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How it happened

Dolphins 24, Patriots 17: New England drops to 0-2 for first time since 2001

By Ben Volin, Nicole Yang, Christopher Price, Ethan Fuller, Katie McInerney and Chad Finn Globe Staff, Globe Correspondent and Globe Staff,Updated September 18, 2023, 1:24 a.m.
Braxton Berrios hauls in a catch between Shaun Wade and Christian Gonzalez during the second quarter.Barry Chin/Globe Staff

The Patriots fell to 0-2 after losing to the Dolphins, 24-17, at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.

It’s the first time New England has begun a season 0-2 since 2001.

There were a few promising moments after outstanding play by the special teams and defense, but Mac Jones and the offense couldn’t capitalize.

Brendan Schooler blocked a field-goal attempt by the Dolphins with under four minutes to play in the third quarter. After securing one first down, Jones launched a 50-50 ball to the corner where DeVante Parker was beat out for the catch by the Dolphins’ Xavien Howard. It was the only interception Jones threw all evening.

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In the fourth quarter, rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez intercepted Tua Tagovailoa’s pass intended for speedy Miami receiver Tyreek Hill. The Patriots failed to capitalize on the opportunity, going three-and-out on their next possession.

Jones finished with 231 yards passing, completing 31 of his 42 attempts with one TD pass and an interception. Stevenson led New England rushers with 50 yards on 15 attempts; Parker led receivers with 57 yards on six catches (eight targets).

Tagovailoa threw for 249 yards on 21-of-30 passing. Raheem Mostert led all rushers with 121 yards on 18 attempts with two touchdowns, and Tyreek Hill had five catches for 40 yards and a touchdown. Jaylen Waddle had 86 yards receiving for the Dolphins on four catches.

After Chad Ryland notched his first NFL field goal in the second quarter, the Patriots didn’t score again until early in the fourth.

Jones connected with Hunter Henry for a six-yard touchdown with 11:27 to play, and Rhamondre Stevenson added a rushing TD with 5:29 to play. But it wouldn’t be enough for New England.

New England heads on the road next week for another divisional matchup, this one against the Jets at MetLife Stadium.

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Read more about the Patriots’ loss

Dolphins 24, Patriots 17: How it happened

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Tua is 5-0 against the Patriots — 12:50 a.m.

Tua Tagovailoa has not lost to New England since taking over as Miami’s signal-caller in 2020.

Here’s what he had to say about it when asked after Sunday’s game:

“I think our team is 5 and 0 against Bill Belichick,” he said. “It’s never a me thing. It’s never a me thing. And I don’t think we ever look at it as, ‘Oh, we beat them once, we beat them twice, we beat them five times in a row.’ Every time we face Coach Belichick’s team, it’s always a challenge. And we know we’re going to get their best.

“But it’s hard to play against a team like that, especially here on the road in Foxborough. We’re going to take them however they come. And we’ll continue to move forward on whatever team that we have next.”

Another late lateral vs. the Dolphins?! — 12:45 a.m.

By Christopher Price

There’s something about the Patriots, the Dolphins, and fourth-quarter laterals.

In 2018, Miami upset New England with a wild fourth-quarter play that involved a series of laterals and ended with a shocking touchdown.

On Sunday night at Gillette, a late lateral attempt on a fourth-down play from Patriots tight end Mike Gesicki to offensive lineman Cole Strange wasn’t enough to pick up a first down, leaving New England on the short end of a 24-17 score.

Read more here.

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What Mac Jones had to say after the Patriots’ loss — 12:25 a.m.

On being close but not breaking through: “Obviously it sucks, but when you’re close, you just have to do more. Weight room, film, practice, everyone just has to do more. And hopefully if you do that, you know you did everything you could do, right? At some point, some of it’s out of your control.”

On not letting 0-2 be a downward spiral: “I think about my past experience. My rookie year, we didn’t start off too hot, and then went on a really good winning streak. All I can do is look back on experiences I’ve already had in my life, and hopefully the guys on the team can respond.”

Mac on challenges of playing from behind: ”The biggest thing is just: We’re close. We drove the ball pretty well, just didn’t get it in. Last week we were behind and we kind of scored some touchdowns. If we can just combine those two things, move the ball and then get it in the red zone, I think everyone would be smiling right now.”

Tyreek Hill calls out Patriots fans — 12:20 a.m.

Tyreek Hill won’t be missing New England.

The Dolphins receiver called out Patriots fans while talking with reporters following Miami’s 24-17 win on Sunday.

