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NFL: Patriots Sign Cunningham

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The New England Patriots signed quarterback Malik Cunningham to a three-year deal, NFL Network reported Saturday. The team announced he had been elevated to the 53-man roster for Sunday’s game but did not announce the signing.

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Cunningham, a dual-threat quarterback, signed with the Patriots as a rookie free agent in May, then was released on Aug. 9 and signed to the practice squad the following day.

“He’s a smart kid, works hard and, the opportunities he’s had, he’s shown a lot of improvement,” head coach Bill Belichick said this week.

In parts of five seasons at Louisville, the undrafted Cunningham, 25, threw for 9,664 yards and 70 touchdowns and

Defensive lineman Jeremiah Pharms Jr. and wide receiver Jalen Reagor were elevated from the practice squad to the active roster.

–Field Level Media

Problem-laden Patriots Head to Vegas

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LAS VEGAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Familiar faces with similar problems look to lead their respective teams to victory Sunday when the New England Patriots visit the Raiders.

Let’s start with Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who has seen his struggling team average an NFL-worst 11.0 points per game this season. New England (1-4) has been outscored a staggering 72-3 over its last two games and gone 34 consecutive drives without scoring an offensive touchdown.

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Belichick, however, confirmed Wednesday that Mac Jones will remain the team’s starter despite pulling the quarterback in consecutive contests. Jones is just 24-for-43 for 260 yards and four interceptions in that stretch.

“Right now, it’s not looking too good,” Jones said of his team’s troubles. “But we have to flip the switch and start over and figure out ways to go out there and have fun and sling the ball around — guys go make plays and then celebrate with each other, too.

“One of the best things I do is my ability to communicate. Somebody told me that in the locker room and I took it to heart; I need to do a better job of that.”

Jones’ job this weekend could be a bit tougher given his injured wide receiver corps. JuJu Smith-Schuster and Demario Douglas did not participate in Wednesday’s practice while in the NFL’s concussion protocol, leaving DeVante Parker and Kendrick Bourne as the top options for Jones.

While the Patriots have the NFL’s 26th-ranked total offense (287.4 yards per game) and 26th-ranked rushing offense (83.8), don’t expect Raiders coach Josh McDaniels to take his opponent lightly. After all, he knows Belichick quite well after joining New England in 2001 as a personnel assistant before shuffling over to defensive assistant, quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator.

“I have great respect for their team and their coaching staff and obviously for Bill,” said McDaniels, who is 2-0 in his coaching career against Belichick.

“They’ll be ready to play. They’ve got a lot of things that they do that create issues for you. We’re going to have to, on a short week, get ready for a lot of different things. We have not seen a team that plays like this. There’s a lot of challenges inherently in getting ready for them. I’m sure he’ll have them ready to go.”

Like New England, Las Vegas (2-3) will need to find a way to ignite its sluggish offense. After all, the Raiders are listed as 29th in total offense (281.2) and 32nd — yes, dead last — in rushing (71.4).

Las Vegas mustered 279 total yards and 96 rushing in its 17-13 victory over the Green Bay Packers Monday. The decision snapped a three-game losing skid for the Raiders.

Former Patriots wideout Jakobi Meyers had seven catches for 75 yards and a touchdown versus the Packers. He has recorded at least seven receptions in three of the four games he has played this season since signing a three-year, $33 million contract in the offseason.

Speaking of former Patriots, Jimmy Garoppolo completed 22 of 31 passes for 208 yards with one touchdown and one interception in his return to the lineup from a concussion.

Maxx Crosby was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week after recording five tackles — including a career-high-tying four for a loss — and a sack versus Green Bay.

Meyers (wrist) was listed as limited in the team’s estimated practice on Wednesday. Fellow wideout Davante Adams (shoulder) and cornerback Nate Hobbs were estimated as failing to participate.

–Field Level Media

Patriots Beaten Down (Again)

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Saints veteran QB Derek Carr threw two touchdown passes and the New Orleans’ defense forced three turnovers in a 34-0 victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts.

Carr passed for 183 yards, Alvin Kamara rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown and Tyrann Mathieu got the rout started by returning an interception of Mac Jones for the game’s first score.

