MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – In the NFL, it’s not necessarily how you start, but how you finish.
Even though Andy Borregales finished strong on Sunday, the Patriots rookie kicker knows he needs to be better.
The sixth-round pick had a tough start to the team’s Week 2 matchup, missing his first two extra-point attempts in the first quarter. With the Miami Dolphins battling back, those misses could have been costly.
However, Borregales finished strong, hitting his final extra point attempt and two field goals, including an NFL long of 53 yards. After the Patriots’ wild win, the rookie said he had a “short-term” memory but understands what the team needs.
“Obviously, it’s a roller coaster, but at the end of the day, just got to be better. That’s it,” Borregales told MassLive.
The Patriots’ offense started fast on Sunday, scoring touchdowns on their first two drives. That’s when Borregales missed his attempts. Both went too far right, with one hitting the upright.
“It felt good and just pulled right,” Borregales said. “At the end of the day, onto the next kick and that’s it.”
Those two misses forced the offense to go for a two-point conversion later in the third quarter to extend their lead by three.
As the game went on, every point mattered. Borregales hit a 22-yard field goal at 1:56 of the second quarter and an extra point after Antonio Gibson’s fourth-quarter kickoff return. With 1:47 left on the clock, the Patriots called on the rookie in a big moment, and he hit the 53-yard attempt.
“You’ve got to have a lot of confidence in him, and I do have a lot of confidence,” Mike Vrabel said of Borregales. “It didn’t waver. I was going to try to go for the fourth-and-5 to try to get it there. Then, when we got backed up, I immediately just kicked the field goal. I’m happy for Andy. That’s why he’s here. I thought after the first two he really settled down, and that’s what we’ll have to have.”
Borregales missed the first field goal attempt of his NFL career last weekend. He finished that game making his next two attempts.
The rookie is 4-of-5 on field goal attempts and 2-of-4 on extra-point attempts through two games.
When asked about Vrabel’s confidence in him, Borregales said, “I’m always ready for any opportunity. Obviously, with the confidence that Vrabel has in me, putting me out there, I went out there and did my job. Whenever I get out there, I have to do my job.”
Borregales finished on a high note, but wasn’t in a celebratory mood following the team’s win.
“I hold myself to a high standard,” Borregales said. “I have to be better.”
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