Offense
The New England Patriots routed the Miami Dolphins last night 41-14 in a game where Tom Brady threw for just 153 yards and the Patriots racked up just 265 yards of total offense. Brady was efficient though, completing 19 of 24 passes to go along with a touchdown and a 107.1 rating. Benjarvis Green Ellis led the Patriots rushing attack with 76 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown. Danny Woodhead caught a touchdown pass from Brady and also contributed 36 yards on 8 carries. It’s nice to see the Patriots running the ball reasonably well for a somewhat balanced attack. Wes Welker was the leading receiver with 8 receptions and 70 yards in a game where Randy Moss was completely shut down. It’s fair to note he did drop a touchdown pass though. If Randy Moss wants to get paid and stay in New England, he needs to produce more.
Grade: B
Defense
The Patriots defense played their classic “bend but don’t break” scheme here, as they allowed Miami to accumulate 400 yards of total offense, but perhaps that’s because of the lopsided score. Chad Henne was 31 of 45 for 302 yards and two touchdowns, but threw three interceptions. Dolphins backup quarterback Tyler Thigpen threw an interception to Jarrod Page. Linebacker Rob Ninkovich picked off two passes and Patrick Chung picked off another.
The Dolphins were held to just 95 yards rushing since they were one dimensional being down in the second half. However, the Dolphins running backs were involved in the passing game and combined for 8 receptions, 74 yards, and a touchdown. Davone Bess enjoyed another terrific game against the Patriots as he racked up 9 receptions, 93 yards, and a touchdown. Jerod Mayo led the Patriots with 14 tackles. Overall, the Patriots defense wasn’t dominant by any means, but did force Henne into making foolish mistakes.
Grade: B
Special Teams
The Patriots special teams were the heroes in this game and are starting to matter again. Brandon Tate returned his second kickoff for a touchdown last night and totaled 153 yards on 3 returns. Safety Patrick Chung blocked two kicks, and one led to a touchdown as Kyle Arrington picked it up and ran into the endzone. Stephen Gostkowski nailed both of his field goal attempts, all five extra points, and had 5 touchbacks to keep the Dolphins starting at the 20 yard line. The two chances Miami had to return kickoffs, they did very little, as Nolan Carroll had 53 yards combined.
Grade: A+
