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 Handling of Patriots safety Patrick Chung’s concussion didn’t violate protocol The New England Patriots did not only get defeated during their week two contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars Julian Edelman Jersey , they also lost two of their defensive starters along the way: defensive edge Trey Flowers and strong safety Patrick Chung both left the game because of concussions. While the protocol was correctly applied in Flowers’ case there were some concerns when it comes to how Chung was treated.After a play in the second quarter, the veteran was slow to get up and immediately removed from the game. After only one play on the sidelines, however, he returned to the action – only to be shut down for good during halftime. This procedure raised questions at the time and ultimately led to an investigation by the NFL and the NFL Players Association. Today, the results were announced: no wrongdoing was found.According to a joint statement, the league and the players union conducted interviews with “relevant Patriots personnel, the game official involved Authentic Marcus Cannon Jersey , the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant (UNC) and the booth ATC spotter.” The interviews established that none of the persons in question felt the need to initiate the concussion protocol right after Chung left the game for the first time.However, the Patriots’ coaching staff apparently “observed behavior that warranted a sideline review” after the first-time team captain had entered the contest again. This then led to him being placed in the concussion protocol, being removed from the contest a second time, and after a reevaluation being declared out. According to the press release by the NFL and NFLPA, the 31-year old showed delayed concussion symptoms.Chung, who also missed last week’s game against the Detroit Lions because of the concussion, returned to practice this week but is still a limited participant.The Patriots’ physicality caught Dolphins head coach Adam Gase by surprise It did not take Miami Dolphins head coach Adam Gase long to address one of the major issues for his team during its 38-7 defeat at the hands of the New England Patriots. “They out-physicaled us Youth Dont'a Hightower Jersey ,” Gase said as part of the first answer during his postgame press conference. The Patriots did indeed impose their physical will on their hapless opponent and for 60 minutes dominated the game in almost every fashion.The clearest manifestation of this came in the running game. After New England averaged only 97.7 yards on the ground through its first three games, it amassed 175 against Miami. Led by the two-headed attack of Sony Michel and James White, the team was therefore able to control the clock and get into an early offensive rhythm. The two backs would not have been able to be this productive without the big guys up front, though.Against a talented Dolphins defense, the Patriots’ blockers had a very good outing. Not only did they keep quarterback Tom Brady relatively clean – he was not sacked once all game –, they also paved the way for first-round rookie Michel’s first 100-yard game and the best regular season rushing performance of White’s career (only once, during last year’s Super Bowl http://www.patriotsauthorizedshop.com/authentic-joe-thuney-jersey , did he rush for more yards than yesterday’s 44 yards).Likewise, the team’s defense also was able to shut down Miami’s rushing attack for most of the day. After giving up an abysmal 143.3 yards per game from week one through three, the Patriots limited the Dolphins to a mere 56 yards on the ground. Part of this had to do with the team being able to get off blocks more effectively and simply out-muscling the Dolphins up front – something that came surprising for Adam Gase.“We really didn’t anticipate getting out-physicaled like the way we did,” Miami’s head coach told reporters after the game. Gase also mentioned that this was not just a problem for his team in the running game: “We had been good all year; the first three games, as far up front and our run game. [...] This game, we just couldn’t get anything going. We were getting pushed back, a lot of pressure on Ryan [Tannehill] even though they weren’t pressuring with blitzes.”“So when you are getting pressured on three James White Jersey , four-man rushes that’s going to be an issue,” continued Gase focusing on his team’s offensive attack. “And that’s really what happened: we could not get anything going on offense and then it just kind of trickles down to the defense because now they’re on the field and we had a couple of chances to get off and we had some penalties and it just affects everybody.”For the Patriots, this was a big step forward: New England looked emotionally drained during its back-to-back losses against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions the last two weeks. With its collective back against the proverbial wall, however, the team rose up to the challenge and looked noticeably more present and emotional on the field – and was thus able to physically challenge the previously unbeaten Dolphins.“I didn’t see this coming,” said Gase of the Patriots’ new-found physicality paving the way for a blowout win. “I didn’t think that we would get out-physicaled. That surprised me.”