The New England Patriots running backs were both responsible for keeping the Patriots in the game and for giving it away. While Damien Harris had a strong showing, his late fumble cost the Patriots a chance to win, while Rhamondre Stevenson's fumble led to his benching for the foreseeable future. According to Expected Points modeling, those fumbles combined to take an expected 8 points off the board, with the reversal of either play likely allowing the Patriots to win the game.
That's brutal.
And even with that, the future is bright. Mac Jones looked excellent, as did Nelson Agholor, Jonnu Smith, and Hunter Henry. The defense did a great job against a talented Dolphins offense, and they'll only get better as Dont'a Hightower shakes off the rust and Stephon Gilmore returns to the lineup.
So, yes, the Patriots lost in week 1, but they're looking like they'll be able to compete for the whole season.
Alec and Rich break it all down.
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