Patriots' presumed strength has proven to be their biggest weakness already

"For much of the offseason, it was believed that the Patriots' defense was going to be their biggest strength, as it had been for most of the last few seasons. But based on what we saw during the preseason, it was clear that wouldn't be the case. It was the special teams that could determine the fate of this year's team."

"Concerns about special teams began early this week, as rookie kicker Andy Borregales missed back-to-back extra point attempts to have the Patriots lead 12-0 going into the second quarter. This was after he had an undesirable NFL debut last week, so the misses certainly didn't help his case. We also saw some misses by the typically reliable Bryce Baringer on punts throughout the day, and a lot of missed tackles by the gunners."

"One showing was so bad that it led to a 74-yard punt return touchdown by Malik Washington, putting the Dolphins ahead midway through the fourth quarter. MALIK WASHINGTON TAKES THE PUNT ALL THE WAY! WHAT A RETURN.NEvsMIA on CBS/Paramount+ https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/EvVfpiL9Vc- NFL (@NFL) September 14, 2025 Fortunately, the Patriots repaid them by scoring on their own kick return on the following play to get back ahead."

Preseason play revealed that special teams, not the defense, could determine the Patriots' season. Jeremy Springer returned as special teams coordinator after an impressive first season, earning continued trust from Mike Vrabel. Special teams have struggled through two games, creating more problems than solutions. Rookie kicker Andy Borregales missed consecutive extra points after a poor NFL debut. Punter Bryce Baringer had several misses and gunners missed many tackles. A breakdown led to a 74-yard punt return touchdown by Malik Washington, briefly putting the Dolphins ahead. The Patriots immediately answered with a kickoff return touchdown, but special teams remain a significant concern.

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