Miami Dolphins running back Kenyan Drake (32) runs for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018, in Miami Gardens, Fla. The Dolphins defeated the Patriots 34-33. ▲

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — This should've been Rob Gronkowski's welcome back party.

Instead, the Patriots last-second loss to the Miami Dolphins had people wondering why the team's star tight end was on the field for the final play.

With seven seconds remaining, the Patriots coaching staff placed Gronkowski on the field in the end that Ryan Tannehill attempted a Hail Mary-type play. Gronk's lone defensive snap, however, backfired when he slipped and took a bad angle at Kenyan Drake, who zipped by the All-Pro for the game-winning touchdown.

"We practiced that play a few times for the Hail Mary," said Gronkowski, who had his first 100-yard game since Week 1. "You guys have seen it before. Go up and get the ball. But they changed it up a little bit. It was just kind of sucky."

Typically, when the Patriots are defending a Hail Mary, they'll put someone like Gronk on the goal line. His role as 'jump' is to bat the ball down. Defensive players inside the visitor's locker room said they understood Gronk's role, but they also said they weren't expecting a Hail Mary.

"It's like Helter Skelter," Devin McCourty said. "You don't know what they're going to do, but you know they're going to pitch it back, try to get down the sideline. That's exactly what happened."

"You just know they're not throwing the ball 75 yards to like the end zone," Duron Harmon added. "We knew that. We knew it was going to be a lateral situation. If the ball was at the 35-yard line or 40-yard line, we'd think Hail Mary, everyone get back, play the tip. But it was where they were, position, on the field, we knew it wasn't going to be a Hail Mary. Lateral.

On Gronk being out there for the final play, Stephon Gilmore said, "We just play whatever the coaches call. Not surprised."

"Rebound. If they throw the ball up in the air, you want a guy like Gronk to bat the ball down," Jason McCourty added. "Obviously, if we know exactly what the play is you can sub all 11 and get the exact people you want on it. You just don't know. You're trying to prepare for any and everything. We just didn't do a good enough job."

After the game, Bill Belichick explained that the Patriots were trying to defend another type of pass play and not necessarily a Hail Mary.

"They could have run the Desperado-type play, which is kind of an in between 20-yard pass, then it turned into a Desperado," Belichick said.

The decision, however, left Gronk out of position. It was clear he wasn't prepared to make that game-saving tackle.

"I'm sure [Gronk] was definitely probably expecting like a pass or something downfield, something he could jump up and go get," Josh Gordon said. "As opposed to pursuit, something that no offensive player has too much prowess of. So that's unfortunate, but you live and learn."