(Photo courtesy of Matt West)
by Dakota Antelman
In what progressively turned into more and more of a blow out of a game for the Patriots, the long tenured kings of the AFC East claimed another division title with a 41-13 win over the Miami Dolphins.
Tom Brady, despite completing fewer passes than he had in four weeks, was accurate when he had to be while his receivers were clutch across the board. Though the New England running game stalled at times, it too gained yardage in situations that demanded their services while the secondary and defensive lines all stood tall against their Dolphin assignments.
The Patriots put up a solid effort Sunday that was recognized by coaching immediately following the win.
“We were able to get some points on the board get some turnovers,” said Patriots coach Bill Belichick. “I think we had a good day, good punt return, a lot of good field position. We were able to make some good plays.”
However, the majority of those positives from this game all occurred after a first half that admittedly, did not go so well for New England. They got off just 25 snaps in the first half and were forced to punt on three of five offensive drives.
Things got better though as one Brady play in particular seemed to reignite the competitive spirit within the Patriots. Just five minutes into the second half, Brady tucked the ball on 3rd down and sprinted for a stunning gain of 17 yards. He took a hit at the end of the play but popped right up motivated and angry.
“I was goanna slide but I was pretty pissed off at that time so I figured I wouldn't slide,” Brady said of the play. “Wish I didn't get knocked down but that's the way it goes.”
The long gain set the Patriots up on the three yard line from which they would score on a LeGarret Blount run one play later.
After the game, Brady insisted that it was in fact Blount’s run, not his, that gave the Patriots their newfound strength.
“Blount with a great run! But you know it’s just whatever it takes,” Brady said. “That’s what matters and I think all our guys responded the way we wanted to good to go in there and finish them off like we did.”
Across the board, the second half was a vast improvement on the first half. Rob Gronkowski hauled in three huge catches for a total of 96 yards on the day while Brady threw several pinpoint passes to wide receiver Brandon LaFell. The defense came alive as well shutting out the Dolphins offence and forcing a trio of turnovers, a fact celebrated immensely by the entire team.
“It’s a good feeling knowing that if you have to punt you have defense that is not goanna give up points to easily.”
The defense limited the chances that the Dolphins got while also playing a hard-nosed style of football that involved omnipresent pressure on opposing running backs and passers. They sacked Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill four times in the second half and forced a pair of fumbles (both of which were recovered by Miami).
Though they did not play the way they wanted to at times, the Patriots managed to grind out a gritty win, finding points in obscure ways (like a first quarter blocked field goal) and playing a kind of mental game that broke down the Dolphins relentlessly and meticulously.
They played like the good team they have been for nearly two decades now. As with the slew of dominant teams before them, they backed that statement of superiority up with a division title won with time to spare.
“Every year is a different year for us. Every year we have a different opportunity to try to accomplish something. It doesn’t start this morning, it started back in march. It’s a lot of hard work that goes into it and I don't think you ever take winning for granted, I certainly don’t because I know how hard it is to win,” Brady said.
He then, in true “Patriot-Way” fashion, described the accomplishment as being part of a greater plan for the team.
“I think we appreciate it but I also know that we have big goals for our team this is the first one we wanted to get,” he said.
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