With Judon & Gonzalez Likely Out For Rest Of The Season, Bill Belichick Brings Back J.C. Jackson

    By any measure, Sunday's game at Dallas (3-1) could not have gone much worse for New England (1-3) as they got embarrassed 38-3-the worst loss of Bill Belichick's head coaching career-in front of a national TV audience. It was so gross that I did not feel like writing about it afterwards since how many different ways can you get the obvious point across that they suck? The pain from that debacle will last for a long time since the two best players on the Patriots-defensive end Matthew Judon (bicep) and cornerback Christian Gonzalez (shoulder)-each suffered what seem to be season-ending injuries that will both require surgery. Facing a brutal 1-3 start for the third season in a row, Belichick worked the phone lines and came up with a cornerback that we all know very well: J.C. Jackson. This morning, LA traded Jackson to New England along with a seventh-round pick in 2025 for a sixth-round pick in 2025. Sweetening the deal for Bill is the fact that the dopey Chargers are paying almost all of his salary ($9.33 million) for the rest of the season with the Pats only on the hook for $1.5 million. 

    Back in the good old days when the Patriots were one of the best teams in the NFL every season (you know, because they had Tom Brady), a move like this would be universally lauded. Instead, this is a frustrating move now for a couple reasons: 1) I understand that New England's defense just lost two standout players but Bill spends way too much time and money on that unit to begin with while he completely ignores the offense. 2) If the Chargers did not pay most of Jackson's money, is there any chance that Belichick would pull the trigger on this deal? Nope, because he loves cheap deals more than actual talent which is totally backwards if you want to win championships. Jackson is still only 27 years old and in his sixth season in the league (4 in New England and 2 in Los Angeles) but he has become the latest poster child for a guy that rightfully cashed in on a career season (he was an All-Pro his last season with the Pats and second in the NFL with 8 INTs) but he has done nothing since then.

    He ended up only playing seven total games with the Chargers after hurting his knee in Week 7 last season and in Week 3 a few weeks ago, things got so bad that he was a healthy scratch. After accumulating 25 interceptions as a Patriot and becoming an unlikely star who was undrafted out of Maryland, he only snagged one pick with LA. His monster deal in free agency-5 years, $82.5 million-runs through 2026 so you can bet that no matter what, New England will not want to pay that so he will probably be gone from Foxborough once again when this miserable season comes to an end. It is also troublesome that Belichick only appears to be interested in hiring coaches (Bill O'Brien) that he has already worked with or getting players that have previously played for him. If you only surround yourself with familiar faces and players that nobody else wants, how are you supposed to grow and gain new knowledge? 

    For this and many other reasons-quarterback Mac Jones had the worst game of his life against the Cowboys-the Pats are clearly at another pivotal moment in their franchise history. They host the Saints (2-2) on Sunday (1, CBS) at Gillette Stadium. New Orleans' quarterback Derek Carr (shoulder) is banged up so even if he plays or if goofball Jameis Winston is the starter, this should be a winnable game. However, other than the Jets, it is tough to favor New England against anyone else at the moment. They have so many holes on their roster which was mediocre at best to start the year. Judon was a legitimate Pro Bowler and Gonzalez looked like a steal and an early favorite for the Defensive Rookie of The Year. They are in such rough shape that we all hope that Jackson starts on Sunday after only being back here for a few days. Have you seen fellow cornerback Myles Bryant try to play football? Even if the Patriots win a rock fight against the Saints, it is hard to see them getting the requisite nine or ten wins that it will take to reach the playoffs this season.

Celts Made Another Major Trade: Robert Williams & Malcolm Brogdon To Portland For Jrue Holiday

 

    With training camp starting this week, it was nice to see the Celtics finally show some urgency to win their first NBA title since 2008. After seeing the Bucks acquire superstar point guard Damian Lillard last week, Boston responded by trading center Robert Williams and point guard Malcolm Brogdon to Portland (along with a 2024 and 2029 first round pick) for point guard Jrue Holiday. We have always overrated Williams but for many reasons, I truly do not think that you will miss him all that much unless you love alley oop dunks and highlight reel blocked shots in the regular season. I liked Brogdon very much but Holiday is unquestionably better as a two-time NBA All-Star (including last season) and more importantly, an NBA champion with the Bucks in 2021.  

