NFL Nation: Dolphins-Patriots 110809
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham
The Miami Dolphins work incredibly hard to gain yards, to consume time off the clock, to get ahead of their opponents.
They know how to grind.
Then their defense gives up a quick, crippling score.
Summary strikes have been an all-too common occurrence for the Dolphins' defense this season. They're tied for fifth in allowing touchdown drives of six plays or fewer. They have surrendered 13 of them.
In Sunday's game against the New England Patriots, the Dolphins opened the second half with a 16-play touchdown drive to take a one-point lead. Three plays later, Randy Moss stiff-armed Vontae Davis and sprinted off for a 71-yard touchdown that won the game.
In Week 2, the Dolphins held the ball for more than 45 minutes against the Indianapolis Colts. The Dolphins took two fourth-quarter leads on drives of 13 plays and 10 plays. The Colts, who started the game with a touchdown on their first play from scrimmage, responded with touchdowns on six plays and four plays.
Only once have the Dolphins not yielded a touchdown in six plays or fewer, in a Week 4 blowout of the Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins gave up three apiece to the Colts and the New York Jets in Week 7.
To get an idea of where the Dolphins stand, ESPN Stats & Information investigator Matt Lyon ran the data. Here are the worst 10 teams in allowing touchdowns so quickly:
On the flip side, only two teams have given up fewer of these touchdown drives than the Jets and Patriots -- four each. The Colts and Denver Broncos are best with one apiece.
The Bills are tied for 15th with eight touchdowns allowed in six or fewer plays.
The Miami Dolphins work incredibly hard to gain yards, to consume time off the clock, to get ahead of their opponents.
They know how to grind.
Then their defense gives up a quick, crippling score.
Summary strikes have been an all-too common occurrence for the Dolphins' defense this season. They're tied for fifth in allowing touchdown drives of six plays or fewer. They have surrendered 13 of them.
In Sunday's game against the New England Patriots, the Dolphins opened the second half with a 16-play touchdown drive to take a one-point lead. Three plays later, Randy Moss stiff-armed Vontae Davis and sprinted off for a 71-yard touchdown that won the game.
In Week 2, the Dolphins held the ball for more than 45 minutes against the Indianapolis Colts. The Dolphins took two fourth-quarter leads on drives of 13 plays and 10 plays. The Colts, who started the game with a touchdown on their first play from scrimmage, responded with touchdowns on six plays and four plays.
Only once have the Dolphins not yielded a touchdown in six plays or fewer, in a Week 4 blowout of the Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins gave up three apiece to the Colts and the New York Jets in Week 7.
To get an idea of where the Dolphins stand, ESPN Stats & Information investigator Matt Lyon ran the data. Here are the worst 10 teams in allowing touchdowns so quickly:
- Detroit Lions 19
- Tennessee Titans 19
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16
- Carolina Panthers 14
- Miami Dolphins 13
- New York Giants 13
- Cleveland Browns 12
- Kansas City Chiefs 12
- New Orleans Saints 12
- Oakland Raiders 12
On the flip side, only two teams have given up fewer of these touchdown drives than the Jets and Patriots -- four each. The Colts and Denver Broncos are best with one apiece.
The Bills are tied for 15th with eight touchdowns allowed in six or fewer plays.
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham
Falling
1. Dolphins' Wildcat offense: Through six games, the Wildcat looked like it might stay a step ahead of defenses desperate to stop it. Ronnie Brown was averaging 7.2 yards per Wildcat play. Ricky Williams was averaging 6.2 yards per play.
Since then, the Wildcat has been smothered. The Dolphins have gained 40 yards on 31 tries. In each of their past two games, against the New York Jets and New England Patriots, the Dolphins averaged less than a yard per attempt.
2. Patriots' red zone offense: Tom Brady went into the weekend ranked 14th in red-zone passer rating. Then the Patriots converted only one of their four trips inside the Miami Dolphins' 20-yard line.
Brady and Randy Moss did connect on a two-point conversion, which was a positive sign. They'll need to build off that because field goals probably won't beat the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night.