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The Saints (3-2) ended their NFL-worst streak of 10 consecutive games scoring 21 or fewer points.

For the second straight week, Jones had two interceptions and a lost fumble before being replaced by Bailey Zappe in the fourth quarter.

The Patriots (1-4) nearly matched the futility of their 38-3 loss at Dallas a week earlier, the most lopsided defeat in Bill Belichick’s 29 seasons as a head coach. Sunday’s margin was the largest in a home shutout loss in franchise history.

Belichick failed for a second consecutive week to join Don Shula and George Halas as the only NFL head coaches to win 300 games.

New England, which finished with 156 yards and eight first downs, went 1-of-14 on third-down conversions and 0-for-2 on fourth downs.

Jones lost a fumble on the first possession of the third quarter, leading to Blake Grupe’s 54-yard field goal and a 24-0 New Orleans lead at the end of the third quarter.

Pete Werner intercepted Jones at the New England 31, and Carr’s ensuing 6-yard touchdown pass to Foster Moreau made it a 31-0 lead. Grupe’s 53-yard field goal completed the scoring with 5:43 left.

Jones, who had an interception and a fumble returned for touchdowns last week, was intercepted on New England’s second possession Sunday by Mathieu, who returned it 27 yards for a touchdown that gave New Orleans a 7-0 first-quarter lead.

On the second play of the second quarter, Kamara ran 2 yards for the Saints’ first offensive touchdown in 20 possessions, increasing the lead to 14-0.

They made it two touchdown drives in a row when Carr threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Chris Olave for a 21-0 halftime lead.

–Field Level Media

Big Game for Patriots and Saints

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The New England Patriots are coming off the most lopsided loss in Bill Belichick‘s 29 seasons as a head coach while the New Orleans Saints are in the midst of one of the worst stretches of offense in the NFL.

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Both teams are seeking significant improvement when they meet Sunday afternoon in Massachusetts.

New England (1-3) lost 38-3 at Dallas last Sunday as quarterback Mac Jones turned the ball over three times, including a pick six and a scoop and score.

“The biggest thing is moving on from it and learning from it,” Jones said. “(I need to) take care of the football, go through my reads. That’s all I can do as the quarterback, and I feel like the guys are doing a good job. So, I just have to get the ball out to them and let them make plays.”

Belichick, who’s in his 24th season as Patriots head coach after five seasons as Cleveland’s head coach, has a chance to achieve a far more positive milestone this week. If New England beats New Orleans, Belichick will join George Halas and Don Shula as the only coaches with 300 career regular-season victories.

“That wasn’t our best game,” Belichick said of last week’s loss. “We’re capable of more than that. We just have to play collectively better complementary team football, and that includes everything – offense, defense, special teams.”

The Patriots rank 30th in scoring and 17th in yards. The Saints are tied for 25th in scoring and are 23rd in yards.

New Orleans has scored 21 or fewer points in 10 consecutive games, the longest such streak in the NFL.

The Saints (2-2) have lost two games in a row and failed to reach the end zone in a 26-9 home loss to Tampa Bay last week.

Derek Carr passed for just 127 yards while playing with a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder that forced him to miss two days of practice last week.

“I feel much better this week than I did at this time last week,” Carr said after practice Wednesday. “I’ve been through tougher times than this. We’re going to be all right. We’ve got the right kind of people in our room.”

New Orleans ranks 25th in rushing offense even after leading rusher Alvin Kamara returned last week from a three-game suspension. He had 51 yards on 11 carries against the Bucs.

“The sense of urgency is extremely high,” guard James Hurst said. “We’re not playing up to the level that we hoped to at this point in the season.

“It’s extremely frustrating because we know we have the potential to move the ball and score points, but at the same time we’re hopeful because you look around the offense and see players who have proven they can make plays.”

Two Patriots injured against the Cowboys missed practice Wednesday – rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez (shoulder) and pass rusher Matthew Judon (elbow). New England addressed Gonzalez’s absence when it re-acquired former All-Pro cornerback J.C. Jackson in a trade with the Chargers on Wednesday.

