Miami Dolphins never really had a fighting chance against Patriots - Miami Dolphins - MiamiHerald.com
why did they prepare for a heavy run game ? didnt they see the jets game ?The Dolphins, you see, spent much of last week expecting the Patriots to try to run at their defense. They expected the Patriots to brawl, yes, but they expected that brawl to come from an ornery ground game set on protecting a young quarterback from making mistakes.
Well, the Patriots opened the game in the shotgun formation and threw the ball 10 consecutive times. New England blew Miami's expectations and preparation out of the stadium when they used the shotgun set with four or five receivers 18 times in the first quarter alone.
''That shocked us,'' nose tackle Jason Ferguson said.
The shock eventually wore off but the Dolphins still could mount little pass-rush with their defensive lineman. So the Dolphins were forced to blitz to get pressure on quarterback Matt Cassel. They brought cornerbacks and linebackers to remind him he's Matt Cassel and not Tom Brady.
But Cassel didn't seem to get it. He continued to play like Brady, throwing for 415 yards and three touchdowns.