Explained: Why was Ja’Lynn Polk’s touchdown catch overturned for the Patriots against the Dolphins?

The New England Patriots were left ruing a marginal instant-replay decision that saw them fall to a 15-10 home loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

The Patriots thought they had pulled ahead with just 1:08 remaining in the fourth quarter when rookie receiver Ja’Lynn Polk made an acrobatic catch from quarterback Jacoby Brissett. Polk lept into the air at the back of the end zone and appeared to ground himself just before the tumbling out of play.

The touchdown was initially given but an instant-replay review adjudged that Polk’s right heel had landed out of bounds, falling foul of the league’s controversial ‘toe-heel’ rule.

Speaking after the game, NFL vice president of officiating George Stewart explained: “What happened was he did have one foot down in the field of play, and at the completion of the second step, he had his toe in the field of play, but his heel came down on the white line out of bounds. So, he did not have two feet in bounds at the conclusion of the catch.”

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo suffers poor start

Sunday’s loss sees the Patriots slip to a 1-4 record under first-year head coach Jerod Mayo. A Patriots stalwart as a player and then linebackers coach, Mayo was given the head coaching role ahead of the 2024 season. He replaced the departing Bill Belichick, who called time on his 24 years with the team.

The Patriots front office may have hoped that Belichick’s championship-winning know-how would have rubbed off on Mayo but there’s been little evidence of that so far, with the team looking worryingly unprepared.

“Not to sound like a broken record,” Mayo insisted after the Dolphins loss, “it’s about execution, especially in critical situations.”

But there were certain structural issues that reared their head again on Sunday. QB Jacoby Brissett was hit nine times and sacked twice by the Dolphins. At times it looked like the lack of receiving talent was hampering his ability to free himself from the high-intensity Miami defence.

Next up for the Patriots, a visit from AFC South leaders Houston Texans. On Sunday the Texans pushed their 2024 record to 4-1 with a hard-fought victory over the Buffalo Bills, QB CJ Stroud throwing 331 yards, including a stunning 67-yard touchdown for Nico Collins. It’s a big test for the Patriots but they desperately need to halt this three-game losing run.