The New England Patriots didn't do much in Sunday's 34-15 loss to the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. It was another horror show for the Patriots at the hands of Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins.
They didn't do themselves any favors with the self-inflicted wounds.
The Patriots had 13 penalties in the game, 10 of which were accepted. They were also wiped out in pass coverage as Tagovailoa picked up yards with throws to wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and tight end Jonnu Smith. On offense, the line couldn't protect rookie quarterback Drake Maye and continually issued drive-killing penalties.
None of that is a recipe for success for a Patriots team that seemed lost in the game. Granted, it wasn't all bad, and there were a few standouts among the team's putrid performance.
Here are five players earning game balls in Week 12:
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The Patriots' defense was picked apart like a Thanksgiving turkey on Sunday, but Christian Gonzalez still had an incredible performance. He was once again dominant in pass coverage and also had a scoop and a score on a fumble that was returned for a touchdown. It's time to stop using all futuristic terms when talking about Gonzalez, who is clearly already one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.
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Apparently Christian Barmore only needed a week to get his feet wet before he got back into the swing of things. Against the Dolphins, he looked like an old man, clogging up the rushing lanes and recording one of two sacks in the game against quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Bringing him back into the game alongside Davon Godchaux was a huge boost for the defense.
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The only hope for the Patriots came from the three Christians on defense – Christian Gonzalez, Christian Barmore and linebacker Christian Elliss. On one play in particular, Elliss ran with Dolphins running back De'Von Achane and intercepted a potential touchdown pass from Tua Tagovailoa.
The defensive issues for New England have opened the door for others to get opportunities. Elliss is one of the players making the most of their opportunities this season.
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Austin Hooper has been quietly coming off the bench in recent weeks, and those efforts continued in Sunday's game against the Dolphins. The veteran tight end had four catches for 59 yards, including a 38-yard touchdown. He found a gap in the defense as quarterback Drake Maye scrambled around and bought himself enough time to make a deep touchdown throw.
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It wasn't perfect for Drake Maye, but he did everything he could to put his team in a position to compete. He seemed to have complete command of the offense and was able to make some ridiculous off-platform throws on the move. His performance even caught the attention of Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, who had done it after the game.