“Those fans are some of the worst fans in the NFL, and [I’m going to] stand on that,” he said, “because they’re real nasty and some of the things they were saying ... I wouldn’t say it in church.

“It felt great to wave goodbye to the fans,” he finished, before waving once more.

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Hill had five catches for 40 yards and a touchdown in the Patriots’ win.

Instant analysis: The Patriots put up a stinker — 12:05 a.m.

By Ben Volin

Raheem Mostert sealed it up for the Dolphins with his fourth-quarter TD run.Barry Chin/Globe Staff

Instant Analysis from the Patriots’ 24-17 loss to the Dolphins:

⋅ Any positivity that was generated from the 25-20 loss to the Eagles in Week 1 was squandered on Sunday night. The Patriots authored a stinker on both sides of the ball and had the same old issues that have plagued them in the past.

Another slow start. The offense was dull. The offensive line had too many miscues. The quarterback couldn’t generate any big plays down the field. They turned the ball over. The defense couldn’t match the speed on the other side. And they couldn’t make enough plays in crunch time.

The Patriots are 0-2 for the first time since 2001, with both losses coming at home. It’s obviously not time to throw in the towel, but it’s disheartening to see that the changes this offseason — adding Bill O’Brien, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and others — have so far been the equivalent of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. They’re still the same old punchless Patriots.

Read more here.

Bill Belichick has few words for loss — 12:00 a.m.

Bill Belichick took much longer to speak to the media than usual on Sunday night, and he kept it brief. The highlights:

On the call reversing the first down attempt by Cole Strange on final drive: “You should talk to the officials, I’m sure they’ll do a pool report on that.”

On the slow starts: “Can’t turn the ball over.”

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On not playing Demario Douglas after his fumble in the first quarter: “Yeah, we played all of our skill players.”

David Andrews’s message to the locker room — 11:40 p.m.

David Andrews was the first Patriots player to speak to the media after the game.

He was asked about his message to the locker room:

“Got to have better discipline all around. Discipline to finish — can’t beat ourselves. Turnovers again, penalties in crucial moments. Jut got to do a better job when it matters most and stop playing from behind... That’s not how you want to play the game, playing from behind. It’s very hard.”

Patriots lose — 11:22 p.m.

New England is 0-2 for the first time since 2001.

Next up: the Jets next Sunday at the Meadowlands.

No good — 11:21 p.m.

The officials confirmed Strange did not get the first down. The Dolphins take over and will run the clock out.

Incredible stuff from Cole Strange — 11:20 p.m.

The officials are reviewing a first down after Mike Gesicki heaved the ball backward to offensive lineman Cole Strange in a last-ditch effort to keep this drive alive. Strange appeared to drag himself far enough for a first down.

Can they do it? — 11:16 p.m.

Pats start at their own 45, down 7. Can they put together the kind of touchdown drive in a crucial situation that they couldn’t against the Eagles? (Bradley Chubb sacks Mac as I’m tying this.)

Miami’s field goal attempt is no good — 11:13 p.m.

The Dolphins didn’t get much further on that drive. Tua Tagovailoa fumbled the snap from under center on a critical 3rd-and-1, and Jason Sanders missed a 55-yard field goal attempt. It’s still a one-possession game, with the ball back in the Patriots’ hands.

New England takes over at its own 45 with 2:19 to play.

Waddle goes down — 11:09 p.m.

A major moment in Miami’s next drive.

Matthew Judon breaks up a key second-down pass to Jaylen Waddle, but a late hit from behind by Marte Mapu gets called for unnecessary roughness — and injuries Waddle in the process. The star wide receiver left the field under his own power. — Fuller

Stevenson finally finds the end zone — 11:01 p.m.

Dolphins 24, Patriots 17 | 5:25, fourth quarter | 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:20

The Patriots are keeping this a game.

Mac Jones drove the offense 75 yards on nine plays before handing off to Rhamondre Stevenson for a 2-yard rushing touchdown. There’s still 5:25 to play, and New England is back to a 7-point deficit — plenty of time. — Fuller

Mostert speeds into end zone — 10:52 p.m.

Dolphins 24, Patriots 10 | 8:45, fourth quarter | 1 play, 43 yards, :07

Miami breaks off the big-play touchdown it was waiting for, but it came on an inside run from Raheem Mostert, who shot the left gap and took off for a 43-yard score. — Fuller

Pats aren’t coming back from 14 down even if the Dolphins play a defender short. — Finn

Fans here are heading for the exits. — McInerney

But the Patriots can’t turn it into anything — 10:50 p.m.