3. Joey Porter, Dolphins outside linebacker: Last year's AFC sacks leader roared before Sunday's game but was muffled on the Gillette Stadium field. He finished with zero tackles, zero assists, zero passes defensed, zero forced fumbles and zero postgame comments.
Porter's season has been mostly unmemorable so far. He has 2.5 sacks, but only 10 solo tackles (12 total), one pass defensed and one forced fumble in seven games. Fourteen Dolphins have more tackles than Porter does.
Rising
1. Laurence Maroney, Patriots running back: With Fred Taylor and Sammy Morris still sidelined, Maroney turned in another strong effort in Sunday's victory over the Dolphins. He ran 20 times for 82 yards and a touchdown, giving him one in three straight games. Maroney has rushed for 248 yards in that span.
"Laurence has run the ball pretty well all year," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Monday. "I think when he's had space he's been able to make yards, and when he hasn't, he's run hard and gotten what's there, and he's taken care of the ball pretty well. When he's had opportunities, he's made good yardage."
2. Tully Banta-Cain, Patriots outside linebacker: Banta-Cain's reunion with the Patriots has been rewarding so far. He was a bit player during his first stint, starting five games in the three seasons after they drafted him in the seventh round in '07. He spent a couple of years with the San Francisco 49ers but came back to a team ready to give him a bigger role.
ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss noted Banta-Cain was one of only three Patriots to play every defensive snap Sunday. Banta-Cain was credited with nine tackles, one for a loss, and a game-high three quarterback hits. His three sacks this year rank second on the team, and his seven quarterback hits are tops.
3. Jets' playoff pulse: The Jets aren't racing toward the postseason at 4-4, but a Dolphins victory on Sunday would've been a vicious blow and completely neutralized that 3-0 start that had the Jets flying high. The Dolphins also would've been .500, but they would have been ahead because they hold the first tiebreaker. They've already swept the Jets.
But the Patriots fended off the Dolphins, leaving the Jets alone in second place -- for now. The Jets have a difficult schedule ahead, including a rematch with the Patriots, whom they defeated in Week 2.
Falling
1. Dolphins' Wildcat offense: Through six games, the Wildcat looked like it might stay a step ahead of defenses desperate to stop it. Ronnie Brown was averaging 7.2 yards per Wildcat play. Ricky Williams was averaging 6.2 yards per play.
Since then, the Wildcat has been smothered. The Dolphins have gained 40 yards on 31 tries. In each of their past two games, against the New York Jets and New England Patriots, the Dolphins averaged less than a yard per attempt.
2. Patriots' red zone offense: Tom Brady went into the weekend ranked 14th in red-zone passer rating. Then the Patriots converted only one of their four trips inside the Miami Dolphins' 20-yard line.
Brady and Randy Moss did connect on a two-point conversion, which was a positive sign. They'll need to build off that because field goals probably won't beat the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night.
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Porter's season has been mostly unmemorable so far. He has 2.5 sacks, but only 10 solo tackles (12 total), one pass defensed and one forced fumble in seven games. Fourteen Dolphins have more tackles than Porter does.
Rising
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"Laurence has run the ball pretty well all year," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Monday. "I think when he's had space he's been able to make yards, and when he hasn't, he's run hard and gotten what's there, and he's taken care of the ball pretty well. When he's had opportunities, he's made good yardage."
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ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss noted Banta-Cain was one of only three Patriots to play every defensive snap Sunday. Banta-Cain was credited with nine tackles, one for a loss, and a game-high three quarterback hits. His three sacks this year rank second on the team, and his seven quarterback hits are tops.
3. Jets' playoff pulse: The Jets aren't racing toward the postseason at 4-4, but a Dolphins victory on Sunday would've been a vicious blow and completely neutralized that 3-0 start that had the Jets flying high. The Dolphins also would've been .500, but they would have been ahead because they hold the first tiebreaker. They've already swept the Jets.
But the Patriots fended off the Dolphins, leaving the Jets alone in second place -- for now. The Jets have a difficult schedule ahead, including a rematch with the Patriots, whom they defeated in Week 2.
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| AP Photo/Charles Krupa | |
| New England wide receiver Randy Moss stiffed armed Dolphins’ cornerback Vontae Davis and the rest of the AFC East on Sunday. |
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Randy Moss, running from right to left, broke a step ahead of Miami Dolphins rookie cornerback Vontae Davis on a crossing route and caught a spiral at the New England Patriots' 39-yard line.
