Offense Sputters, Patriots Trail Dolphins at Halftime

The New England Patriots have struggled to generate much momentum on offense and face a big halftime deficit against the Miami Dolphins.

The New England Patriots find themselves in a hole for a second straight game as they trail the Miami Dolphins 17-3 at halftime.

Like last week's season-opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, New England's offense has struggled to generate much momentum early on. Through two quarters, the Patriots have just 117 yards of total offense and eight first downs.

Coming off a game in which he threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns, Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has had a sluggish start against the Dolphins. The third-year signal-caller has completed 14 of 18 passes, but has just 95 yards to show for it. Meanwhile, New England's ground game has been practically invisible with just 31 yards on 12 carries as a team.

Not moving the ball is one thing, but the Patriots have also fallen victim to the turnover bug in the first half. Rookie receiver Demario Douglas appeared to have a first down in Miami territory, but coughed up the ball to end a promising drive.

Defensively, New England hasn't fared that much better. The Patriots have allowed the Dolphins to gain 237 total yards and 15 first downs, and have been unable to find that big play to swing momentum. Of course, they've also allowed Miami to find the end zone twice while they have not hit pay dirt themselves.

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa completed 15 of 20 passes for 181 yards and a late touchdown to Tyreek Hill in the first half. Raheem Mostert led the team in rushing with 40 yards and a touchdown on nine carries, while Jaylen Waddle has a team-high 54 receiving yards on three catches.

The Patriots will be on defense to start the second half as they look to claw their way back into the game.