Patriots DL Christian Barmore tallies first sack since blood clots diagnosis

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — One of the few bright spots in the Patriots’ 34-15 loss at Miami dragged Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to the ground Sunday for his first sack of the season.

That was Christian Barmore, who made a splash in just his second game back from a blood clots diagnosis this summer. Barmore finished with two tackles and a sack Sunday, which killed Miami’s opening drive after halftime. After the game, Barmore credited his teammates for helping position him for the big play.

“Some of the guys, Keion (White), we made real adjustments, me and him,” Barmore said. “And I was just following what he wanted me to do, and it’s really all my D-line.”

Barmore entered training camp as arguably the Patriots’ best pass rusher and their best defensive tackle, only to be sidelined after a matter of days. The 25-year-old finally returned to action less than two weeks ago, practicing once before his season debut against the Rams when he played 21 snaps. The Patriots again held him out of practice last Wednesday and Friday to ease him back into full football activity.

“It’s hard. But I listen to the doctors,” Barmore said of sitting out. “But it’s hard (playing), especially after one practice, especially no padded practices on Wednesday when I can get my run fits and pass rush. But I do what I gotta do.”

Barmore nonetheless produced, playing within a rotation on a Patriots defensive line that otherwise finished with zero quarterback hits and no tackles for loss. As a defense, the Pats allowed 30-plus points for the fourth time in a dozen games and third in the last seven weeks.

“We just gotta watch the film and get ready for next week. That’s the goal,” Barmore said. “Just watch the film, correct our mistakes and get ready for next week.”