No response from the Patriots on that drive. Mac Jones got sacked by Andrew Van Ginkel on second down, then missed a difficult deep attempt on third down. New England is forced to punt. The Dolphins take over the ball on New England’s 43 with 8:52 to play. — Fuller

Huuuuuge INT by rookie Christian Gonzalez — 10:45 p.m.

The Dolphins take a deep shot — and it is rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez making the biggest play of his very young career, jumping in front of Tyreek Hill for the interception. The Patriots now have a chance to tie the game with a touchdown and extra point. — Fuller

Gillette Stadium finally has some life in it with 9:56 to play in the fourth quarter. — McInerney

Hunter Henry hauls in a TD catch — 10:40 p.m.

Dolphins 17, Patriots 10 | 11:21, fourth quarter | 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:26

The Patriots finally find the endzone. Mac Jones faked a handoff, rolled to his right, and threw a 6-yard score to Hunter Henry.

The Patriots logged their two longest plays of the game on that drive. Jones found Henry in the middle of the field for 13 yards, and later scrambled 18 yards for a first down. — Fuller

15 minutes to go — 10:35 p.m.

Patriots take over on their own 42-yard line after the Dolphins punt to begin the fourth quarter.

End of the third quarter: Dolphins 17, Patriots 3 — 10:31 p.m.

No points from either team in the third quarter. The Patriots did a nice job pinning the Dolphins against their own endzone after the interception, and could get great field position should Miami punt coming out of the quarter. — Fuller

Aaaand an interception — 10:27 p.m.

Another drive into Dolphins territory goes awry. Miami’s Xavien Howard boxed out DeVante Parker and intercepted Mac Jones just before the goal line.

The Dolphins take the ball over at their own 3-yard line with 52 seconds to play in the third quarter. — Fuller

The chuck-it-up-for-Parker stuff is so low-percentage. — Finn

Patriots’ challenge denied — 10:25 p.m.

The Patriots challenged the ruling on the field, arguing that Rhamondre Stevenson did pick up the final yard and a first down with 1:26 to play in the third quarter.

The call was not overturned, but Mac Jones rushed two yards on fourth down to continue the drive.

Blocked field goal! — 10:17 p.m.

The Patriots special teams injected some life into Gillette Stadium when Brenden Schooler came free from the left side to block a Dolphins field goal attempt, which was recovered by Kyle Dugger.

The Dolphins had registered their first big play of the game during the prior drive. Tua Tagovailoa tossed a deep ball up to Jaylen Waddle along the left sideline, and Waddle hauled in the 32-yard grab over Patriots cornerback Myles Bryant.

Who’s to blame? — 10:12 p.m.

Patriots have just 134 total yards so far. I need to find some way to blame Matt Patricia for this. — Finn

Boos are raining down — 10:05 p.m.

New England started its own drive with a 9-yard Rhamondre Stevenson run, but the punt team takes the field after Rhamondre Stevenson loses three yards and the fans here at Gillette aren’t very happy about it. Barringer’s punt goes for 38 yards and the Dolphins will take over at their own 8-yard line. — McInerney

A big Judon sack — 10:02 p.m.

Miami got the ball out of halftime and didn’t get anywhere, with a Matthew Judon sack forcing a 3-and-out punt.

Marcus Jones ruled out — 10:00 p.m.

The Patriots announce defensive back Marcus Jones has been ruled out of the game with a shoulder injury.

And we’re back for the second half — 9:58 p.m.

Can New England close the gap?

Price’s first-half takeaways — 9:47 p.m.

It’s 17-3 Dolphins at the half. Christopher Price’s halftime takeaways ...

• One of the things we heard from New England players more than once this week was they couldn’t let this game become a track meet. Despite their best efforts, the Dolphins flashed some of the most impressive quickness in the league throughout the second quarter. Hill and Waddle were effective in the open field, and Tagovailoa did well to find them in space. Despite the fact that Jonathan Jones (ankle) was sidelined, Hill was limited to three catches for the first half (one on a two-yard touchdown catch with 11 second left in the second quarter), respectable numbers for the New England defense. At the same time, Hill’s dynamic playmaking skill means he’s capable of ripping off a big gain at any moment — he demands vigilance.

