The New England Patriots are one of the worst teams in football but had shown signs of life in recent weeks, defeating the New York Jets and Chicago Bears while suffering narrow losses to the Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Rams.
So, head coach Jerod Mayo implored his players to bring an increased level of focus to Sunday's Week 12 matchup with the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.
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"I told the guys, 'It's all about us,'" Mayo said after the game. "And this is before the game. I said, 'It's about us. It's not about anybody else. It's about us to make a commitment to one another.'"
It appears that commitment wasn't made Sunday afternoon.
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The Patriots put forth an error-filled effort in Miami, committing 10 penalties for 75 yards -- including six in the first quarter alone -- en route to a 34-15 loss. The Dolphins dominated the early stages of the game, gaining 281 yards to New England's 84 in the first half while jumping out to a 24-0 lead through two quarters.
"We came out flat," Mayo added. "It's a long season, and guys, they recognize that. If you look at the schedule early on, you've got to see where the bye week is. In saying that, no excuses from me and hopefully no excuses from the players. We just have to be better."
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The Patriots desperately need to be better in the discipline department. Their 81 penalties through 12 games are tied for the fifth-most in the NFL, while their 630 penalty yards are ninth-most in the league. Six of New England's infractions Sunday were pre-snap penalties, which is a poor reflection of the team's attention to detail.
"It starts with me," Mayo said. "We've had these hiccups of games where the penalties really affected us, and they did today."
Make it six penalties in the first quarter alone. Thirty yards of penalty yardage.
— Phil Perry (@PhilAPerry) November 24, 2024
Dolphins were just given a first down at the NE 7 after Anfernee Jennings jumped ahead of a 3rd and 3 snap. https://t.co/fUReUEHKew
The Patriots aren't talented enough to overcome self-inflicted wounds. They need to play motivated, mistake-free football to have a chance against quality teams, and they didn't appear to check either of those boxes Sunday in Miami.
"That's what the game really came down to," Mayo said after the loss. "It's us kicking ourselves in the butt or stubbing our toe against the wall because of penalties. We don't have a team -- I don't think any team wants to go backwards in any cause. But we did that today."
Our Patriots Insider Phil Perry has reported that ownership is committed to Mayo long-term and has no plans to part with the first-year head coach any time soon. But if Mayo wants to get the Patriots' rebuild headed in the right direction, he needs to find a way to reinforce better habits among his players going forward.
New England hosts the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