One, two, three, four strides later, Moss jacked his right hand onto the side of Davis' face and shoved him off. One, two, three, four strides more, Davis desperately dove for Moss' ankles. The pesky defender clipped Moss, forcing him to stumble but didn't take him down.
Moss pulled away for good on a 71-yard touchdown that would be the difference in a 27-17 triumph Sunday afternoon in Gillette Stadium.
"He just sprinted across," Davis said. "I was chasing. I was behind. He made the catch, turned upfield and held me off."
Moss' sprint into the distance was more than decisive, it was metaphorical to the AFC East standings. The Patriots stiff-armed the pesky Dolphins and, rather than let the also-rans catch up, established separation from them.
Halfway through the schedule, the Patriots are 6-2 and two games ahead of the New York Jets, the AFC's only second-place team without a winning record. The Dolphins and Buffalo Bills are three games back at 3-5.
"The division games are something that we want," Patriots cornerback Leigh Bodden said. "This is one game. It does put us in the driver's seat right now, but we have to build on that."
It's silly to see the Dolphins and Bills with identical records. The Dolphins have shown several times this year they deserve to be on the field with the NFL's elite clubs, but have failed to finish them. To paraphrase Dolphins football operations boss Bill Parcells, a team's record -- regardless of ability -- reflects reality. Truth is, the Dolphins are almost out of the running.
Had the Dolphins prevailed, they would have pulled into a tie with the Jets at 4-4 and closed the Patriots' gap to one game. The Dolphins would have won four of their past five games, been 4-0 in the division and held tiebreakers galore.
"It was a big game for a lot of reasons," Dolphins outside linebacker Jason Taylor said. "We were undefeated in the division up to this point. This game could've put us back to .500, would have put us in a good spot in the division and got us on a little bit of a roll."
Sunday was one-16th of each team's season, but it was more significant than that.
The Patriots held off a dangerous team that went into the game in third place but might have presented a more disconcerting threat than the second-place Jets. The Dolphins were on the make.
The Jets are the Patriots' biggest menace again. The Jets have dropped four of their past five games, but they're closest in the standings and beat the Patriots in Week 2.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, are backed into a corner. They have a soft second-half schedule, but they can afford to lose only one more game and maintain reasonable hope for the playoffs because 9-7 might not cut it this year.
"You win this game today, it's a different story," Dolphins guard Justin Smiley said. "Now, there's no room for error. Plus, we're going to have to have some help, too, even if we win out.
"I just know it puts us behind the 8-ball. We've got to start winning some football games and, obviously, some things have to happen [in other games]."
The Patriots have a nasty schedule ahead. Their next four games include the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints on the road and rematches with the Jets and Dolphins. But the Patriots have put themselves in an enviable position. If they go .500 the rest of the way, they will finish with double-digits wins.
"This is when good football teams are going to be playing at their best, this time of year," Patriots guard Logan Mankins said. "If you look at our schedule, we got a lot of good teams coming up. A lot of tough games. We've got to play good football."
Nothing we've seen from the Patriots over the past month would defy the notion they're coming together. A bad second half at Mile High Stadium in Week 5 has kept them from engineering a six-game win streak.
On Sunday, they put away a desperate team that bellowed smoke and flashed mirrors.
The Patriots mostly contained the Dolphins' cunning Wildcat offense, adjusted to rookie quarterback Pat White's option skills after being knocked on their heels and neutralized the Dolphins' pass rush three days after Joey Porter denigrated the Patriots' championships and accused the NFL of pampering Tom Brady.
The Dolphins scored both of their touchdowns in unorthodox ways. White flipped an option to Ricky Williams for a 15-yard score. Running back Ronnie Brown threw a 2-yard pass to tight end Joey Haynos for the other touchdown, but only after the Patriots, facing first-and-goal from their own 2, stuffed two Wildcat runs.
Although the Patriots kicked more field goals than they would have preferred, Brady was in control behind a banged up offensive line.
