Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard (25) defends New England Patriots wide receiver DeVante Parker (1) during the second half of Sunday's game in Miami Gardens. (AP photo)

Remember, it’s just one game.

That’s the main problem with the start of the National Football League season. The opening weekend is usually a textbook case of overreaction.

Usually, that is.

There’s no question the New England Patriots don’t want a repeat of the futility they had getting into the end zone Sunday in their 20-7 season-opening loss to the Miami Dolphins.

The solution should be simple: Get the ball in the hands of your best playmakers, something you can argue they didn’t do on Sunday, not when Kendrick Bourne only was targeted once and the result was 41-yard gain.

“Like I always say, the plays will come, don’t chase them,” Patriots quarterback Mac Jones said while saying his back feels much better and he plans on playing on Sunday at Pittsburgh. “He’ll get a chance and when he does, I have confidence in him. He’s a great route runner, great competitor. He’s just got to do what he’s doing and continue to see his role increase.”

Jones almost sounded like a coach there, didn’t he? The Patriots have a roster that has good players, some mediocre ones, but no real superstars. It’s been their way of forming their roster during their dynasty days, but of course then they had Tom Brady to be the most necessary superstar. Jones isn’t there and he may never be, so the idea should be to build around him.

The Patriots got the ball in the hands of Jonnu Smith Sunday with three catches for 33 yards; now we want to see a couple of those receptions in the end zone. DeVante Parker needs to be able to win a jump ball in the end zone; that’s why the Patriots got him.

Jones favorite target continues to be Jakobi Meyers (four catches, 55 yards), a nice possession receiver but not the flashy type who will make the catch but not fly downfield.

New England wasn’t too concerned with running the ball on Sunday (78 total yards) and as Belichick said, “That’s a pretty good run front” for the Dolphins. And they’ll likely see another good one Sunday in the Steelers in Pittsburgh. But a steady diet of Damien Harris has often proved to be a very good remedy. Harris is as close to a playmaker – some prefer Rhamondre Stevenson – as the Patriots have.

Belichick knows how crazy the results can be this time of year.

“Everybody needs to – will learn from these games and get better and improve,” Belichick said. “It’s really the rate that it happens. … But it’s a race against time. Everybody’s trying to improve quickly, and have a good record in the early part of the season, and get stronger as the year goes on.”

It’s what the Patriots appeared to do last year after a 2-4 start, when they won seven in a row. But then the brakes came on as they won just one more game the rest of the way. Defensively, they seem better than last year; the fourth down TD just before the half was really their only hiccup on that side of the ball. But it was a big one.

It’s only Jones’ second year, but he sounded like a seasoned veteran on Monday.

“It’s a long season,” he said. “They (the coaches) know that, we know that. We have a lot of games left, and a big one this week, so we’ll try to improve that this week.”

Devin McCourty had even stronger words.

“In this league, you’ve got to change (the result) fast and get it going, play better and get a win next week,” he said after Sunday’s game. “That’s what it’s about.

“Week 1, we’ve got a lot of time, but we have to have a sense of urgency.

And the ball in their playmakers’ hands.