Pats Pulpit
The team captain was a liability for the Patriots in Week 12 against the Dolphins
If actions do indeed speak louder than words, the New England Patriots made a pretty clear statement when they signed Kyle Dugger to a four-year, $58 million contract extension in April. He was a player to build around on the defensive side of the ball, and an integral piece of both the team’s present and future.
Fast forward eight months, and the Patriots may have another decision to make when it comes to Dugger. They need to assess whether they want to keep him in the starting lineup after what was arguably the worst game of his career on Sunday.
Dugger played his usual high number of snaps against the Miami Dolphins, being on the field for 66 of them as a do-it-all safety. However, on several occasions he seemed outmatched from both a physical and a mental perspective.
The physical issues seemingly stemmed from the ankle injury he first suffered in Week 4 against the San Francisco 49ers. He missed four total games because of the ailment, including three straight between Weeks 8 and 10. While he did return last Sunday versus the Los Angeles Rams, Dugger still seemed rusty.
That continued against Miami, and more. On the Dolphins’ 23-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle (0:19 in the video above), it appeared the ankle limited his ability to break on the ball carrier.
Much more worrying were Dugger’s mental errors, though. Despite being one of the most experienced players in the Patriots secondary, he had a hard time adjusting to pre-snap motion, struggled with eye discipline on play-fakes, and was at least partially responsible for multiple communication breakdowns in the defensive backfield — including on all four of the Dolphins’ passing touchdowns.
Long story short, Dugger was a liability on multiple occasions on Sunday.
On Monday, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo suggested that the 34-15 loss in Miami might result in some personnel changes. Benching Dugger would be a drastic move given his status as a leader on and off the field, but it would not be unjustified either based on his struggles (which themselves may be tied directly to his ankle still limiting him).
Maybe his most recent outings were a one-off affair, and he will bounce back in due time. That said, the fact remains that the Patriots need their core guys such as Dugger to set the tone for the rest of the team and perform at a higher level. They have shortcomings all over the roster and suffered several injuries since the start of the season, but high-priced veterans such as him are still supposed to help keep the team afloat.
On Sunday, Dugger did not do that. Instead, he accidentally torpedoed the Patriots’ chances on several occasions.
The question now becomes where he and the team will go from there? For Mayo, trying to replace Dugger — or any player, for that matter — would bring its own set...
