The Patriots kept Sunday's Week 8 game against the Dolphins pretty competitive for most of the afternoon, but in the end, Miami's elite talent on offense was too much for New England's banged up defense to overcome.
The score was 24-17 midway through the fourth quarter, and the Patriots had a great opportunity to get the ball back on a third-and-9 play with 6:21 remaining. That's when Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill jumped up high and hauled in a crucial first-down reception to keep the drive alive.
Several plays later, Dolphins wideout Jaylen Waddle sealed a 31-17 victory for his team with a 31-yard touchdown catch.
Hill and Waddle represent the NFL's best wide receiver tandem. These stars combined to tally 15 receptions for 233 yards and two touchdowns (one apiece) Sunday. It was among several examples of the Dolphins' having a clear advantage in high-end talent over the Patriots.
And that's arguably the Patriots' biggest problem right now. They don't have elite players anywhere on the field.
"It's a talent issue. This was not a coaching game, that was not the issue," our insider Tom E. Curran said on Patriots Pregame Live. "This was not a lack of discipline or situational stupidity game. This was a game in which the teams were fairly evenly matched. The Patriots played very good run defense for the lion's share of it. They got after Tua (Tagovailoa) on occasion, they made him rethink things.
"But between their two wideouts (Hill and Waddle), 15 for 233 and two touchdowns behind a patchwork offensive line -- the Patriots probably have a better offensive line right now than what Miami ran out there. The Patriots had six wideouts get 10 catches for 89 yards. Six of them, 10 catches, 89 yards. It's a talent issue.
"We can lament a million different things. Mac Jones' interception, that's a talent issue. He doesn't throw it hard enough. So you get it picked, even if you're making that mistake. If you don't throw it hard, and you don't have the arm, you're not gonna get away with it."
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The Dolphins and Patriots have had differing views on pursuing elite talent in recent years.
Miami gave up valuable draft capital (including a first-round pick), to acquire Hill from the Chiefs after the 2021 season. Hill has been the league's best wideout since that trade. The Dolphins used the No. 6 overall pick in 2021 to draft Waddle, who had an awesome career at Alabama. Miami also made bold trades for pass rusher Bradley Chubb and cornerback Jalen Ramsey over the last two years. Ramsey's interception of Patriots quarterback Mac Jones in the second quarter Sunday was one of the most pivotal plays in the game.
The Patriots have not pursued elite talent -- whether in free agency, the trade market or draft -- in the same aggressive manner, and it's catching up to them. You need either a top-tier quarterback or wide receiver -- preferably both -- to win at the highest level in the modern NFL. The Patriots have neither player right now.
The Patriots' philosophy has to change if they want to return to contender status. And the upcoming offseason could be that opportunity because New England is projected to have more than $90 million in salary cap space and plenty of draft picks at its disposal.