• At the start of the game, the Patriots were playing an awful lot of two-high safeties (Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers) with Marte Mapu working as an extra defensive back, an acknowledged attempt to keep as much as possible in front of them and limit Miami’s explosive plays. Later in the half, it was Jalen Mills and Peppers, with Adrian Phillips apparently the odd man out.

• It wasn’t exclusive, but it looked like Christian Gonzalez was following Waddle for much of the first half, while Marcus Jones was tracking Hill. After Jones went to the sideline early in the second quarter with a shoulder injury (he’s questionable to return), Myles Bryant and Shaun Wade saw significant snaps opposite the Miami offense.

• One of the defensive goals for New England entering this week was limiting the explosiveness of the Miami offense, which had nine plays of 20 yards or more last week against the Chargers. In the first half, Miami had two plays of 20 or more yards, with the longest coming on a 28-yard catch-and-run by Waddle in the second quarter. Not ideal, but given what Miami has done over the last year-plus, it represents a plus for the Patriots.

• For the second straight week, New England shot itself in the foot with an early turnover, this one coming at the end of the catch-and-run from Demario Douglas. Just a debilitating giveaway for an offense that was doing a lot of good things to that point on the night.

• The New England offensive line welcomed Mike Onwenu (right guard) and Cole Strange (left guard) back to the starting lineup for their season debuts. That being said, there were some struggles, particularly on the left side with left tackle Vederian Lowe and Strange. It’ll be interesting to see if the Patriots try Tyrone Wheatley at tackle in the second half, or put Pharaoh Brown in his hip pocket to try and help with protection off the edge.

• The Patriots got on the board with a 49-yarder from Chad Ryland with 1:49 left in the first half, a kick that made it 10-3. New England also got a booming 59-yard punt from Bryce Baringer midway through the second quarter that helped tilt the field in the Patriots’ favor.

• The Dolphins will get the ball to start the second half.

Halftime stat check — 9:45 p.m.

Mac Jones: 14-for-18, 95 yards

Rhamondre Stevenson: six carries, 16 yards

Tua Tagovailoa: 15-for-20, 181 yards, 1 TD

Jaylen Waddle: 3 catches, 4 targets, 54 yards

Tyreek Hill: 3 catches, 5 targets, 25 yards, 1 TD

Dolphins grab another TD to end the first half — 9:43 p.m.

Dolphins 17, Patriots 3 | :11, second quarter | 8 plays, 75 yards, 1:38

Miami ran a textbook two-minute drill, going 75 yards in 1:38 before Tua Tagovailoa hit Tyreek Hill for a two-yard touchdown. The highlight play of the drive was an 18-yard catch from Braxton Berrios on a ball Tagovailoa lofted beautifully past two Patriots defenders.

Patriots on the board — 9:30 p.m.

Dolphins 10, Patriots 3 | 1:49, second quarter | 10 plays, 35 yards, 3:55

Rookie kicker Chad Ryland didn’t attempt a field goal in the preseason or Week 1 — but he finally makes his first attempt as a Patriot, a 49-yard kick to get New England on the board.

After a Dolphins 3-and-out, the Patriots again found success on quick strikes, highlighted by a 12-yard catch-and-run by DeVante Parker. Parker, who was inactive in Week 1, has four catches for 34 yards. — Fuller

Hill and Waddle have a total of 77 receiving yards with 1:49 left in the first half. Patriots have done a good job preventing big plays (other than Waddle’s 28-yard catch). — Finn

Making history (and not in a good way) — 9:23 p.m.

Remember him? — 9:18 p.m.

A 37-yard punt by the Dolphins. That’s the Jake Bailey I remember from last year. — Finn

Patriots punt again — 9:14 p.m.

The Patriots have to punt again after another short drive. Mac Jones has been sharp throwing the football, connecting with seven different receivers and completing 10 of 13 passes. But no New England play has gone for more than 11 yards, and two of Jones’s three incompletions were failed attempts to hit Kendrick Bourne deep. — Fuller

Thought the Patriots would be much more committed to running the ball considering the Chargers’ Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelly ran for over 200 combined yards against the Dolphins last week. Eight carries for just 27 yards so far. — Finn

Same here. I think the shaky offensive line is a factor. — Yang

Marcus Jones injury update — 9:12 p.m.

Jones, the Patriots’ defensive back, suffered a shoulder injury and is questionable to return. — McInerney

Keep an eye on No. 51 — 9:09 p.m.

Dolphins LB David Long is a wrecking ball tonight. Had the chin-rattling hit on DeVante Parker, then the sack on Mac Jones, now gives Mac a big pop to force an incompletion. — Volin

Dolphins score — 9:03 p.m.