Once Moss' quick strike and a two-point conversion put the Patriots ahead, Brady took command of time and space, running down the clock and maintaining field position.
Brady completed 25 of 37 passes for 332 yards, one touchdown and one interception, a great catch by Davis on a deep ball to snuff the Patriots' opening possession.
"That's why these guys got a lot of banners out there," Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said of the Patriots. "They figure out how to win these close games."
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. --Somebody call the World Wildlife Fund and propose some protections to save the Wildcat.
For the third straight week, the Miami Dolphins failed to conjure much magic with their specialized offense.
The Dolphins had to employ different tactics to compete with the New England Patriots yet still couldn't generate enough offense Sunday in a 27-17 loss.
Although the Dolphins managed to squeeze out a 2-yard touchdown pass from Ronnie Brown to tight end Joey Haynos, they gained just 7 yards on their 10 Wildcat tries.
That's consecutive games averaging less than 1 yard per play. They ran seven Wildcat plays for 6 yards against the New York Jets in Week 8. Over their past three games, the Dolphins have gained 40 yards on 31 Wildcat plays.
But the Dolphins managed to give future opponents something else to worry about.
Rookie quarterback Pat White finally made some positive contributions by running the option, an offense he thrived on at West Virginia.
On an 80-yard touchdown drive in which the Dolphins didn't complete a pass in the second quarter, White kept the ball for runs of 33 and 4 yards and shoved the ball to Ricky Williams for the final 15 yards.
The Dolphins averaged 13 yards on his four plays in the first half, but the Patriots cut the damage considerably in the second half. White averaged only 2 yards on his four plays in the second half.
White went into the game with four rushes for 2 yards and one failed pass attempt for the season.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. --Somebody call the World Wildlife Fund and propose some protections to save the Wildcat.
For the third straight week, the Miami Dolphins failed to conjure much magic with their specialized offense.
The Dolphins had to employ different tactics to compete with the New England Patriots yet still couldn't generate enough offense Sunday in a 27-17 loss.
Although the Dolphins managed to squeeze out a 2-yard touchdown pass from Ronnie Brown to tight end Joey Haynos, they gained just 7 yards on their 10 Wildcat tries.
That's consecutive games averaging less than 1 yard per play. They ran seven Wildcat plays for 6 yards against the New York Jets in Week 8. Over their past three games, the Dolphins have gained 40 yards on 31 Wildcat plays.
But the Dolphins managed to give future opponents something else to worry about.
Rookie quarterback Pat White finally made some positive contributions by running the option, an offense he thrived on at West Virginia.
On an 80-yard touchdown drive in which the Dolphins didn't complete a pass in the second quarter, White kept the ball for runs of 33 and 4 yards and shoved the ball to Ricky Williams for the final 15 yards.
The Dolphins averaged 13 yards on his four plays in the first half, but the Patriots cut the damage considerably in the second half. White averaged only 2 yards on his four plays in the second half.
White went into the game with four rushes for 2 yards and one failed pass attempt for the season.
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Joey Porter was mouthy during the week, but the New England Patriots didn't hear a peep from him Sunday afternoon in Gillette Stadium.
In beating the Miami Dolphins 27-17, the Patriots silenced Porter in the box score and on the field.
"Yeah, you don't hear anything when he's not going," Patriots guard Logan Mankins said.
In the waning moments of the game, the Gillette Stadium video scoreboard showed a shot of Porter slumped on the bench. A message noted he had zero tackles. Porter finished with not even an assist. He had no sacks, no passes defensed, no forced fumbles or recoveries.
"That means he wasn't doing anything that he likes to do, which is harass the quarterback," Mankins said. "That's the main thing he wants to do is get sacks. And in the run game he's all right, I guess, but his main thing is pass rushing. Today the tackles did a good job of shutting him down."
Porter did register one of Miami's seven quarterback hits, but that's a trivial performance from someone who declared the Patriots' championships deserve asterisks and alleged quarterback Tom Brady gets preferential treatment from officials.
Porter was quiet after the game, too, heading straight for the charter bus when the visitors' locker room was opened to reporters.
The Patriots played without two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Matt Light and lost Pro Bowl center Dan Koppen for the second half because of a knee injury.
