These players were a positive for the Patriots in an otherwise negative Week 1 loss
BOSTON -- Sunday was not a good day for the New England Patriots. They lost their season opener to the Dolphins thanks to several self-inflicted wounds, and Mac Jones was injured in the process.
Just about everything that could have went wrong for the Patriots did go wrong for the Patriots. Now they're 0-1 and all the questions and concerns from the preseason are now questions and concerns for the regular season.
It's created a pretty negative air around New England. But in an unprecedented turn of events following the 20-7 loss, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was actually fairly positive. He was "Mr. Moral Victory" for the first time ever, likely because he knows his team is going to have a lot of trouble racking up actual victories this season.
OK, now that that's out of our system, and we've highlighted all the negatives from Week 1 (a few times actually), we're going to take a look at some of individuals who had a positive impact on the game. There weren't many of them, but we're opting to look at the bright side of life at the moment.
Jakobi Meyers
Despite sporting a pretty serious brace on his left leg, Meyers was once again Mac Jones' security blanket and New England's top receiving option.
Meyers led the way in targets (6), receptions (4), and receiving yards (55). Those totals don't really jump off the page, but on a day when no one really had a big afternoon, Meyers had the biggest.
Kendrick Bourne
He made just one catch, but it was a big one for 41 yards. The biggest of the day for New England, actually.
Maybe the Patriots should play him more than two snaps. Just a thought.
Damien Harris
The performance of the running backs overall has been a bit overblown, considering eight of their 19 rushes went for no gain or lost yards. But Harris had just one carry that went nowhere, and picked up 48 yards on his nine attempts overall, good for a solid 5.3 yards per carry average.
Kyle Dugger
Dugger was clearly one of the best players on the field for the New England defense on Sunday, racking up a pair of tackles for a loss. He also had some open-field tackles on Tyreek Hill, bringing down the fastest man in the NFL.
It wasn't a perfect afternoon for Dugger. He was a little too aggressive and took a bad angle on Jaylen Waddle's 42-yard touchdown just ahead of halftime, taking out teammate Ja'Whaun Bentley on the play.
But on a defense that needs playmakers, Dugger is a playmaker, and a versatile one at that. If veteran safety Adrian Phillips misses time with his rib injury, Dugger will have to step up even more in the secondary.
Deatrich Wise
In his first game as a Patriots captain, Wise helped anchor a defensive line that played pretty excellent throughout the loss. Miami had just 65 rushing yards on 23 attempts, holding Dolphins rushers to 2.8 yards per carry.
Wise played 50 snaps and had his nose in a lot of plays throughout the day. His biggest came at the end of Miami's first drive, when he sacked and forced a fumble by Tua Tagovailoa on a third-and-6 at the New England 18. Miami recovered, but had to settle for a field goal.
Wise had a 90.2 rating for the game from PFF, according to Doug Kyed, which is the highest grade of his career.
Matthew Judon
Judon was a QB-seeking missile for the Patriots on Sunday, logging a team-high four hits and a sack on the Miami quarterback. The man did it all while wearing his patented long sleeves on a ridiculously hot and humid day in south Florida.
Jake Bailey
You may think it's bad when the punter makes such a list as this one, but Bailey earned his spot. His first two punts were downed inside the Miami 10, and his third was right on the Miami 10-yard line. The Dolphins punted away two of their possessions following a Bailey punt, with the other one ending in Waddle's touchdown just before half when the defense broke down.
After a so-so season in 2021, Bailey looks like he's back to his usual Pro Bowl self again.