Dolphins 10, Patriots 0 | 9:39, second quarter | 11 plays, 73 yards, 5:21

Raheem Mostert has gotten a heavy workload this half, and he cashed in on an 8-yard run for the game’s first touchdown. Mostert has seven rushes for 31 yards and a score so far. — Fuller

Marcus Jones helped off — 9:00 p.m.

Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones went down with an apparent injury during the play, forcing an injury timeout with 11:00 left in the half.

It appears Jones was kicked in the head twice by Waddle while trying to bring the WR down. — Fuller

That 28-yard Waddle catch on 2d and 19 was reminiscent of Waddle’s 42-yard TD catch just before halftime in last year’s opener. Imagine having that guy has your second-most explosive receiver. — Finn

Big run for Waddle — 8:58 p.m.

Tua Tagovailoa has been quick and efficient throwing the football so far. He’s completed 8 of 11 pass attempts, most recently hitting Jaylen Waddle on a screen play that Waddle stretched for 28 yards. Jahlani Tavai and Waddle mixed it up afterward briefly but officials were close by. The Dolphins have the ball on the Patriots’ 15-yard line.

Tough moment for Demario Douglas — 8:55 p.m.

When I talked to Cris Collinsworth on Friday, he made a point to mention how much he likes Demario Douglas.

Curious to see how Douglas fares after that fumble. It was a great play by Chubb. — Finn

Douglas fumbles, Dolphins recover — 8:48 p.m.

Dolphins 3, Patriots 0 | end of first quarter

A promising Patriots drive ends badly right at the conclusion of the first quarter. As Demario Douglas was running after a catch, Bradley Chubb punched the ball out from behind, and the Dolphins recovered it at their own 39-yard line. — Ethan Fuller

It hasn’t been perfect for New England so far — that turnover was really rough — but this is the sort of pace the Patriots are looking for tonight. Slow it down, keep Tua and Tyreek on the sidelines. If they can limit Miami to one offensive possession a quarter, that’s a winnable formula. — Christopher Price

What to make of that drive — 8:42 p.m.

That drive had to be kind of frustrating for Miami. Thirteen plays, five of at least 10 yards, and they stall in the red zone and end up with just 3. Pats trail again, but that’s a win for them. — Chad Finn

Dolphins on the board — 8:40 p.m.

Dolphins 3, Patriots 0 | 3:00, first quarter | 13 plays, 81 yards, 7:13

The Dolphins gave New England a tough first dose of their potent offense, but the Patriots recovered to hold Miami to a field goal.

Though New England prevented any breakaway plays, Tua Tagovailoa kept the ball moving, hitting star receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle on separate quick-release throws. Running back Raheem Mostert also found some open space. But after getting the ball down to the New England 3-yard line, Miami couldn’t convert on three straight goal-to-go tries. Jason Sanders knocked the 23-yard field goal through.

Patriots punt — 8:30 p.m.

The Patriots received the opening kickoff after Miami won the coin toss and opted to defer.

Mac Jones completed his first two passes to Mike Gesicki and DeVante Parker — both former Dolphins — and continued spreading the ball around, hitting Demario Douglas on a 9-yard screen pass. But after picking up two first downs, the Patriots sputtered. Miami linebacker David Long Jr. found a free lane to sack Jones for a 9-yard loss, eventually forcing an early punt.

And we’re off — 8:22 p.m.

The Patriots have the ball first.

Tonight’s ‘Keeper of the Light’ — 8:20 p.m.

As implied last week with Tom Brady’s ringing of a bell on the top of the new lighthouse at Gillette Stadium, the Patriots intend to create a new tradition before each home game.

Tonight’s guest was country artist Kenny Chesney.

Our predictions — 8:15 p.m.

Yang: The Patriots lose — not because their defense cannot limit Hill, but because their offense cannot keep pace behind an even more banged up offensive line.

Price: The Patriots win, but just barely. Last week’s porous Miami run defense wasn’t a mirage. Even with some questions about the offensive line, with Zeke Elliott and Rhamondre Stevenson, New England is going to run the ball, slow the game down, and do its best to keep Tagovailoa, Hill, and Waddle off the field as long as possible.

Volin: I like the Patriots in a low-scoring game — say, 24-20. Tagovailoa is 4-0 against the Patriots, and threw for 466 yards last week, but he’s only 1-0 at Gillette Stadium (Week 1 of 2021), and the Patriots have a much better defense than what Tagovailoa faced last week against the Chargers. The Patriots’ offensive line will bully the Dolphins up front, and Mac Jones will continue his improved play with a couple of touchdown passes.