    Williams had always been such a tease as a Celtic, often flashing incredible athleticism and talent but his game never really developed offensively and he is one of the most injury prone players in professional sports. Truthfully, he is a bit of a dinosaur in the league since big men that do not shoot 3-pointers are almost totally extinct. Brogdon was only here for one season but he was a true pro and the Sixth Man of the Year but you knew something would happen when the C's tried to trade for him over the summer to the Clippers while they wanted him to get surgery on his elbow (that severely limited him in the playoffs) but he disagreed. I know that he was close with Jaylen Brown so hopefully this move does not piss off Jaylen too much. Likewise, Time Lord was tight with Jayson Tatum so same deal there. 

    More than anything, this aggressive move by the C's proves that Brad Stevens understands that they cannot wait around for the next championship to appear out of the mist. For too long, the franchise has acted like they are the Warriors or the Bulls in the 90s in terms of multiple titles in recent history when they truth is that all they have is two bitter losses in the NBA Finals (in 2011 vs. the Lakers and in 2022 vs. the Warriors) since capturing their 17th title 15 long years ago. As long as they have a healthy Tatum and Brown, they will always be in the mix in the Eastern Conference and for the Finals. You don't win championships because of role players and bench guys but Boston clearly needed to upgrade its roster that was way too thin behind their top two players.  

    Besides being a very solid player who averaged 19.3 points per game, 7.4 assists per game, 5.1 rebounds per game and 1.2 steals per game in 2022-23, Holiday is an adult. He is 33 years old and married to former USWNT star Lauren Holiday who has battled some serious health issues since she was forced to retire early. Jrue is a good but great shooter (38.4% on 3-pointers and 85.9% free throw percentage) who has famously struggled with his shot in the postseason but you can always count on his outstanding defense, leadership and winning mentality. He won't beat himself and force things searching for his points. This is all to say that both on the floor and in the community, I think that he should be an excellent fit (much like Brogdon was) for the Celtics and someone that is very easy to root for. 

Thanks To Zach Wilson, The Patriots Win Their 15th (!!!) Straight Game Against The Jets 15-10

 

    The wins for the Patriots (1-2) this season will probably be few and far between so we have to celebrate them-albeit briefly-no matter how ugly they are, including today's 15-10 tractor pull at MetLife Stadium against the hapless Jets (1-2). In the wind and rain, the Jets' offense was non-existent (171 total yards) while the Patriots never made it into the red zone and missed two field goals. Did I mention that the only touchdowns of the game were scored by New England's third tight end-Pharaoh Brown-and New York's fullback-Nick Bawden? Yeah, it was that kind of extremely forgettable and ugly game just as you knew that it would be but at least the Pats are not 0-3 and talks of firing head coach Bill Belichick will calm down for a few days. New England almost gagged it away too as it came down to the final play: Jets quarterback Zach Wilson's (18-of-36 for 157 yards, 3 sacks) hail mary attempt was knocked down at the goal-line but receiver Randall Cobb dropped the ball that was deflected right to him. Yeesh, never in doubt for the Patriots who have now won 15th straight contests against New York-the longest current streak in the NFL-dating back to 2016. 

    Other than not losing, it is hard to feel that great about this hollow victory for the Pats since if they faced a competent quarterback, let alone an elite one, we realize that this would have surely resulted in another loss. Instead, thanks to Aaron Rodgers' season-ending injury in Week 1, they got to face Wilson who appears on the fast track to being one of the great busts of his generation. What a clown, only the Jets would refuse to sign a veteran QB to help them or at least give backup Tim Boyle a shot. Can he really be worse than Wilson who is the worst starting quarterback in the league (and I am sure that many backups are better than him as well)? By comparison Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (15-for-29, 201 yards, TD) who is the definition of average at this level looks like a future Hall of Famer. 

    It is scary that this game was not decided until the final play. Pats rookie kicker Chad Ryland hit two long field goals-from 48 yards in the first quarter and from 51 yards in the third quarter-but he also missed two others after a pair of bad snaps from Joe Cardona. New England's lack of explosive players and chunk plays is pathetic. Brown's 58-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter came solely because New York somehow left him wide open down the seam. Ryland's PAT made it 10-0 and the only thing that saved New York from getting shut out in the first half was a 52-yard field goal by veteran kicker Greg Zuerlein late in the second quarter. 