Two Saints starters besides Carr were limited Wednesday: cornerback Paulson Adebo, who has missed the past two games because of a hamstring injury, and center Erik McCoy (knee).

– Field Level Media

NFL: Week Five Previews

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NFL Week 5

Falcons (2-2) vs. Texans (2-2): Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has not thrown an interception in his first 151 career pass attempts, an NFL rookie record. He combined with an improving Houston defense to help the Texans outscore Jacksonville and Pittsburgh 67-23 during a two-game winning streak. The Falcons have lost two straight games and scored six and seven points, respectively. Dynamic rookie tailback Bijan Robinson has been sensational as a rusher (318 rushing yards) and receiver (19 receptions for 134 yards and a score) in the Falcons’ offense, but he has yet to score a TD on the ground. Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder hasn’t gotten help from his offensive line, as he’s been sacked 11 times over the past two games. For the Texans, linebacker Henry To’oTo’o leads all rookies with 27 tackles this season.

Lions (3-1) vs. Panthers (0-4): While rookie quarterback Bryce Young hasn’t been able to lead Carolina to a victory yet, he has completed at least 20 passes in each of the first three games of his career. Adam Thielen has emerged as the Panthers’ top target and will be looking to bring in at least seven receptions for the fourth straight game. Meanwhile, the NFC North appears to be Detroit’s to lose, and now Jared Goff gets to face a Carolina team that he threw for 355 yards and three TDs against last season. David Montgomery rushed for a career-high three scores last week, but his emergence as RB1 has taken away opportunities from rookie Jahmyr Gibbs, who is averaging 9.8 carries per game. Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson attempts to record at least 1.5 sacks for the third consecutive game, while LB Alex Anzalone has at least five tackles in 21 straight contests, the fourth-longest active streak in the league.

Colts (2-2) vs. Titans (2-2): Indianapolis should get a boost with the return of star running back Jonathan Taylor, who will be up against a firm Titans front that has surrendered only 70 yards per game on the ground. At the very least, Taylor should take some pressure off rookie signal-caller Anthony Richardson. Richardson has four rushing TDs and has the chance to become the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to score on the ground in each of the first four games of a season. Speaking of the run game, Tennessee’s Derrick Henry went for over 100 yards rushing for the first time this season last week. However, the Titans need to open up the airways, as high-end offseason acquisition DeAndre Hopkins has yet to top 65 yards in a game. Tennessee owns a five-game winning streak against the Colts dating back to Nov. 29, 2020.

Dolphins (3-1) vs. Giants (1-3): Whether New York has standout running back Saquon Barkley (ankle) available might not matter, as this game has potential blowout written all over it. Even if Barkley does suit up, he might end up being pushed out of the spotlight by Miami’s De’Von Achane, who has scored six total touchdowns over the past two weeks. Since 1970, only three other rookies have found the end zone six times in a two-game stretch — Doug Martin (2012), Mike Anderson (2000) and Randy Moss (1998). Through four weeks, the Giants have the worst point differential in the NFL (minus-76) while Miami has the sixth-best at plus-31. New York quarterback Daniel Jones has already been sacked 22 times this season as he heads to Hard Rock Stadium, where Miami is 13-2 over its past 15 games. The Dolphins are averaging a whopping 511 yards of total offense per game. Meanwhile, the Giants have eclipsed the 250-yard mark just once.

Patriots (1-3) vs. Saints (2-2): The sky is seemingly falling in New England. The Patriots’ feeble offense is averaging just 13.8 points per game, third-fewest in the league. Bill Belichick is coming off the worst loss of his head-coaching career — a 38-3 setback against Dallas — and Mac Jones is hitting on just 63.7 percent of his passes with five touchdowns to four interceptions. Things won’t get any easier against a New Orleans defense that has held three of four opponents under 20 points. The Saints’ offense is also trending in the right direction, with star running back Alvin Kamara looking to build off a season debut in which he went for 84 yards (51 rushing, 33 receiving) and had 13 catches. Kamara will look to take advantage of a New England front seven without Matt Judon, who is out indefinitely with a lower bicep tendon tear. The Patriots bolstered their secondary, though, trading for cornerback J.C. Jackson in the wake of what will likely be a season-ending shoulder injury for rookie Christian Gonzalez.

