5 things discovered as New England Patriots were humiliated by Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins.

In their Sunday Night Football AFC East matchup, the Miami Dolphins triumphed, handing the New England Patriots their second loss of the year.

In a thrilling Sunday Night Football matchup, the Miami Dolphins defeated the New England Patriots 24-17.

The Dolphins, who improved to 2-0 on the year and further tormented Bill Belichick and the Patriots, who are now 0-2 for the first time since 2001, won the game against their AFC East rivals at Gillette Stadium.

Following their shootout with the Chargers in Week 1, the defense significantly improved, and Tua Tagovailoa led an outstanding first-half offensive effort.
Despite allowing the Patriots a chance to tie the game late in the game, the defense held strong to secure the win after a dramatic fourth down conversion by the Patriots was reversed after a review.

The Dolphins improved their position as a Super Bowl contender despite a tense conclusion in Foxborough.
Here are five key takeaways from the intriguing Sunday Night Football game.

lost his magic, Belichick?

Before the game, there was a lot of speculation about Bill Belichick’s potential strategy.
Could the Patriots’ chief strategist work some magic against the notoriously difficult-to-stop Miami Dolphins offense?

The response was negative.
The Belichick defense was largely dismantled by the Dolphins and their head coach Mike McDaniel.
They had little time with the ball in the first half, but when they did, they ripped the home team apart and marched down the field.

Just before halftime, they scored three touchdowns, and Tyreek Hill caught one of them to put them up 17-3.
In the end, rather than the Patriots finding a way to stop the Dolphins, their failures usually caused them to lose the game.

It was a night that suggested that some of the old Patriots magic might have vanished permanently due to pressure on Belichick.
The Patriots need to get better if they want to compete in the AFC, where there are some formidable offenses.

Excellent Tua.

The man in charge of the Miami Dolphins’ offense is Tua Tagovailoa, and in Foxborough, he hardly made a mistake while driving.
In the first half, the quarterback completed 15 of his 20 passes for 181 yards, including a quick-fire, precise touchdown drive right before halftime to take the lead.

When under pressure, he maintained his composure in the pocket and released the ball quickly and precisely to a variety of receivers.
A long Raheem Mostert touchdown drive on the following possession ensured the Dolphins kept the lead after he made one error—an underthrow to Tyreek Hill that Christian Gonzalez intercepted.

Just like he was last year before his concussion issues, Tagovailoa is on pace for a huge year with 715 passing yards through two games.
If he can stay healthy, the Dolphins appear to be headed for greatness.

Defense strengthening.

Against the Chargers in Week 1, the Miami defense was unable to contain the running game.
They improved their performance against the Patriots after giving up 233 yards on the ground earlier.

The longest Patriots play was only 12 yards, and in the first half they only gave up 30 rushing yards.
When questioned at halftime, head coach McDaniels credited improved fundamentals for the improvement.

Regardless of what it was, the Dolphins’ defense was much better.
Although the Patriots had more success in the second half, the defense was still excellent.

There is a reason for the proverb that “defense wins championships,” even though the offensive firepower is thrilling. The Dolphins’ biggest takeaway from Week 2 was possibly their improvement on that side of the ball.

Innovation by the Patriots.

The Patriots’ third-quarter field goal attempt block against the Dolphins was one of the game’s most notable plays. Brendan Schooler came in motion and timed his jump to the snap perfectly to dive in front of the ball, creating a play design unlike anything the NFL had ever seen before.

People in the audience were impressed by the play’s inventive design. Unfortunately for the Patriots, it wasn’t enough to spur a comeback.

the incompetence of Mac.

Mac Jones is having a significant year.
However, the people in his immediate vicinity aren’t doing much to assist him right now.

Despite some difficulties last year, the coaching staff has confidence in Jones as the Patriots’ starting quarterback.
But right now, his circumstances are far from ideal.