If you thought that the first half was dull (and boy was it ever!), the second half was even more unwatchable as the lone points came from that Ryland field goal, Bawden's one-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter and then the requisite safety allowed by Wilson who could not get rid of the ball before Patriots defensive end Matthew Judon sacked him in the end zone. The win gets New England out of the basement of the AFC East although Miami (3-0) and Buffalo (2-1) each looked infinitely better than these sorry clubs this afternoon as the Dolphins beat the Broncos (0-3) 70-20 (yes, that is a real NFL score) and the Bills (2-1) nearly shut out the Commanders (2-1) in DC 37-3. Next Sunday's matchup (4:25, Fox) in Dallas (2-1) looks a little less hopeless as the Cowboys clearly did not take the Cardinals (1-2) seriously in Arizona and paid for it by losing 28-16 in a surprising yet very Dallas like choke job.

    Despite what happened today, the Cowboys still have an excellent defense so it is hard to imagine that the Pats will be able to move the ball and more importantly, score many points against them. Perhaps it will be a revenge game for ex-Cowboy Ezekiel Elliott (16 carries, 80 yards)? You will remember that New England has not even topped 20 points so far this season in their first three games which is a recipe for disaster. They should be a double-digit underdog and it feels like a bounce back spot for Dallas (if they are a true contender) after that no-show. The Pats' only real advantage is Belichick vs. the Cowboys' buffoon head coach Mike McCarthy but that can only get you so far when your roster is not in the same area code in terms of depth and talent. An upset in Dallas would be one of New England's best wins in the post-Tom Brady era but I cannot see it happening in real life unless something truly crazy occurs deep in the heart of Texas at Jerry World. 

Left Wing Brad Marchand Is Rightfully Named The 27th Captain In The History Of The Boston Bruins

 

    Ever since longtime Bruins center and captain Patrice Bergeron officially retired earlier this summer, the obvious question for the team was who would be the next captain of the B's? Fittingly, as training camp opened for Boston this morning at the Warrior Ice Arena in Boston, they unveiled their new captain on social media: left wing Brad Marchand aka Bergy's best friend. Looking back, there really should not have been that much debate on this subject since Brad is the right choice for a number of reasons. Additionally, defenseman Charlie McAvoy and right wing David Pastrnak were named alternate captains for the Bruins ahead of their new era in the 2023-24 season. 

    Most team sports choose captains but I will always subscribe to hockey being the one where it is a more important distinction than any other (with football being second but slightly deluded since teams have a bunch of captains instead of a singular one based on the huge team size). There is a certain honor and prestige about being named the captain of an NHL club that is different from any other. This is not simply about being the best player (cough cough high school) or the oldest/longest tenured (although Marchy does check both of those boxes too), rather it is a combination of leadership, playing ability, a go-to voice for the media (local and national) and overall professionalism in the community. As you would expect for an Original Six team, Boston has been blessed with so many excellent captains over the years with defenseman Zdeno Chara (2006-20) and Bergeron (2021-23) being the recent exemplary guys to fill that lofty position.

    Marchand's growth as a player and a human being has been something to behold. At the age of 35, it is amazing how far he has come in all ways since being drafted by the Bruins in 2006 (3rd Round, 71st overall). It is hard to believe the same maniac that used to lick opponents, who loved nothing more than a good slew foot or cheap shot and always got fined or suspended a few times per season is now this refined person. Everyone grows up at some point (at least you hope so) and just imagine that you had to do so in the public eye. While I am not sure exactly how the Bruins determined the captaincy-I bet it was due to coach and player input-this was a no-brainer.  

    Brad has always been hilarious (like stand-up comic level quality) and he does not shy away from talking after a tough loss but this shows how he has come full circle. He is no longer the scrappy underdog that was happy to play in whatever role as he made an unexpected impact on the 2011 Stanley Cup champions. He is a world class player and this shows how his teammates, coaching staff and front office-the most important people that you work with as a professional athlete-truly think of him. Likewise, being an alternate captain does not carry nearly the same cache as being the captain in hockey but for younger players like McAvoy and Pastrnak, this is a good sign that they are doing the right things behind the scenes coupled with their high level performances on the ice that we can all see for ourselves. Lastly, the lack of racial diversity in the NHL is horrible but at least these three guys are from different countries: Canada (Marchand), United States (McAvoy) & Czech Republic (Pastrnak).

