If for nothing else, I'm glad we know there's a way to catch a ball with two feet in and still have the catch ruled incomplete. Honestly, though, even if the Patriots had won yesterday, that wouldn't have been a win to look fondly on by any means. They couldn't get out of their way with the egregious penalties, the alarming lack of commitment to the run by Alex Van Pelt when Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson combined for 8.1 a carry, and the bad third-down play calling and execution. The defense getting gassed being out there for 30 minutes-plus a game also killed them late, as did a brutal field goal miss by Joey Slye in the first half. In short, the Dolphins might not have deserved a win here because they played awful in every phase, but believe me, the Patriots 100% got the result they ultimately deserved.
And, oh, by the way, the loss to the Dolphins is now a secondary storyline after Monday morning's breaking news.
The Jabrill Peppers Arrest
A little before 10 a.m. yesterday, we officially learned that Patriots safety and captain Jabrill Peppers had been arrested early Saturday in Braintree, Massachusetts, about 20-ish minutes from Foxborough, give or take. This morning at Quincy District Court, he pleaded not guilty to felony charges of assault/battery with a dangerous weapon and suffocation. Then, additionally, two misdemeanor charges of possession of a Class B substance (alleged to be cocaine) and assault/battery on a family or household member.
On the way out of court, Peppers said nothing to reporters, but his attorney claimed that they have evidence, including video, that contradicts the claims of the alleged victim: A woman said to be an on-and-off again girlfriend of his, told Braintree Police Peppers put hands around her neck, smashed her head against a wall, and pushed her down a flight of stairs. After which, he took off her clothes and kicked her out of the house they were in, where EMS then treated her on-site for face and knee injuries.
I'm just going to get to the point here; this is an organization, and more specifically, an ownership group, that has gone out of its way the last 30 years to tout its zero-tolerance policy for domestic assault/violence. Potentially straying from that philosophy when it's a captain and key player, not a depth guy or rookie late-round pick, with the Kraft family being as unpopular as they ever have been locally, would make them no better than Jerry Jones, who's willingly turned a blind eye to violence against women just for the chance to improve the Cowboys roster for decades. Or even the Hunt family, which gave Tyreek Hill a lifeline into the league after violently assaulting a pregnant woman when he was at Oklahoma State. I do believe the Kraft's would do the right thing, and swiftly at that, should it come to it, but just some food for thought.
Even if found innocent on the assault related charges, that still doesn't explain why Peppers spent his birthday evening, two nights before a divisional home game, (allegedly) caught with cocaine, a very much not legal substance. Disappointing doesn't even begin to describe it; just super selfish behavior on the possession charge front alone (and obviously abhorrent and reprehensable as it relates to the other alleged charges, should those be proven in a court of law), and I wouldn't be suprised to see him placed on the Commissioner's exempt list at some point this week, if not next.
Mayeday, Mayeday
I'd now count the score as being two good games for Jacoby Brissett (Cincinnati and Seattle), one bad game where it's hard to give a ton of blame him (New York), and now two games where he's actively hurt them as a passer (San Francisco and Miami). Despite only being sacked twice (back-to-back plays on the opening drive), he was better facing pressure than I thought live. He was not spectacular by any means, but he did make some solid plays when things were bearing down on him. There were rough reps, though, including the end of the first half, where he worked himself into pressure from Calais Campbell in the shadow of his endzone.
When it came to clean pockets, Brissett again needed to capitalize on some good looks and consistently did not. None more so on the Pop Douglas deep shot that made the rounds earlier today.
This ends up being a perfect PA-pass call by Alex Van Pelt (don't worry, he's getting his share of the blame here shortly), and Brissett sends Pop Douglas way too far upfield. This pass has to be in the shaded area you see below, and you're set up inside the 15-yard line in the worst-case scenario. The pass ultimately is close enough to be on target, so why go for an iffy throw when you had an infinitely better option with the same target?
It's not the only mistake Brissett made, but it's certainly a consequential one in a game you lose by five points. Now, we've gotten the least committed Jerod Mayo has sounded about his veteran quarterback through five games, and I don't think Adam Schefter (or Mike Reiss for that matter) would've dropped the Drake Maye nuggets he did today without reason. I do worry about Maye going up against Houston, specifically because of their pass rush duo of Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter (who rank seventh and first in total pressures, respectively, before MNF), but they cannot go on with this passing game forever. I'd prefer the Jags game in London be his first start, but if it's indeed Maye time in Week 6, I can at least understand it. You won't be able to prevent Maye from taking hits forever.
Run The Damn Ball
As an American, I believe it is your duty and responsibility to pound the goddamn rock when things are going well for you in the run game. For some reason, Alex Van Pelt disagreed with that idea yesterday. Despite Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson leading the way for a franchise record in yards per carry in a game, they only ran the ball 18 times between the two.
Even worse than that, they had three instances (four if not for a false start) of 3rd and either 1 or 2, and AVP ran the ball zero times on those plays. Two of said plays were screens to Stevenson, the second of which saw three Dolphin defenders swarm him behind the line the second he caught the ball. I feel like "we're" overthinking things here. The run game is this team's best asset, and for some reason, Van Pelt doesn't want to go to that well. Being concerned with 'Mondre and the fumbles is warranted, but Gibson has been as advertised and then some. Good things have happened when he's had the ball, both as a runner and passer. They don't need to rely on Stevenson for 30 carries a game; he's not the only good back on this team.
Very Impressed By Marte Mapu
I wanted to highlight at least one positive from this game, and while Ja'Lynn Polk and Christian Gonzalez were great, how about Marte Mapu in his first game action in almost nine months on the dot? Given that responsibility in his first game action since January, and likely not at peak conditioning yet, I thought he performed at a high level.
His football IQ has been praised even before he got to Foxborough (defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington coached him at the 2023 Senior Bowl), and it was a welcome sight to see that translate to getting everything in order and then producing on his own. Although it's tough to find things to look forward to now with New England, I'm very excited to see Mapu continue improving as this year progresses.
Gaffney's Three Stars From Patriots-Dolphins 1:
3rd Star – Marte Mapu (Played Every Snap in his Season Debut, Carrying the Green Dot)
2nd Star – Rhamondre Stevenson (12 Carries for 86 Yards, TD, 4 Receptions for 3 Yards)
1st Star – Christian Gonzalez (Held Tyreek Hill to 2 Receptions for 34 Yards on 29 Routes)
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