Who are the Dolphins to watch? — 8:10 p.m.

Yang: Tyreek Hill, who caught 11 yards on 15 targets for 215 yards and two touchdowns last week. The answer seems obvious, but Hill is clearly an integral part of Miami’s offensive production. He’s a threat from essentially everywhere on the field, but especially from deep. On throws of at least 20 yards, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is 21 of 34 (61.8 percent) for 722 yards and six touchdowns when targeting Hill.

Price: Durham Smythe. Sure, his name sounds like a paint color you’d find at a North Carolina Sherwin-Williams. But with so much attention on Hill and Waddle, and the Patriots a little thin in the secondary, the tight end could be poised to surprise. He’s not going to dominate like Hill, but all three of his catches last week against the Chargers went for first downs. Something to keep in mind Sunday night.

Betting notes — 8:05 p.m.

The Patriots are underdogs again in Week 2, with the oddsmakers pegging the Dolphins as slim 2.5-point favorites on the road and the moneyline set around -140 for Miami and +120 for New England at most sportsbooks.

The over/under has settled at 46.5; Bill Belichick would probably prefer the under as he hopes to contain the Dolphins’ explosive offense, which hung 36 points on the Chargers in a 70-point shootout last Sunday. — Amin Touri

Who are the Patriots players to watch? — 8:00 p.m.

Yang: The entire offensive line. Just because the line held up and Mac Jones fared well under pressure in Week 1 doesn’t mean the same thing will happen in Week 2, especially with Trent Brown (concussion) and Sidy Sow (concussion) sidelined. In order for New England’s offense to keep pace with Miami, the pass protection and run-blocking are both going to have to be on-point.

Price: Christian Gonzalez. The rookie is going to have to handle Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle tonight. He’ll have some help over the top in the form of one of New England’s safeties, but if he can be as effective as he was in last week’s opener, it’ll go a long way toward securing a win.

Volin: TE Hunter Henry. He was Mac Jones’s security blanket in Week 1, catching 5 of 6 passes for 56 yards with a touchdown and a crucial fourth-down conversion. With the Patriots a little banged up at receiver, expect Jones to look Henry’s way early and often on Sunday night.

How the Patriots might contain Tua — 7:55 p.m.

The Patriots’ defensive ends and outside linebackers face a serious test Sunday against the Dolphins in their pursuit of Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Maintaining the edge and being aware of your depth in relation to the passer is key for all of New England’s end-of-the-line defenders every week, but it’s especially true with Tagovailoa. If you get too far upfield in your rush, he’s shown he can make you pay by slipping into the vacated gap and taking off for a gain. And if you aren’t able to get enough of a push into the backfield, he’s smart enough to realize there’s an opening, and will hit the edge and take off.

It’s rare for a defense to be so aware of the rushing skills of a quarterback who has averaged just 2.9 yards per carry over the course of his career coming into Sunday night. But several members of New England’s front seven said this week it’s all part of playing good team defense against the Dolphins.

“He’s actually pretty shifty,” outside linebacker Matthew Judon said of Tagovailoa. “You [have] to try to get him in the pocket before he actually starts moving his feet.”

Rush discipline is one of the most important characteristics the Patriots look for on an end-of-the-line player. Defensive ends and outside linebackers are usually in the business of trying to overpower (or run around) a tackle or tight end while making a mad dash to the quarterback.

With New England, there’s more a focus on what one player called a “controlled rush.” That means not only trying to beat your man, but keeping a good depth in relation to the quarterback, and being exceptionally conscious of the play that’s unfolding in front of you.

Bottom line? There’s no freelancing.

“Some schemes don’t care as much about that,” outside linebacker Josh Uche said. “But particularly here, it’s something that’s emphasized. You can adapt it to your own craft, and the way you rush the passer. Make it work for you. But you have to do everything within the framework of the defense. At the end of the day, it’s something you have to be disciplined to do.” — Christopher Price

Tonight’s weather report — 7:45 p.m.

It looks like a beautiful night for football in Foxborough, with temperatures expected in the low 60s beneath cloudy skies with no concerns about rain for Sunday Night Football. — Amin Touri

Pat Patriot is back: On the Patriots’ throwback unis — 7:30 p.m.

The Patriots will break out their immensely popular red-and-white throwback threads against the Dolphins, which made their return to the rotation last season after a decade away.