Tua Tagovailoa Improves To 5-0 Vs. The Patriots As Miami (2-0) Beats New England (0-2) 24-17

 

    The glory days of the Patriots have long since passed by and now, they are just another middling NFL team trying to figure things out year after year. I am not saying that he cannot coach anymore but New England head coach Bill Belichick sure looks and acts his age plus nobody will be mentioning him as one of the top coaches in the league anymore now that Tom Brady is officially retired and never coming back to play for the Pats. The AFC East used to be a cakewalk when the Patriots were on top and now they are struggling to stay out of the basement. They still cannot find a way to beat Miami (2-0) who came to Gillette Stadium this evening for a Sunday Night Football matchup and left with a 24-17 victory that dropped New England to 0-2 for the first time since 2001. Of course, you will remember that they ended up winning the Super Bowl that season-the start of the dynasty-but needless to say, they will not be anywhere close to this year's Super Bowl, only watching it from home like you and I. 

    Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (21-of-30 for 249 yards, TD, INT) is far from one of the top signal-callers in the NFL and yet the Patriots have still never beaten him. The former Alabama star bumped his perfect record to 5-0 vs. Belichick which is tied with former Steelers quarterback Neil O'Donnell for the best individual mark against Bill. Just like last week's opening 25-20 loss to the Eagles (2-0), another slow start doomed the home team. Forget about the fake comeback too since they trailed 17-3 going into the fourth quarter before briefly making it interesting. In the post-Brady years here, the Pats have struggled against good teams and also in close games. If you cannot consistently win in either of those scenarios, you are not a playoff team and you have to wonder how much longer Belichick deserves to be the head coach/GM. 

    The other Crimson Tide quarterback-Mac Jones (31-for-42 for 231 yards, TD, INT)-in action in his AFC East showdown did not play as well as he did against Philadelphia but that was also a function of New England's running game really struggling. Mac is not good enough on his own to win games when the rest of his team fails to perform at a high level which is why ultimately, they will never win anything of note with him unless they surround him with a 49ers or Eagles style loaded roster. Miami's kicker Jason Sanders had the only points of the dull first quarter-a 23-yard field goal. Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert (18 carries, 121 yards, 2 TDs) was the player of the game and he ran for an eight-yard touchdown run in the second quarter that coupled with a point after from Sanders made it 10-0. The Patriots barely avoided getting shutout on their home field in the first half as rookie kicker Chad Ryland hit a 49-yard field goal (the first of his pro career) to cut it to 10-3 Fins. Miami marched right down the field though and Tua found wide receiver Tyreek Hill for a two-yard touchdown catch with 11 seconds left in the first half. Sanders' PAT made it 17-3 as the Patriots trailed by 14 points at halftime. 

    If you thought that the first quarter was a bore (and oh was it ever!), the third quarter was enough to put anyone but a hardcore Dolphins fan to sleep. Neither team scored in that frame but Jones found his tight end Hunter Henry for a six-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter that made it 17-10 Miami after Ryland's point after. Patriots rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez-one of their only bright spots so far in 2023-added another play to his personal highlight reel as he picked off Tua for his first career interception. Mostert made it a two-score game yet again though with a 41-yard touchdown run where he was untouched while he sped to the end zone. Sanders' PAT increased Miami's lead to 24-10. New England closed it out with a two-yard touchdown run by Rhamondre Stevenson and a point after by Ryland that made it 24-17 Dolphins late in the fourth quarter. 

    It is silly to call a game in Week 2 or 3 a must-win, however if tonight was not a must-win (and it probably was because only like 10% of NFL teams that start 0-2 ever reach the playoffs), next week's matchup with the Jets (1-1) at Met Life Stadium (1, CBS) is the true test for whether the Patriots should have any sliver of hope for this doomed season or if they need to begin tanking ASAP (which Bill would never allow so close to Don Shula's win record but you catch my drift). New York had Super Bowl aspirations but as you may have heard, Aaron Rodgers tore his Achille's in his fourth play as a Jet, leaving them with Zach Wilson (maybe the worst QB in the NFL) as their starter. He threw three interceptions as New York got blown out 30-10 in Dallas (2-0) this afternoon. The Jets have tons of talent all over the field-unlike the Patriots-but if Belichick and his team cannot beat Wilson then major yikes.  