Steelers (2-2) vs. Ravens (3-1): The Ravens lead the AFC North through a quarter of the season, but the Steelers have gotten the better of their rivals in recent years, having won five of the past six matchups between the teams. Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett insists he will play against the Ravens despite sustaining a bone bruise in his left knee during last weekend’s 30-6 loss to the Texans. The Steelers are 29th in total offense (263 yards per game) and tied for 29th in scoring (15.5 points per game). Two of their six touchdowns were scored by linebackers — one apiece from Alex Highsmith (pick-6) and T.J. Watt (fumble return). For the Ravens, Lamar Jackson is coming off a four-touchdown game (two rushing, two passing) in a 28-3 win over Cleveland. Baltimore wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Rashod Bateman are trending toward returning from injury absences.

Cardinals (1-3) vs. Bengals (1-3): Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow hasn’t thrown a TD pass in three of four games this season. He could be without one of his favorite targets against Arizona, as Tee Higgins has a broken rib. Shockingly, the Bengals average the fewest total yards of offense in the NFL (236), but the Cardinals’ generous defense has surrendered an average of 374.5. Cincinnati will have to be wary of LB Dennis Gardeck, who already has four sacks and is one of three players in the NFC to record a tackle for loss in each of the first four weeks of the season. Arizona QB Kyler Murray won’t be coming off the physically unable to perform list, leaving Josh Dobbs under center. Dobbs hasn’t thrown a pick this season and has completed 70.7 percent of his passes, good for the seventh-highest percentage in the NFL among qualifying quarterbacks.

Rams (2-2) vs. Eagles (4-0): One of two undefeated teams left in the NFL, the Eagles are powered by Jalen Hurts, who’s joined Patrick Mahomes as the only quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era with two winning streaks of 10-plus games in the first four seasons of their careers. While Philadelphia ranks No. 2 in rushing offense and No. 5 in total offense, the Rams are No. 2 in passing offense and No. 4 in total yards. Rams QB Matthew Stafford is expected to play through a bruised hip suffered in last week’s 29-23 overtime win over Indianapolis, while star receiver Cooper Kupp could make his season debut after returning to practice this week. Stafford, Kupp and standout rookie receiver Puka Nacua could test a Philadelphia secondary that ranks 27th in passing defense and has given up nine touchdowns through the air.

Broncos (1-3) vs. Jets (1-3): Denver QB Russell Wilson tossed three touchdown passes for the second time in three weeks to help the Broncos overcome a 21-point second-half deficit and beat the winless Chicago Bears 31-28 — Sean Payton’s first victory as the Broncos’ coach. Rookie Jaleel McLaughlin stepped up in place of injured Javonte Williams (quad), totaling 104 scrimmage yards (72 rushing, 32 receiving) and a touchdown. The Jets got a season-high game from Zach Wilson (28 completions, 245 yards, two touchdowns) in a 23-20 primetime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Star running back Breece Hall, averaging a robust 6.6 yards per carry, is no longer on a “pitch count” for the Jets. He returns to Denver, where his promising rookie season was cut short by an ACL tear on Oct. 23, 2022. The Jets won that game 16-9 after losing the previous two meetings with Denver.

Vikings (1-3) vs. Chiefs (3-1): Patrick Mahomes shouldered the blame for throwing two interceptions at the New York Jets, but the Chiefs still won their third straight game and will try for their fourth on another road trip. Travis Kelce is going for his third straight game with six-plus catches and 60-plus receiving yards. This serves as a homecoming game for Vikings-turned-Chiefs running back Jerick McKinnon, but it’s Isiah Pacheco who has tightened his hold on Kansas City’s No. 1 running back position. He had a career-high 158 yards from scrimmage and a long rushing touchdown against the Jets. Minnesota earned its first win of the season, 21-13, over another winless club, the Carolina Panthers, as Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson connected for two touchdowns to help erase a halftime deficit. Jefferson has gained at least 120 receiving yards in each of his past four homes games.

