Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The Miami Dolphins pulled out all the stops. They ran the option for a touchdown, had running back Ronnie Brown throw for a touchdown and went for it on fourth down on the opening drive of the second half.
It wasn't enough.
One week after Ted Ginn returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and Jason Taylor scored on a fumble recovery to compensate for an anemic offense, the Dolphins weren't able to find enough points Sunday in Gillette Stadium.
In a game that was closer on the scoreboard than many anticipated, the New England Patriots were obviously the better team in a 27-17 victory.
With the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills off this weekend, Sunday's lone AFC East game padded the Patriots' lead and put the Dolphins in a precarious position. The Patriots are 6-2, two games ahead of the Jets and three ahead of the Dolphins and Bills.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was in command throughout the game. He threw a long interception while trying to go deep to Randy Moss on the Patriots opening possession.
Brady completed 25 of 37 throws for 332 yards, a chunk coming on Moss' 71-yard catch-and-run touchdown. Brady also connected with Moss for the two-point conversion and for a 36-yard strike to set up a Laurence Maroney touchdown from the 1-yard line a play later.
Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne went 2-0 in his first NFL starts but had his third straight ordinary Sunday. He was 19-of-34 for 219 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions.
The Patriots mostly held the Wildcat in check, but rookie quarterback Pat White optioned them into the end zone -- two keepers for 37 yards and a pitch to Ricky Williams for a 15-yard score -- and Brown did throw to tight end Joey Haynos for a 2-yard touchdown.
Brown finished with 15 carries for 48 yards.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The Miami Dolphins pulled out all the stops. They ran the option for a touchdown, had running back Ronnie Brown throw for a touchdown and went for it on fourth down on the opening drive of the second half.
It wasn't enough.
One week after Ted Ginn returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and Jason Taylor scored on a fumble recovery to compensate for an anemic offense, the Dolphins weren't able to find enough points Sunday in Gillette Stadium.
In a game that was closer on the scoreboard than many anticipated, the New England Patriots were obviously the better team in a 27-17 victory.
With the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills off this weekend, Sunday's lone AFC East game padded the Patriots' lead and put the Dolphins in a precarious position. The Patriots are 6-2, two games ahead of the Jets and three ahead of the Dolphins and Bills.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was in command throughout the game. He threw a long interception while trying to go deep to Randy Moss on the Patriots opening possession.
Brady completed 25 of 37 throws for 332 yards, a chunk coming on Moss' 71-yard catch-and-run touchdown. Brady also connected with Moss for the two-point conversion and for a 36-yard strike to set up a Laurence Maroney touchdown from the 1-yard line a play later.
Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne went 2-0 in his first NFL starts but had his third straight ordinary Sunday. He was 19-of-34 for 219 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions.
The Patriots mostly held the Wildcat in check, but rookie quarterback Pat White optioned them into the end zone -- two keepers for 37 yards and a pitch to Ricky Williams for a 15-yard score -- and Brown did throw to tight end Joey Haynos for a 2-yard touchdown.
Brown finished with 15 carries for 48 yards.
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NFL SCOREBOARD
Thursday, 11/19
Sunday, 11/22
Final Washington 6 Dallas 7 Final Cleveland 37 Detroit 38 Final San Francisco 24 Green Bay 30 Final/OT Pittsburgh 24 Kansas City 27 Final Seattle 9 Minnesota 35 Final/OT Atlanta 31 New York 34 Final New Orleans 38 Tampa Bay 7 Final Buffalo 15 Jacksonville 18 Final Indianapolis 17 Baltimore 15 Final Arizona 21 St. Louis 13 Final San Diego 32 Denver 3 Final Cincinnati 17 Oakland 20 Final New York 14 New England 31 Final Philadelphia 24 Chicago 20
Monday, 11/23
WEEKLY LEADERS
- M. Stafford DET - QB
- 26-43, 422 yds, 5 tds
- vs CLE | Final
- R. Williams MIA - RB
- 22 car, 119 yds, 2 tds
- @ CAR | Final
- T. Owens BUF - WR
- 9 rec, 197 yds, 1 td
- @ JAC | Final