With Nothing Left To Play For In '23, Red Sox Get A Jump On The Offseason By Firing Chaim Bloom

 

    On the precipice of possibly their third last-place finish in the past four seasons and with playoff baseball only a memory, the Red Sox (74-72) had no other choice this afternoon than to fire chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom. Other than 2021's improbable run to the ALCS (where they fell to Houston in six games), Bloom has done his best to steer this once proud franchise straight into the ground. Of course, this mess was never all his fault since principal owner John Henry, chairman Tom Werner and president Sam Kennedy need to show much more dedication to putting a winning product on the baseball diamond instead of focusing most of their time and efforts (and hefty bank accounts) on other sports ventures. Still, what a disappointment and fraud that Bloom turned out to be: he worked in Tampa Bay for 15 years but never in a huge role so it should not have been a surprise that he was not built for this lofty position.

    We were told that Bloom was one of if not the best nerd in MLB and that could not be further from the truth. Sure, he went to Yale but all he seems to care about is building a farm system while results with the major league team were secondary and not all that important. Ironically, Boston's minor league teams are not in much better shape than they were before Bloom. Did he ever realize that the Red Sox are in one of the biggest markets (and few places that still cares about baseball) and not in Tampa where nobody pays attention or cares so you can be an anonymous robot lurking in the shadows and basically playing fantasy baseball with your dweeby buddies? Baseball America rankings mean nothing in the real world but don't tell that to Bloom and his pals.

    No matter who is the next nerd to replace Bloom-and get over it, MLB is riddled with dorks in powerful spots-Boston will never get back to being a perennial power without the owners buying in once again. It is empty talk at press conferences when people like Kennedy go on about how winning the World Series is important, the fans deserve this or that, blah blah blah. Sports fans in New England are not stupid and all you needed to see this week were Red Sox-Yankees (73-73) tickets going for $1 as the former best rivalry in baseball is relegated to a complete afterthought. Did I mention that the stands have been mostly empty this week for these games? Nevermind that Monday and Wednesday's contests were both rained out so there were doubleheaders on Tuesday and today but could you have ever imagined that it would come to this? 

    Looking around MLB, it is quite possible to win at the Major League level and also produce top talent that can both help you win said games while simultaneously helping to acquire the needed pieces to win a World Series title. Just ask the Dodgers (88-57), Braves (96-50) and Astros (83-64) who have been able to do both things at the same time, what a concept! There is no salary cap in MLB so it is imperative that the Red Sox owners remember that and use their financial advantages to get back on top. Ben Cherington, Dave Dombrowski and Bloom all basically got the same amount of time before they were fired from the Red Sox. 

    Regardless of who gets this very important job next, the bottom line is that Boston has to have a clear and focused plan starting from the top. Too often in recent years, they appear reactionary instead of trusting their decision makers and most importantly, backing them up with blank checks. Finally, Boston manager Alex Cora won his death match with Bloom and he might actually be the rare guy who survives a regime change. Typically, a new GM or chief baseball officer will handpick their own manager so we will have to wait and see if Cora makes it much longer than his buddy Chaim. 

Moral Victory Crew (Pats) Lose Third Straight Opener-25-20-To Eagles With TB12 At Gillette

 

    Like any reasonable person, my expectations for the Patriots are very low entering the 2023 season. They look far more destined for last place in the loaded AFC East (the toughest division in football?) instead of a much needed return to the playoffs. This afternoon at rainy Gillette Stadium, they put forth a decent effort but predictably fell short against the more talented and deeper Eagles 25-20. The fact that Tom Brady was in the building for a halftime ceremony only underlined the main point: this team is far away from their glory days and sadly, they do not appear to be getting any closer to the level of say a team like Philadelphia which lost in last season's Super Bowl to Kansas City. Sure, New England's new/old offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien is a marked improvement over head coach Bill Belichick's lackey Matt Patricia but it is tough to win when you spot a quality opponent a 16-0 lead in the first quarter. 

    It got better from there as the Pats cut it to 16-14 Eagles at halftime and they were down 25-20 late in the fourth quarter with multiple chances to steal a victory but they could not take advantage of Philly actively trying to give the game away to them. Just like in the past few years, New England is better at finding ways to lose and/or beat themselves rather than winning like they used to quite often when Brady was a Patriot. It is undoubtedly a huge season (his 3rd in the NFL) for Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (35-of-54 for 316 yards, 3 TDs, INT) as the team can fully assess if he is a true franchise quarterback or just an average player that is inherently replaceable. On paper, his numbers looked very solid but the interception was a pick-6 by Philly's star cornerback Darius Slay that went for 70 yards and gave the Eagles an early 10-0 lead. 