Sunday Night Football Preview

49ers (4-0) vs. Cowboys (3-1): Everything is going right for San Francisco, which is one of two undefeated teams still standing along with Philadelphia. Running back Christian McCaffery is coming off a four-touchdown performance (three rushing, one receiving) and leads the NFL with 459 yards on the ground. QB Brock Purdy is still undefeated in the regular season, carrying a 9-0 record into the meeting with Dallas. But if any defense is equipped to contain the 49ers, it’s the Cowboys’. Dallas leads the league with three defensive TDs, holds the best turnover differential (plus-9) and is tied for the fifth-most sacks (14). The Cowboys haven’t been slouches on offense, either, averaging 360 total yards of offense per game and winning by at least 20 points in all three of their victories. While the Niners have eliminated Dallas from the postseason in each of the past two seasons, the Cowboys have taken seven of the last nine regular-season meetings between the teams.

–Field Level Media

RB “Peep-iel” Elliott a Factor for Pats

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DALLAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer is concerned longtime Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott and quarterback Will Grier are telling secrets.

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As the New England Patriots prepare to travel to Dallas to face the Cowboys on Sunday, Elliott and Grier add tangible value with their knowledge of the inner workings of the Cowboys’ operation.

“Certainly Will knows where a lot of the bones are buried,” Schottenheimer said. “Zeke obviously does as well. Those are thing you talk about, and you think about, ‘OK, let’s adjust this one.’ We certainly have more than one hand signal for most of our core concepts, and sometimes you can use it to your advantage because they think they know what’s coming. And they hear something they think, ‘Oh, hey, it’s this,’ and we’re smart enough to adjust those things.”

Grier was waived in August when the Cowboys made a trade to acquire Trey Lance from the San Francisco 49ers.

Elliott played 103 career regular-season games in Dallas and was released in the offseason. He’s a close friend of Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and has unique insight, despite the team changing offensive coordinators from Kellen Moore to Schottenheimer. But head coach Mike McCarthy has taken over play-calling this season.

The cat-and-mouse game can work both ways.

Cowboys cornerback Stephon Gilmore played for the Patriots from 2017-20 and was a prized pupil of head coach Bill Belichick. Well-traveled wide receiver Brandin Cooks spent the 2017 season in New England.

“Everybody does it, you get a player that’s been somewhere, you talk to him about different things,” Schottenheimer said. “And then you’re very selective about how much you put into it. Excited to see Will, it’ll be great to see him, but I’m sure he is definitely being interrogated and spending a lot of late nights with their defensive coaching staff.”

Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien belly-laughed when asked if he interrogated the new practice squad quarterback.

“Interrogating?” O’Brien asked rhetorically Tuesday. “Schotty is a good guy, I’ve known Schotty for a long time. I think that’s the way it is in this league — and it goes both ways. It’s always going to happen. At the end of the day, you’ve got to study the film.

“I’ve never thought in all of my years in the league that any of that was an overriding factor in a win or a loss. I don’t think we’re trying to hold a light over anybody and (asking), ‘Tell me what you did on July 20, 2023.’ We’re not doing that. We’re not interrogating anybody. We’re trying to put together the best game plan we possible can.”

–Field Level Media

Patriots Keep Winning Streak Over J.E.T.S. Alive

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Matthew Judon recorded a safety with 2:19 to go and the visiting New England Patriots preserved a 15-10 win over the New York Jets on a rainy Sunday in the Meadowlands.

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The Patriots (1-2) extended their winning streak against their AFC East rival to 15 games, dating to 2015. That ties the Kansas City Chiefs’ run against the Denver Broncos for the NFL’s longest active streak against a single opponent.

Zach Wilson and the Jets (1-2) attempted to salvage a dismal offensive performance with an 87-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter that cut their deficit to 13-10. But after New York got the ball back, Judon beat left tackle Mekhi Becton on third-and-long and took down Wilson in the end zone for his second sack of the day.

The Jets forced two three-and-outs to stay alive. Wilson’s Hail Mary throw with 1 second left reached the end zone but fell incomplete, with Randall Cobb just missing the grab.

Wilson completed 18 of 36 passes for 157 yards and the Jets managed just 38 rushing yards. New York had six three-and-outs and 171 total yards (2.8 per play).

