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FOXBOROUGH - Patriots Run The Division, so say the t-shirts. Running the league is a bit more important.
The Patriots bombarded the Miami Dolphins with a 24-point third quarter en route to a 41-13 victory on Sunday at Gillette Stadium, clinching still another AFC East title for the Patriots. The shirts and caps always look nice, but the ones that say "Super Bowl Champions" look nicer. All the Patriots did on Sunday was prove their ongoing superiority in a division with three inferior teams on paper but who all play the Patriots tough on the field. The Patriots literally have to win the division, but it is still a fine accomplishment to actually go out and do it year after year.
Miami was actually looking for its third straight win over the Patriots, but such was not to be. The Dolphins completely outplayed the Patriots in the first half but went into intermission still trailing the Patriots by a point. Whatever was said in the Patriot locker room during halftime must have worked, because the Patriots went out and had arguably their best quarter of the season, as Rob Gronkowski woke up from his first half slumber and the defense provided an interception which led to a quick touchdown.
The Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 271-102 in the first half. Lamar Miller had 51 yards rushing, Ryan Tannehill threw for 197 yards and a touchdown, and the Patriots were basically shut down offensively. But the score was 14-13 Patriots at the half thanks to three huge plays which went the way of the Patriots and had nothing to do with the offense.
The Dolphins opened the game with a 50-yard bomb from Tannehill to Mike Wallace, drawing Malcolm Butler in coverage. The drive stalled at the Patriot 22, and Caleb Sturgis came out to attempt a 40-yard field goal. Jamie Collins burst through and blocked the field goal attempt, and Kyle Arrington scooped up the loose ball and scampered 62 yards for a touchdown.
On their first possession of the second quarter, trailing 7-3, Tannehill took the Dolphins from their own 10 to midfield. On third down and 14 at the Miami 45, Tannehill tried to hit Brandon Gibson in the slot but overthrew him. Duron Harmon made the interception and returned it 60 yards to the Miami 8-yard line. Three plays later, Shane Vereen took a handoff out of the shotgun and ran it in from three yards out to make it 14-3 Patriots.
When Miami got the ball back, they should have cashed it in with a touchdown. A pass interference call on Brandon Browner helped put Miami at the Patriot 35-yard line. On third and nine, Damien Williams ran a wheel route and sprinted past Collins down the left sideline. Tannehill saw him and floated a perfect toss to Williams at the goal line. Williams turned into stonefingers and dropped a sure touchdown, and Miami had to settle for a field goal.
A hideous exchange made it a one-point game just prior to intermission. With 40 seconds left and all three timeouts, perched at their own 15-yard line, Josh McDaniels opted for three useless Vereen runs. Miami exhausted their three timeouts, and got the ball back at the Patriot 32-yard line thanks to a 32-yard punt return by Landry. With 11 seconds left in the half, Tannehill found Wallace on the same route where Williams dropped his touchdown earlier. This time, with Butler in arrears, he made the catch to make it 14-13 after replay overturned a call of incomplete.
 Rob Gronkowski had a strong second half against Miami on Sunday, catching three passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. (USA TODAY Images) |
But the Patriots came right out firing in the third quarter. Brady hit Gronkowski in the seam for 34 yards on the first play. Jonas Gray finally got involved with a few runs, and Brandon LaFell got away with a dropped pass for 14 yards. Then Tom Brady made the play of the game, when on third down and 11 at the Miami 20, scrambled right for 17 yards to the Miami 3. Instead of sliding, he took a hit from Walt Aikens as he was running out of bounds. LeGarrette Blount ran it in on the next play to open up a lead for the Patriots.
Miami ended the ensuing possession by getting stopped on third and three at their own 27 with a two-yard run by Miller. The Patriots took the ball and drove to a Stephen Gostkowski field goal from 35 yards. On the next play, Tannehill tried to hit Miller in the left flat, but he was blasted by Browner and the ball deflected into the air. It came down in the hands of Patrick Chung, and on the next play Brady was able to find Gronkowski between two defenders for a 27-yard touchdown to make it 31-13. It was Brady's best throw of the day as he zipped the ball right between Jimmy Wilson and Reshad Jones.
After a three-and-out, Brady took over at the Miami 45. He zipped another long one to Gronkowski for 35 yards, and on the next play Brady hit Julian Edelman on a crossing route in the end zone to make it 38-13 Patriots and essentially seal the deal.
This was merely a shift in intensity and better execution, combined with the fact that the Dolphins basically gave the Patriots 14 first half points. What the Patriots didn't do in the first half, they did in the second. The defense finished with 4 sacks of Tannehill, Miller had minus-4 yards rushing in the second half, and Gray seems like he is finally out of Bill Belichick's doghouse with a 62-yard second half and a 5.6 per carry average.
After the big win last week in San Diego, these last three games against inferior AFC East teams can all be taken as trap games. Trap game number one goes to the Patriots thanks to the second half adjustments, but the Patriots played the first half rather flatly and at times uninspired. They travel to the Meadowlands next week for a road date against the Jets, which may be the hardest of the three remaining games to win.
Denver had a losable game in San Diego, but held on to win 22-10 to clinch the AFC West and keep the pressure on the Patriots to win all their remaining games to maintain home field throughout the playoffs. The Patriots will need to treat their remaining two games, with a home date against Buffalo (which knocked off Green Bay at home on Sunday) to follow the Jets game, as literal "play-in games". The Patriots have to hold on to the one seed if they are to have any chance to make it to Super Bowl XLIX.
For now, the Patriots will enjoy their hats and shirts. That's 12 division titles in 14 years for the Patriots, not too shabby. This won't last forever. The Patriots have "super" goals, of course, but another division title adds nicely to the legacy that is the Brady-Belichick Era.
Okay, coach, let it rip. We're on to the Jets.
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