Coaching costs Patriots loss to Dolphins | Mark Daniels

FOXBOROUGH – A football game is made up of several small moments that add up over 60 minutes. For the Patriots, Sunday's loss to a bad Miami Dolphins team was the result of multiple mistakes piling up over four quarters.

No one expected this team to compete for a Super Bowl championship or even a playoff spot. This is a clear conversion. The goal of this season is to develop young players and create a solid foundation.

While the Patriots' 1-4 record isn't a complete surprise, the way they lost on Sunday was. On that beautiful fall afternoon, fans at Gillette Stadium had the displeasure of watching a team fail at key moments and call out undisciplined penalties.

Lack of discipline and execution can also be summed up in two words: “Poor coaching.”

“I expected to get my bumps, just like a lot of other first-year head coaches,” Mayo said. “Look, I’m okay with that. Once again it's about the boys in the locker room and we have to do better. We, myself included.”

It's one thing for the Patriots to lose because they're shorthanded – injuries are piling up to key players like David Andrews, Christian Barmore, Ja'Whaun Bentley, Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers. It's one thing for the Patriots to lose because of the talent on their roster – again, this is a rebuild focused on younger players.

However, it's another thing to lose due to poor execution, poor fundamentals, and enough penalties to make you want to tear your hair out. That's why the Patriots fell victim to a bad Dolphins team under quarterback Tyler “Snoop” Huntley, who was on Baltimore's practice squad not long ago.

Replacing Bill Belichick was never going to be easy, but Mayo's team appears to be one that needs better coaching. The Patriots were penalized 12 times for 105 yards on Sunday.

In 24 years as Patriots head coach, Belichick's teams allowed 12 or more penalties 11 times.

The execution that day. It started in the first quarter. After a three-and-out in Miami, the Patriots were accused of having 12 men on the field during a punt return. Since it was fourth-and-5, the Dolphins got a first down. Luckily, Christian Gonzalez caught the Patriots up by intercepting Huntley shortly after.

Early in the second quarter, the Patriots' offensive line was charged with a holding penalty (by Demontrey Jacobs) and a false start (by Nick Leverett). The hold put the group in a first-and-20 situation. The false start turned what was actually a manageable third and one into an unlikely third and six. Brissett's pass was incomplete and the Patriots fumbled.

The same thing happened on the next trip. After a punt block by Brendan Schooler, the offense started with the ball 23 yards from the end zone. The unit got away with no points. The problems started with two holding penalties (Hunter Henry and Leverett) in three games. Next, Joey Slye missed a 33-yard field goal.

The Patriots offensive line is in shambles. The quarterback is a career backup. However, there is no excuse for four penalties in two trips. The offense resulted in five holding penalties on Sunday.

“Penalties in the wrong situations, in bad situations,” Brissett said. “We are not good enough to do that and go back and try to get points. We have to keep moving forward.”

The Patriots also had some questionable play calls from Alex Van Pelt. For the second time this season, the Patriots mismanaged the clock before halftime. On Sunday, the team was backed at the 5-yard line with 1:50 on the clock. Rhamondre Stevenson gained an 8-yard gain on first down, but Van Pelt called for two passes in a row.

Both of Brissett's attempts were incomplete. The Patriots averaged a franchise record 7.9 yards per carry on Sunday. This series before halftime was reminiscent of what they did before halftime against Seattle when they failed to run out the clock and the Seahawks scored three points before halftime. That cost them a loss in overtime.

This time the Dolphins were set up for a 51-yard field goal, but a bad snap saved the Patriots and they escaped.

The offensive rules and penalties also hurt the Patriots in the final minutes. After consecutive first down runs, the Patriots found themselves at the 33-yard line. On the very next snap, Vederian Lowe was called for a stop. The offense got out of the first-and-20 hole and nearly scored a game-winning 12-yard touchdown, but Ja'Lynn Polk's heel went out of bounds.

The Patriots had two more attempts to take the lead, but things became more difficult when Henry was called for a false start. So instead of a four-and-10 at the 12-yard line, it was a four-and-15 at the 17-yard line. Brissett's pass then fell incomplete.

It's fair to ask why the Patriots even played so much passing in this situation. After reaching the 12-yard line, they threw the ball four times in a row, despite a franchise-record average of 7.9 yards per carry.

Why didn't the Patriots run the ball?

“There were a lot of conversations about that. We ended up throwing the ball,” Mayo said. “This is what we decided to do and ultimately it is my decision. I would say we averaged over seven yards per carry, I'm not sure, so that was definitely part of the discussion. We just couldn’t finish it.”

Mayo's team also had problems in defense. Although the group allowed 15 points, they suffered penalties on two big drives.

In the third quarter, Keion White was charged with a horse-collar penalty on first down. This moved the Dolphins into midfield. Three plays later, White was charged with unnecessary roughness when he headbutted Huntley on an incomplete pass on third down. Instead of forcing Miami to punt, the Dolphins went ahead and scored three points with another field goal.

It was a similar story on Miami's game-winning drive. The Dolphins had to commit two holding penalties in this series. They benefited from a defensive pass interference penalty against Christian Elliss, who was out of position on an incomplete third-and-13 pass. Instead of punting, Miami drove downfield and scored a game-winning touchdown.

“We just need to do a better job with penalties in general, whether it be holding, pass interference or anything like that,” Mayo said. “Look, I don’t think the referees only care about one particular person. I just think we need to play smarter.”

After the loss, the Patriots' locker room was nearly empty. The players remained silent and those who chose to speak to the media painted a bleak but hopeful picture. There are still 12 games left, so there is still time to put a better product on the field. But after four defeats in a row, the players are frustrated.

In a game where the Patriots didn't look like a well-coached team, it's clear that improvements are needed both on the field and on the sidelines.

“Nobody is perfect. It goes all the way down,” Leverett said. “From starter to third stringer. From trainer to assistant. We're all not perfect. One thing we won't do is point fingers and blame anyone. It’s as much the coach’s fault as the player’s.”

It's not surprising that players struggle when rebuilding from injury. It's a surprise that they don't seem well trained.

The Patriots need to improve. It starts at the top.