The NFL’s helmet rules instituted after the 2012 season nixed the vintage AFL uniforms for 10 years, until that rule was scrapped ahead of last season. New England wore them twice last season, in a Week 5 win over the Lions and a Week 13 defeat against the Bills. — Amin Touri

Patriots’ inactives for tonight’s games — 7:10 p.m.

The Patriots just announced their inactives.

Cornerback Jonathan Jones (ankle), who was limited on Thursday and didn’t participate in Friday’s practice, will miss his first game of the year. It comes at an inopportune time, as Jones has historically done well against Miami speedster Tyreek Hill. Without Jones, rookie Christian Gonzalez will likely be part of a collective attempt to slow down the Dolphins’ top receiver.

Offensive tackles Sidy Sow and Trent Brown (concussion) are no surprise, but the fact that left guard Cole Strange and right guard/tackle Mike Onwenu are good to go should give New England fans some reason for optimism. Strange figures to return to his traditional left guard spot. And Onwenu, who has played some tackle in his career, could end up at right tackle, while veteran Calvin Anderson would flip from right tackle to left tackle.

Wide receiver Kayshon Boutte was limited earlier in the week with a hamstring, but he was removed from the injury report on Friday. His presence on the inactives report means DeVante Parker is ready to go after missing the opener with a knee issue.

Defensive end Sam Roberts, cornerback Ameer Speed and outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings are healthy scratches.

Dolphins’ inactives for tonight’s game — 7:00 p.m.

  • QB Skylar Thompson
  • CB Kelvin Joseph
  • WR Cedrick Wilson Jr.
  • LB Jaelan Phillips
  • DB Elijah Campbell
  • T Terron Armstead
  • TE Julian Hill

What to watch: Kendrick Bourne’s usage — 6:45 p.m.

One of the topics discussed on Friday’s episode of “Boston Globe Today” was whether Kendrick Bourne would maintain his spot as New England’s top receiver after his promising Week 1 showing. Against Philadelphia, the 28-year-old Bourne led the team with 11 targets, catching six passes for 64 yards and two touchdowns.

The stat line is certainly promising for Bourne’s role, but a by-committee approach still seems more likely moving forward. Nine Patriots finished with at least three targets in Week 1. The wide distribution is reflective of the creativity and versatility within offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien’s scheme, which features a variety of personnel groupings.

Bourne has every incentive to put up individual numbers. He’s entering the final year of his contract and coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. The Patriots, however, are better off keeping as many skill players involved as possible. Without a traditional No. 1 receiver, New England’s passing attack should lean into its collective identity. — Nicole Yang

What to look for on the inactives report — 6:40 p.m.

Much of the wait for Sunday’s inactives will center around the offensive line, with nearly the entire starting group listed; center David Andrews is expected to play despite being limited by a hamstring issue in practice this week, but tackle Trent Brown (concussion) and starting guards Cole Strange (knee) and Mike Onwenu (ankle) are all listed as questionable, the latter two of whom both missed the Week 1 loss to Philadelphia. Same goes for wide receiver DeVante Parker, who sat out the opener with a knee problem and remains questionable for Sunday night. — Amin Touri

Your 1 p.m. game score roundup — 6:30 p.m.

Colts 31, Texans 20 — Rookie QB Anthony Richardson found the end zone twice for Indianapolis to continue his hot start to the season, but left the game and was placed in concussion protocol. Gardner Minshew took over and led the Colts to their first win of the year with 171 yards passing and a touchdown.

Chiefs 17, Jaguars 9 — Kansas City got back on track in a rockfight, with 305 yards and two touchdowns from Patrick Mahomes enough to take the defending champions to 1-1 on the year.

Buccaneers 27, Bears 17 — Tampa Bay moved to 2-0 in the post-Tom Brady era, with Baker Mayfield throwing for 317 yards and a touchdown on another rough day for second-year Chicago QB Justin Fields (16 of 29 for 211 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions).

Titans 27, Chargers 24 — Cameron Dicker’s 33-yard field goal as time expired pushed the Chargers into overtime, but former Patriot Nick Folk’s 41-yard kick in overtime won it for the Titans and dropped Los Angeles to 0-2.

Seahawks 37, Lions 31 — Another shootout ended in overtime when Seattle’s Tyler Lockett dove for the pylon and waved goodbye to the Detroit crowd; Geno Smith threw for 328 yards and two touchdowns for the Seahawks, and Kenneth Walker found the end zone twice on the ground.