Mac Jones went 15-of-29 passing for 201 yards and a touchdown, and Ezekiel Elliott led the Patriots in rushing with a season-high 80 yards on 16 totes.

The score was 3-0 after one quarter thanks to Chad Ryland’s 48-yard field goal on New England’s opening drive. Ryland went on to miss from 48 and 57 yards during the second quarter.

In the meantime, the Jets went nowhere on their first five possessions, which netted 1 yard and one first down. Wilson took a 12-yard sack early in the second quarter and received a chorus of boos as the Jets went three-and-out.

The Patriots made it 10-0 when Jones hit uncovered tight end Pharaoh Brown over the top after a play-action fake with 10:38 left in the half. Brown chugged 58 yards to the end zone for his first touchdown since 2020 with the Houston Texans.

Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook combined for 29 rushing yards on the Jets’ sixth possession, which included a fourth-down conversion before Greg Zuerlein’s 52-yard field goal with 1:21 left.

Ryland made it 13-3 Patriots with a booming 51-yard field goal with 10:31 left in the third quarter. The teams combined to punt on their next six possessions before the Jets’ touchdown drive.

Wilson completed seven passes on the march, and after a pass interference call on New England brought the Jets to the 1, fullback Nick Bawden pushed in for his first career touchdown with 5:24 left.

Dolphins Hold on For Win Over Patriots

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Miami’s RB Raheem Mostert rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns, and the Miami Dolphins held on for a 24-17 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday night.

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Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa completed 21 of 30 passes for 249 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Tyreek Hill was limited to 40 receiving yards but had the lone touchdown catch for Miami (2-0).

Patriots’ QB Mac Jones completed 31 of 42 passes for 231 yards, one touchdown and one interception for New England (0-2). The Patriots have lost their first two games of the season for the first time since 2001.

New England pulled within 17-10 with 11:21 to go in the fourth quarter. Jones rolled right and found Hunter Henry, who caught a 6-yard pass for his second touchdown in as many weeks.

Miami responded with a touchdown to increase its lead to 24-10 with 8:45 remaining. Tagovailoa took the snap out of the shotgun formation and quickly handed the ball to Mostert, who found daylight and sprinted 43 yards for his second touchdown of the game.

Once again, the Patriots tried to claw back. Rhamondre Stevenson punched in a 2-yard rushing touchdown up the middle with 5:25 remaining to finish a nine-play, 75-yard drive.

The Patriots’ final drive stalled at the Dolphins 30-yard line after a wild play in which Mike Gesicki caught a pass and tossed a lateral to offensive lineman Cole Strange. The 310-pound Strange tried to muscle past the first-down marker, but officials ruled that he was down just shy of the line to gain after a replay review.

The Dolphins opened the scoring with three minutes left in the first quarter on a 23-yard field goal by Jason Sanders.

Miami made it 10-0 with 9:39 to go in the second quarter. Mostert cut toward his left and outraced a Patriots defender for an 8-yard score.

New England got on the scoreboard with a 49-yard field goal by Chad Ryland with 1:49 remaining in the first half.

Miami answered with 11 seconds to go before the break to increase its lead to 17-3. Tagovailoa zipped a pass to Hill, who caught it in stride just across the goal line for a 2-yard touchdown.

–Field Level Media

Miami: Tough Opponent for Patriots

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FOXBORO – A prolific performance on offense in their season opener propels the Miami Dolphins into a visit to the New England Patriots on Sunday night at Gillette Stadium, near Boston.

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Miami (1-0) captured the league’s attention with 536 total yards in a 36-34 road win against the Los Angeles Chargers. They could become the fourth team in NFL history to put up 500-plus yards in their first two games of the season.

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa passed for 466 yards and three touchdowns in the season opener, and he promptly was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week. He completed 11 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns to wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

Miami head coach Mike McDaniel offered another key statistic: Zero.

That’s how many yards and points the Dolphins can bring with them from Week 1.

“Literally, zero,” McDaniel deadpanned. “I checked with the league. We can’t take the points from last game and put them in the points of this game.