Randy Starks and Cameron Wake dropped Brady for the Dolphins' only sacks. The Dolphins played without nose tackle Jason Ferguson and inside linebacker Channing Crowder, but Porter probably knew the task at hand when he ripped the Patriots three days earlier on the NFL Network.
Mankins said the Patriots contained the AFC's reigning sack king heads up.
"They're good across the line," Mankins said of the Dolphins. "We had a lot of one-on-ones in the passing game, and everyone seemed to come through for the most part."
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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Joey Porter was mouthy during the week, but the New England Patriots didn't hear a peep from him Sunday afternoon in Gillette Stadium.
In beating the Miami Dolphins 27-17, the Patriots silenced Porter in the box score and on the field.
"Yeah, you don't hear anything when he's not going," Patriots guard Logan Mankins said.
In the waning moments of the game, the Gillette Stadium video scoreboard showed a shot of Porter slumped on the bench. A message noted he had zero tackles. Porter finished with not even an assist. He had no sacks, no passes defensed, no forced fumbles or recoveries.
"That means he wasn't doing anything that he likes to do, which is harass the quarterback," Mankins said. "That's the main thing he wants to do is get sacks. And in the run game he's all right, I guess, but his main thing is pass rushing. Today the tackles did a good job of shutting him down."
Porter did register one of Miami's seven quarterback hits, but that's a trivial performance from someone who declared the Patriots' championships deserve asterisks and alleged quarterback Tom Brady gets preferential treatment from officials.
Porter was quiet after the game, too, heading straight for the charter bus when the visitors' locker room was opened to reporters.
The Patriots played without two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Matt Light and lost Pro Bowl center Dan Koppen for the second half because of a knee injury.
Randy Starks and Cameron Wake dropped Brady for the Dolphins' only sacks. The Dolphins played without nose tackle Jason Ferguson and inside linebacker Channing Crowder, but Porter probably knew the task at hand when he ripped the Patriots three days earlier on the NFL Network.
Mankins said the Patriots contained the AFC's reigning sack king heads up.
"They're good across the line," Mankins said of the Dolphins. "We had a lot of one-on-ones in the passing game, and everyone seemed to come through for the most part."
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.
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The Miami Dolphins are keeping it close in Gillette Stadium, and desperation has been the catalyst once more.
The Dolphins entered Sunday's game against the New England Patriots banged up on defense and lost a couple more starters in the first quarter. The Patriots kicked a field goal to take a 10-3 lead in the second quarter.
The game was getting away from the Dolphins, and they can't afford to lose. They're 3-4, and if they don't beat the Patriots, then they can drop only one more game in their final eight and expect to make the playoffs. This year, 9-7 might not cut it.
So the Dolphins decided to get creative.
Similar to last year, when they went into Foxborough with a 0-2 record and set loose the Wildcat, the Dolphins went back in time for an unusual remedy: the option.
The ploy worked. Rookie quarterback Pat White kept it for runs of 33 and 4 yards and pitched it to Ricky Williams for a 15-yard game-tying touchdown. The Dolphins drove 80 yards without completing a pass.
Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski answered with his second and third field goals to give the Patriots a 16-10 lead, but the halftime chalk talk is going to be a little more animated than one would have assumed after a quarter and a half.
The Patriots hold a 268-156 edge in yards from scrimmage and have kept Ted Ginn from making up ground like he did last week at the Meadowlands. Ginn has one kickoff return for 37 yards, but Gostkowski has drilled two other kicks out of the end zone.
Wildcat trigger man Ronnie Brown has been irrelevant so far. He has seven carries for 14 yards. Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne is 6-of-13 for 88 yards and no interceptions.
Tom Brady has been mostly sharp for New England. He is 18-of-29 for 224 yards, but hasn't been able to turn matriculation into touchdowns. Laurence Maroney has nine carries for 38 yards and the Patriots' only touchdown, a 1-yard run after Brady connected with Randy Moss down the right sideline for 36 yards.
Patriots center Dan Koppen has a knee injury. His return has been announced in the press box as questionable. He was replaced by Dan Connolly.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The Miami Dolphins are keeping it close in Gillette Stadium, and desperation has been the catalyst once more.
