The New England Patriots offense had an encouraging opening series against the Miami Dolphins in Week 1. The unit picked up four first downs and needed just eight total plays to march from its own 25-yard line to the edge of Miami’s red zone.
Facing a 1st-and-10 at the Dolphins’ 22, however, the Patriots made their first of many crucial mistakes.
Quarterback Mac Jones attempted to go for the touchdown by testing the defense down the right sideline. His target was ex-Dolphins wide receiver DeVante Parker, and it is not hard to see why he liked the matchup against cornerback Xavien Howard: at 6-foot-3, Parker had a height advantage over the 6-foot-0 defender.