“So it was a really, really cool little thing that you’ll look back on. And that night, as a team, it felt nice to see some of those rewards. But the goal this offseason, the goal for these guys’ lives wasn’t like, ‘Man, I’m going to have a good game.’ So you have to keep that in perspective.

“But I’m excited to see what they do with that moving forward.”

It will not be easy against New England (0-1), which is coming off a hard-fought, 25-20 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1. The Patriots trailed 16-0 after the first quarter but rallied to give themselves a chance for a late victory.

Mac Jones completed 35 of 54 passes for 316 yards, three touchdowns and one interception for the Patriots. Kendrick Bourne caught two touchdown passes and Hunter Henry hauled in one.

“We’ve already talked about what we can do better, and just going out there and trying to do it is a challenge,” Jones said. “But that’s the fun part about the game. You get a chance to learn from your mistakes and then go out there, and it’s going to come up again.”

Jones and his teammates on the Patriots spent this week preparing for a Dolphins defense that now is led by veteran coordinator Vic Fangio. His defensive style relies heavily on zone schemes rather than man-to-man coverages.

“I have a ton of respect for Vic as a coach and what he’s done,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said.

The Dolphins’ offense will match up against a New England defense that produced three sacks, three tackles for loss, four pass break-ups, four quarterback hits and a fumble recovery in Week 1.

Ja’Whuan Bentley led the team with nine tackles, while rookie Christian Gonzalez had seven tackles to go along with a sack, a tackle for loss and a pass break-up.

McDaniel, who is hopeful left tackle Terron Armstead returns after missing Week 1, praised the Patriots’ defense and Belichick, its longtime architect.

“It’s amazing that the orchestration of the defense is so consistent, so fundamentally consistent and sound,” McDaniel said. “Very, very detailed. And the leader of the ship was at the same job when we were all like, ‘What’s an iPod?’

“The coolest part about what they do is it’s not because they’re entitled. It’s because they work at stuff. You can really see it.”

Armstead practiced Thursday without what had become an accustomed non-contact jersey, a sign he could play Sunday night.

Miami has won four of the past five meetings with the Patriots. The Dolphins lead the all-time series, 59-53.

–Field Level Media

Patriots Rally Falls Short vs Philly

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Philadelphia kicker Jake Elliott made good on three second-half field goals to help the Eagles ward off a comeback en route to a 25-20 victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday.

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Elliott’s final kick came from 51 yards out with 5:33 left in the game. It proved to be critical when Mac Jones found Kendrick Bourne for an 11-yard touchdown just under two minutes later to pull New England within five.

The Patriots (0-1) couldn’t convert the two-point conversion, but they ended up getting the ball back twice. On the second possession, New England drove to the Eagles 20, and Jones seemingly threw a first-down completion to Kayshon Boutte on fourth-and-11 with 25 seconds remaining.

But replay ruled Boutte didn’t get both feet in bounds, allowing Philadelphia (1-0) to hang on for the win.

Elliott also converted field-goal attempts from 56 and 48 yards following halftime to keep the Eagles in front.

Jalen Hurts completed 22 of 33 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown for Philadelphia. Kenneth Gainwell had 54 yards on 14 carries.

Jones threw for 316 yards, three touchdowns and one interception on 35-for-54 passing. Bourne had six catches for 64 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

After Elliott capped Philadelphia’s opening drive with a 32-yard field goal, Darius Slay came down with an interception on the Patriots’ seventh offensive play of the game. Jones threw wide of Bourne, who got a hand on the ball and deflected it up in the air. It fell right to Slay, who then took it 70 yards to the end zone for a 10-0 lead.

Ezekiel Elliott fumbled on New England’s ensuing possession, setting the Eagles up at the Patriots’ 26-yard line. Five plays later, Hurts found DeVonta Smith for a 5-yard touchdown, but Jake Elliott couldn’t convert the extra point.

New England flipped a switch in the second quarter, though.

Jones completed 14 of 17 passes for 128 yards in the period, connecting with Hunter Henry for a 9-yard touchdown with 4:34 left before finding Bourne for a 19-yard score just over four minutes later.

That surge allowed the Patriots to pull within 16-14 by the break.

–Field Level Media