The Patriots Have a Stephen Gostkowski Problem

There were plenty of good things to take from the Patriots' 43-0 drubbing of the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. The defense was stellar, Antonio Brown clicked well in the offense, and Sony Michel looked much better after an abysmal performance in the season opener.

But lurking behind the massive score differential is a glaringly obvious problem, and that's the fact that kicker Stephen Gostkowski has become a massive liability.

The veteran kicker missed a field goal and shanked two extra point attempts in the midst of the beatdown. Obviously, it didn't come back to bite the Patriots considering the Dolphins couldn't muster a single point on offense, but it shows that Gostkowski can't be trusted.

What if the Patriots need a field goal late in a close game? Clearly they can't be totally trusting in Gostkowski.

The Patriots have always been built on the strength of their special teams. Now, though, cracks are starting to show in that once rock-steady foundation.

Of course, Gostkowski is still one of the better kickers in the league when he's at his best. There's still a chance that he could find his form at some point this year. But for all of their strengths, the Patriots can't continue to skate by without acknowledging that he needs to play better.