MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Miami lost at New England 31-24 on Sunday to fall to 8-17 (.320) against AFC East opponents in the last four-plus seasons, including 3-10 (.231) in AFC East road games.
The Dolphins trailed 31-3 with 8:44 left in the third quarter when they mounted a comeback effort that fell short.
“You got to see what we’re capable of doing in the second half,” tight end Jordan Cameron said.
Miami now must rely on winning next week’s home opener against Cleveland to avoid its first 0-3 start since 2011 when they were 0-7 and finished 6-10.
The Dolphins were dismal in the first half against the Patriots. They had 149 yards, almost half of New England’s 290-yard total.
And that was basically against a backup Patriots team considering they were without quarterback Tom Brady (suspension), tight end Rob Gronkowski (hamstring), guard Jonathan Cooper (knee) and tackle Sebastian Vollmer (shoulder), among others.
Miami’s defense seemed clueless for much of the game, especially the first half and on New England’s final two possessions, which resulted in a punt and missed field goal attempt but took valuable time off the clock.
“We’ve got to do a better job as far as making adjustments on the sideline,” Miami coach Adam Gase said. “Guys need to respond when they are being coached.”
In the second quarter, the Dolphins knocked Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo out of the game with a shoulder injury, meaning third-team quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who is from Dwyer High School in Palm Beach, Fla., took the field against his hometown Dolphins.
Miami, led by quarterback Ryan Tannehill, mounted a valiant comeback effort by cutting its deficit to seven points. The Dolphins’ hopes were kept alive when Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski, one of the most reliable in the NFL, missed wide right from 39 yards.
The Dolphins’ hopes for a small miracle were dashed with two seconds left when quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s pass in the end zone, intended for wide receiver DeVante Parker, was intercepted.
Miami suffered a valuable loss when oft-injured running back Arian Foster, who was listed on Wednesday’s injury report with a hamstring ailment, left the game in the second quarter with a groin injury.
Gase said Foster is day to day.
As it stands, the Dolphins have only rushed for 134 yards in two games. Things figure to get worse without Foster, who hasn’t played an entire season since 2012.
Meanwhile, New England running back LeGarrette Blount plowed through Miami’s defense for 123 yards on 29 carries, with 91 yards and 15 carries coming in the second half.
Gase, still seeking his first victory as a head coach, is trying to remain positive.
“We’ve got to start faster,” he said. “But this NFL, man. This is what it’s about; it’s hard.”