    We worry about New England's lack of playmakers on both sides of the ball these days, they have nothing close to Philly's excellent wide receiver duo of A.J. Brown (7 catches, 79 yards) and DeVonta Smith (7 catches, 47 yards, TD). Pats receiver Kendrick Bourne (6 catches, 64 yards, 2 TDs) did flash his ability that was largely stapled to the sideline (for whatever goofy reason) last season. While he is not a true No. 1 WR, he has good chemistry with Jones which should mean something. New England figures to be a solid running team but they are not going to beat many teams when they combine for a pedestrian 76 yards rushing like they did today. In his Patriots debut, Ezekiel Elliott (7 carries, 29 yards; 5 catches, 14 yards) had a costly fumble that directly led to Smith's five-yard TD catch from Eagles star quarterback (and Mac's old buddy from Alabama) Jalen Hurts (22-of-33 for 170 yards, TD; 9 carries, 37 yards rushing) that made it 16-0 Eagles (Jake Elliott missed the PAT after earlier hitting a 32-yard field goal). If New England is going to be any good in 2023, they need another huge campaign from running back Rhamondre Stevenson and his outing today could best be described as uneven: he was completely bottled up running the ball (12 carries, 25 yards rushing) but he somewhat made up for that with six catches for 64 yards which included New England's longest play of the day-a 32-yard catch and run that was all thanks to his elusiveness and speed in the open field.

Pats tight end-and newly elected captain-Hunter Henry finally got them some points with his nine-yard touchdown catch from Jones late in the first half. Rookie kicker Chad Ryland added the point after for his first career point in the NFL. New England got the ball back before halftime and cashed in with Jones' best throw of the day: a 19-yard dart to Bourne in the end zone that coupled with Ryland's second PAT cut it to 16-14 Philadelphia at the break. Elliott is one of the best kickers in the league and he showed off that ability with a 56-yard field goal in the third quarter followed by 48 (off the goal post and in) and 51-yard kicks in the fourth quarter which put the Eagles back in front by two scores (25-14). Bourne once again answered the call with another clutch snag-an 11-yard touchdown catch where he got his feet down inbounds in the back of the end zone. The Pats went for two points and appeared to convert it when Mac ran it in but that was of course called back for holding. Their second shot at it obviously ended with an incomplete pass. 

    Safety Jabrill Peppers gave the Pats a chance to win it late in the fourth quarter when he forced a fumble by Hurts that was recovered by cornerback Marcus Jones. New England turned it over on downs on that drive but they surprisingly got one final chance to win it after Philly made the stupid decision to throw it (incomplete) on 4th-and-2 from midfield. Mac's arm will never be elite and that really shows up in tight contests like this where he cannot complete throws that top level NFL quarterbacks have to be able to routinely make. He is also not nearly athletic enough like a Hurts to make up for that glaring weakness. Being smart, tough and a a good teammate only gets you so far at the toughest position in sports. On the bright side, New England's first round pick this past spring-cornerback Christian Gonzalez looked very legit in his first NFL game. He had five tackles, two assists, a sack (!!!) and a pass deflected. Most importantly, he bounced back from a few mistakes and did not shy away from competing against some of the best receivers in the league. 

    Things do not get any easier for the Pats though as they host the Dolphins (1-0) back at Gillette Stadium for Sunday Night Football (8:20, NBC). Miami beat the Chargers (0-1) 36-34 in a track meet this afternoon on the West Coast. Mac faces another Crimson Tide pal Tua Tagovailoa (466 passing yards, 3 TDs) who went crazy against LA along with his top target-wide receiver Tyreek Hill (11 catches, 215 yards, 2 TDs) who is still probably the most explosive wideout in the NFL. Tua has missed plenty of time in his young pro career due to injuries but he has never lost to the Patriots and Miami is expected to be a playoff team again-if he can finally stay healthy-this season. Regardless of who they have played, an 0-2 start for New England would be pretty grim since both of those games were at home where you have to find a way to win at least one of them.