MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The home of horrors we known as it. Bear in mind?
Miami, the place the place Patriot goals wilt, wither and die.
Tom Brady had a dropping report right here. Invoice Belichick by no means beat Tua Tagovailoa right here.
Blah, blah, blah.
Welcome to the Mike Vrabel period.
Right here, the Patriots wanted simply two video games to do one thing they hadn’t completed in virtually three seasons: rating 30 factors.
Right here, the Pats punched again, surviving 5 lead modifications in a 33-27 thriller.
“We’re not front-runners,” Vrabel mentioned. “And that’s an enormous factor on this league.”
Right here, below the cruel South Florida solar, seeds of hope have been planted once more Sunday with Vrabel’s first win.
What a present, hope.
The concept perhaps, simply perhaps, the previous is lastly behind the Patriots; the dare to dream that the cycle of dysfunction and disappointment has been damaged.
In fact, a 12 months in the past, we contemplated these similar issues.
In his head-coaching debut, Jerod Mayo led the Patriots to their greatest upset in virtually a decade by pulling off a stunner at Cincinnati. By no means thoughts that sport had hinged on their lengthy snapper forcing a fumble, and one other Bengals fumble bouncing into Patriots palms six ft from the objective line and Cincinnati dropping a simple end-zone interception. Footnotes misplaced to soccer historical past.
Granted, that win was additionally cleaner than Sunday’s; fewer penalties, fewer missed tackles and fewer fourth-quarter coronary heart assaults. However this victory – this sloppy, soaking and at instances downright silly, victory – felt unusually sustainable.
Begin with the quarterback.
Pissed off by his play in final week’s loss to Las Vegas, Drake Maye sparkled over the most effective begin of his younger profession by a mile. He completed 19-of-23 for 230 yards, two touchdowns and no picks. He rushed for 31 yards and one other landing.
Maye was, in a phrase, terrific.
His well timed scrambles bailed the Patriots’ offensive line out of the inevitable: missed blocks. They purchased his broad receivers extra time to separate, though none completed with greater than 40 yards. Better of all, Maye conquered his first-quarter nerves with consecutive landing drives.
Confidence restored.
“I attempt to method it like that each week. Simply attempt to keep calm and funky within the huddle,” Maye mentioned. “These guys reply to me and I hearth them up. I really feel like that’s my mindset each week. It’s my job.”
Not that Vrabel threw his younger quarterback any bouquets afterward.
The offense, in spite of everything, dedicated eight penalties and scored simply 10 factors after halftime.
“When (Maye) feels that lull, that’s after we’ve obtained to tighten the screws on these guys and get them set sooner and get them out of huddle sooner and actually push them,” Vrabel mentioned. “(Maye)’s a jockey, and he’s obtained to know what the move of the group seems like offensively. We had a few penalties and false begins. Once more, issues we actually aren’t going to have the ability to overcome ultimately.”
Vrabel’s protection, then again, barely overcame itself. The Dolphins cruised to 4 straight scoring drives round halftime, alternating Tagovailoa deep balls with paper-cut completions the Patriots merely couldn’t cease.
It took a collection of late Miami errors – from penalties to a senseless interception and unhealthy sacks – to crack the door open. And Milton Williams, the highest-paid participant in Patriots historical past, barreled proper by means of it.
With lower than a minute left, Williams dropped Tagovailoa for a sack on fourth down and Miami’s final offensive snap of the sport. He stomped towards midfield in celebration, basking within the second; a human flag planting itself proper on the Dolphins brand.
Victory.
“Your finest gamers must play (effectively) if you wish to win on this league,” Vrabel mentioned.
Harold Landry had a entrance seat to all of it, from sack to celebration. Like Williams, Landry is a veteran pass-rusher Vrabel is relying on to form his locker room and sharpen his protection. He signed final March after spending seven seasons in Tennessee, the one NFL dwelling he’d ever recognized. The Titans went 3-14 final 12 months, determined they have been higher off with out Landry and minimize him.
As a result of Landry’s historical past will not be the Patriots’ historical past, his ache will not be their ache. However he skilled Sunday’s win all the identical, from the second Tagovailoa’s physique hit the turf.
Revisiting that precise second within the guests locker room, Landry appeared to the ceiling and paused. Then, as somewhat giggle slipped from his lips, pleasure and aid fell over his face. As a result of appreciating the place you’re means realizing the place you got here from, and similar to the Patriots, it’s been three lengthy years since Landry knew a successful season.
“When (Tagovailoa) hit the bottom,” Landry mentioned, “I used to be similar to, ‘Thank God.’”
Whether or not the seeds the Patriots planted Sunday finally develop into hope followers can maintain will take months, if not years, to study. Accidents, unhealthy luck or unhealthy play might shut their water off, maybe as quickly as subsequent weekend towards Pittsburgh. And it’ll take much more water, and much more successful, to develop the championship program Vrabel needs to construct.
However for at some point, one scorching, unforgettable day of their outdated home of horrors, Dolphin tears will do.
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