The Miami Dolphins' loss to the New England Patriots was not because rookie CB Chris Johnson missed an easy sack of Drake Maye, but it was a highlight he doesn't want to relive.
The Dolphins rookie will have moments like this as he gets his mind wrapped around the speed of the NFL, but fans and media alike are still wondering what happened on that fourth-down play. On Wednesday, the rookie met with the media and tried to explain it.
Dolphins CB Chris Johnson on the missed sack of Drake Maye and what he’ll do next time
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) November 4, 2026
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Chris Johnson can't explain his missed sack on Drake Maye in Miami Dolphins Week 8 loss
Johnson isn't hiding behind the missed tackle. He isn't making excuses, but he also doesn't have an answer. When asked if he was worried about a penalty, he said, "No." When asked if it was training camp muscle memory to avoid hitting a QB, he said, "No."
The rookie was also asked how many times he watched the replay. Johnson said a lot.
"I'd make that play 10 out of 10; obviously, I didn't," Johnson said. "I have to move on. It is what it is."
Johnson is a smart football player, and while he spent his time answering these questions with a smile, clearly embarrassed to a slight degree, the rookie is going to learn from this mistake. No one will ever know what he was going through in his thought process at that point. Maybe he expected Maye to step up in the pocket and was surprised he didn't.
It's clear that Johnson isn't going to let this ruin him or change his approach to the next game. Earlier in the week, Jeff Hafley responded to questions about the play and said that he would keep that conversation between the two of them.
Johnson is going to need to rebound quickly. Miami faces a tough, physical, and high-scoring offense in Week 9 when they face the Lions at Hard Rock Stadium. Hafley will have to find a way to get Johnson into position to make plays against an offense that features Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Sam LaPorta in the passing game, and Jahmyr Gibbs as a dual-threat running back.
This week may be Johnson's biggest test of the season, and it will be interesting to see how he responds after that misstep last week against the Patriots.
Luckily, that whiff didn't cost the Dolphins any points. The defense held the Patriots in check, and the Patriots missed a field goal attempt. Still, that's a play we can't see again.
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