Ravens 27, Bengals 24 — Joe Burrow finally found his rhythm in the second half, tossing a pair of touchdown passes to Tee Higgins, but Cincinnati fell short again to drop to 0-2. Lamar Jackson threw for 237 yards and two scores and rushed for another 54 yards in a Baltimore win.

Bills 38, Raiders 10 — Buffalo bounced back from a disappointing Week 1 in style with a blowout win, led by 274 yards and three touchdown passes from Josh Allen.

Falcons 25, Packers 24 — Atlanta rallied from a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit to move to 2-0 after Younghoe Koo knocked through a 25-yard field goal with 57 seconds remaining. — Amin Touri

What to watch: If Jonathan Jones can’t suit up, who will contain Tyreek Hill? — 6:25 p.m.

If cornerback Jonathan Jones cannot suit up on Sunday, New England’s secondary is going to have an even tougher time containing Miami’s superstar receiver Tyreek Hill. Jones, who did not practice Friday and is questionable to play because of an ankle injury, remains one of the best options in the league to match up against Hill’s speed and change in direction.

Over the past five seasons, according to Pro Football Focus, Hill has a 47.8 percent catch rate for 143 yards and no touchdowns when Jones is the closest defender. Opposing quarterbacks have registered a 49.7 passer rating when targeting Hill with Jones in coverage. Keeping Hill in check is a group effort, but the 29-year-old Jones has proven to be a key piece.

“Any play, [Hill] can take a 3-yard pass and take it the distance,” Jones said earlier this week. “He keeps the defense on his toes every play.”

If Jones cannot play or is hampered by his ankle, the Patriots will have to rely more on youngsters Christian Gonzalez and Marcus Jones, neither of whom has experience against Hill, with additional assistance from the safeties. Marcus Jones projects as the likelier candidate, given his speed, whereas Gonzalez would be a better fit against Jaylen Waddle. — Nicole Yang

Pats join call for grass after injury to Aaron Rodgers — 6:15 p.m.

If there’s anyone on the Patriots who can empathize with what Aaron Rodgers is going through after suffering a season-ending injury at MetLife Stadium, it’s Jabrill Peppers.

He believes playing on a grass surface could have prevented the ACL tear he suffered in 2021. Peppers was in a contract year playing for the Giants at the time.

“I tore my ACL on that same field. Mine wasn’t a noncontact injury though, but if it was grass my foot wouldn’t have gotten stuck and I wouldn’t have [done it],” Peppers said, shifting his weight and making a popping sound to demonstrate what happened to his knee.

“But it is what it is,” Peppers continued. “I take it on the chin and try to keep myself out of those situations. Keep my feet under me more so on turf. You don’t want to step outside of your frame, that’s how you get in trouble with turf too. You want to play fast but you also want to be safe to make it through the season.”

We asked five Patriots players whether they preferred playing on turf or grass. All five picked grass. Read more from Khari Thompson here.

What’s been going on with the Dolphins? — 6:05 p.m.

The Patriots caught a bit of a break in facing the Dolphins for a Week 17 matchup last season, when Miami quarterback Tua Tagavailoa was in the concussion protocol. New England just scraped by a Dolphins team led first by backup Teddy Bridgewater, then by third-stringer Skylar Thompson after Bridgewater injured his finger in the third quarter.

Tagovailoa’s return means the Patriots should expect the most explosive version of Sunday’s opponents — Tagovailoa threw for 466 yards and three touchdowns in Week 1 — with their starting quarterback back throwing to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

Miami also made a major addition on defense in the offseason, dealing for superstar cornerback Jalen Ramsey (who has made the last six Pro Bowls with three first-team All-Pro nods) in March.

New England will also greet old friend Jake Bailey back to Foxborough, as the longtime Patriots punter for the first time since departing for Miami. — Amin Touri

Welcome to Gillette! — 6:00 p.m.

Hope you’re ready for a fun night of football.

The Patriots are coming off an opening loss to the Eagles, while the Dolphins beat the Chargers 36-34.

Follow along for live updates and analysis all night.

Ben Volin can be reached at ben.volin@globe.com. Nicole Yang can be reached at nicole.yang@globe.com.Follow her @nicolecyang. Christopher Price can be reached at christopher.price@globe.com. Follow him @cpriceglobe. Katie McInerney can be reached at katie.mcinerney@globe.com. Follow her @k8tmac. Chad Finn can be reached at chad.finn@globe.com. Follow him @GlobeChadFinn.

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