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    Rhamondre Stevenson Up, Alex Van Pelt Down: 3 Studs, 3 Duds From Patriots’ Unwatchable Loss to Dolphins

    Let's look at players who stood out for the New England Patriots for good or bad reasons in Sunday's home game against the Miami Dolphins.

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    FOXBORO, Mass. — If you’ve ever felt like gauging your eyes out, might we suggest watching a replay of Sunday’s game between the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins.

    New England and Miami set football back roughly 300 years. When the dust settled, the Dolphins walked off the field with a 15-10 win.

    The two teams combined for three botched field goals, one blocked punt, 18 accepted penalties (12 by the Patriots), and many other head-scratching moments. It was a truly unwatchable experience.

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    Dolphins Top Patriots in Week 5 Tilt

    The Patriots led for most of the game and held a 10-9 lead in the fourth quarter. But on their penultimate drive, the Dolphins went 95 yards in 15 plays, with Alec Ingold running in the go-ahead touchdown.

    New England then drove to the red zone and appeared to take the lead on a Ja’Lynn Polk touchdown, but the play was reversed after review. The Dolphins went three-and-out on their next drive, but the Patriots didn’t pull off a miracle on their final possession.

    Jacoby Brissett completed 18 of 34 passes for 160 yards and zero touchdowns while taking two sacks. Rhamondre Stevenson ran 12 times for 89 yards and a score, while DeMario Douglas caught six balls for 59 yards.

    On the other side, Tyler Huntley completed 18 of 31 passes for 194 yards and zero touchdowns to go along with one pick. The Dolphins combined for 193 yards on 41 carries (4.7 average), and Tyreek Hill caught six passes for 69 yards.

    Overall, Miami racked up 372 yards and 24 first downs compared to 299 yards and 15 first downs for New England.

    The Patriots dropped to 1-4 with the loss while the Dolphins improved to 2-3 with the win. New England will host the Houston Texans next Sunday.

    Let’s look at three studs and three duds from a mind-numbing afternoon at Gillette Stadium.

    Best Players for the Patriots in Loss to Dolphins

    RB Rhamondre Stevenson

    Message received.

    Stevenson started Sunday’s game on the bench after fumbling in the first four contests. The fourth-year back responded by averaging 7.3 yards per game in one of the most efficient performances of his career.

    Stevenson, perhaps holding onto the ball more tightly than usual, left some yards on the field. Regardless, he had a great game.

    CB Christian Gonzalez

    I’ll have to rewatch the film before judging just how good Christian Gonzalez was in this game. Nevertheless, his first-quarter interception led to a Stevenson touchdown, and he nearly came up with an end-zone interception in the third quarter.

    As has been the case all season, Gonzalez was all over the field and matched up with different receivers. He spent time on Hill and Jaylen Waddle and held his own against both.

    Gonzalez finished with six tackles and two pass breakups.

    S/ST Brenden Schooler

    Brenden Schooler was one of the NFL’s top special teams players in the first four weeks, and he continued that trend on Sunday.

    The third-year pro blocked a Jake Bailey punt in the second quarter and blew up a Jason Sanders field-goal attempt later in the half. Schooler made some boneheaded penalties in 2023, but he’s kept his emotions in check this season while playing the best football of his career.

    Honorable mentions: DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Joshua Uche, Anfernee Jennings

    Who Struggled for the Patriots in Loss to Dolphins?

    Offensive Line

    Rinse, repeat.

    You knew the Patriots were in trouble when they had to start Vederian Lowe at left tackle, Nick Leverett at center, and Demontrey Jacobs at right tackle. And New England’s beleaguered O-line performed as poorly as expected.

    Leverett was the biggest issue. The veteran center excelled while filling in for David Andrews last week, but this game was a different story.

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    Over the first four drives alone, Leverett committed two penalties and allowed a pressure, a sack, and a QB hit. According to PFF’s in-game tracking, he allowed eight pressures overall. Lowe and Jacobs also committed holding penalties.

    So long as New England’s O-line is playing like this, Drake Maye can’t see the field. No way.

    Alex Van Pelt

    This is the second straight week New England’s offensive coordinator lands in the “duds” section.

    Alex Van Pelt obviously doesn’t have much to work with. His quarterback isn’t any good, his offensive line wouldn’t make it in the CFL, and his most explosive pass catcher is a diminutive slot receiver.

    Still, there’s no excusing some of Van Pelt’s play-calling and time management. It’s been a problem every week.

    The Patriots took over on their 5-yard line with 1:50 left in the second quarter and two timeouts remaining. Stevenson started with an eight-yard run, seemingly setting up another run to move the chains.

    Instead, Van Pelt called two straight passing plays — including a deep shot for Polk — and both fell incomplete. The Patriots punted but got the ball back after Miami botched a field-goal attempt, and Van Pelt responded by calling three more passing plays that resulted in five total yards

    It’s that kind of stuff that makes you wonder whether Jerod Mayo will allow Van Pelt to call plays for the entire season.

    Special Teams

    Special teams were a strength for the Patriots in the first four weeks, but the unit was a mess on Sunday.

    The biggest mistake: a 12-men-on-the-field penalty that gave the Dolphins a first down when they were punting. The Patriots were lucky that Huntley threw an interception on the second play of the ensuing drive.

    New England was later flagged for a delay-of-game penalty while lining up for a punt, and Bryce Baringer booted the ball into the end zone on the next play for one of his three touchbacks. He also shanked a 43-yarder late in the second quarter.

    Just for good measure, Joey Slye, who kicked a team-record 63-yard field goal in Week 4, missed a 33-yard attempt midway through the second quarter.

    However, it wasn’t all bad, as Baringer also kicked a 53-yarder and Schooler obviously had a big game. Still, the penalties were inexcusable.

    Honorable mentions: Keion White, Ja’Lynn Polk, Davon Godchaux, Jahlani Tavai, Raekwon McMillan, Hunter Henry

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