It has been clear that they won't be a playoff team throughout the entire season, but they were hopeful that they could pull off another surprising upset over their AFC East rival.

Unfortunately, what happened on the field was anything but the Patriots pulling off that upset.

After the first quarter, neither team had scored. New England was able to hold their own. That ended immediately in the second quarter.

Heading into halftime, the Patriots were facing a brutal 24-0 deficit. Giving up 24 unanswered points in one quarter was an all-time low for New England.

In the second half, the Patriots showed more left. Despite looking better, New England was unable to overcome their brutal first half and ended up losing by a final score of 34-15.

Jerod Mayo's team looked horrible all game long. They looked unprepared, undisciplined, and relatively not interested in playing football.

As a team, the Patriots ended up committing 10 penalties that cost them 75 yards. Once again, the coaching staff did not seem to have their team ready to play.

New England drops to 3-9 this season after the loss. While the losses are disappointing, they will help the Patriots get a better pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Even in a loss, there are positives with where the franchise is currently at from a rebuild perspective.

However, the big question that now has to be asked is whether or not New England should consider another coaching change. Mayo has had a rough first year as an NFL head coach. Nothing seems to have improved in some of the most important areas.

All of that being said, this is just the latest brutal showing that will cause questions to be asked. The Patriots have to figure out answers and this game will definitely put a question mark around Mayo's job security.

Hopefully, some things will be fixed throughout the rest of the season. The players and coaching staff are both at fault, but there needs to be better accountability and some kind of development throughout the remainder of the year.

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