The Dolphins entered Sunday's game against the New England Patriots banged up on defense and lost a couple more starters in the first quarter. The Patriots kicked a field goal to take a 10-3 lead in the second quarter.
The game was getting away from the Dolphins, and they can't afford to lose. They're 3-4, and if they don't beat the Patriots, then they can drop only one more game in their final eight and expect to make the playoffs. This year, 9-7 might not cut it.
So the Dolphins decided to get creative.
Similar to last year, when they went into Foxborough with a 0-2 record and set loose the Wildcat, the Dolphins went back in time for an unusual remedy: the option.
The ploy worked. Rookie quarterback Pat White kept it for runs of 33 and 4 yards and pitched it to Ricky Williams for a 15-yard game-tying touchdown. The Dolphins drove 80 yards without completing a pass.
Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski answered with his second and third field goals to give the Patriots a 16-10 lead, but the halftime chalk talk is going to be a little more animated than one would have assumed after a quarter and a half.
The Patriots hold a 268-156 edge in yards from scrimmage and have kept Ted Ginn from making up ground like he did last week at the Meadowlands. Ginn has one kickoff return for 37 yards, but Gostkowski has drilled two other kicks out of the end zone.
Wildcat trigger man Ronnie Brown has been irrelevant so far. He has seven carries for 14 yards. Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne is 6-of-13 for 88 yards and no interceptions.
Tom Brady has been mostly sharp for New England. He is 18-of-29 for 224 yards, but hasn't been able to turn matriculation into touchdowns. Laurence Maroney has nine carries for 38 yards and the Patriots' only touchdown, a 1-yard run after Brady connected with Randy Moss down the right sideline for 36 yards.
Patriots center Dan Koppen has a knee injury. His return has been announced in the press box as questionable. He was replaced by Dan Connolly.
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- During my weekly visit with ESPN Radio's Jon Stashower on Sunday morning, we discussed whether the Miami Dolphins' fascinating Wildcat offense could surprise the New England Patriots in Gillette Stadium a second straight year.
I told Stashower that was unlikely given the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets had stifled the Wildcat in consecutive weeks, and Patriots coach Bill Belichick had an extra week to prepare for it. The Patriots are 7-2 after a bye under Belichick.
But I said there would be one way for the Dolphins to give the Patriots trouble: Unveil some new uses for rookie quarterback Pat White, who was drafted to complement the Wildcat package.
The Dolphins have done just that. Since it's technically not the Wildcat -- those plays are direct snaps to a running back -- let's call it the "Wildpat."
Down 10-3 in the second quarter, the Dolphins sent White into the game. White, known for running the option at West Virginia, reprised his collegiate role. On his first snap, he kept the ball and ran for 33 yards into Patriots territory. On the next play, he ran for 4.
From the 15-yard line, the Dolphins called another option play. This time, White flipped it to Ricky Williams, who ran it in for a game-tying touchdown.
The Dolphins went 80 yards on the drive and didn't complete a pass.
This gives the Patriots something to worry about.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- During my weekly visit with ESPN Radio's Jon Stashower on Sunday morning, we discussed whether the Miami Dolphins' fascinating Wildcat offense could surprise the New England Patriots in Gillette Stadium a second straight year.
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I told Stashower that was unlikely given the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets had stifled the Wildcat in consecutive weeks, and Patriots coach Bill Belichick had an extra week to prepare for it. The Patriots are 7-2 after a bye under Belichick.
But I said there would be one way for the Dolphins to give the Patriots trouble: Unveil some new uses for rookie quarterback Pat White, who was drafted to complement the Wildcat package.
The Dolphins have done just that. Since it's technically not the Wildcat -- those plays are direct snaps to a running back -- let's call it the "Wildpat."
Down 10-3 in the second quarter, the Dolphins sent White into the game. White, known for running the option at West Virginia, reprised his collegiate role. On his first snap, he kept the ball and ran for 33 yards into Patriots territory. On the next play, he ran for 4.
From the 15-yard line, the Dolphins called another option play. This time, White flipped it to Ricky Williams, who ran it in for a game-tying touchdown.
The Dolphins went 80 yards on the drive and didn't complete a pass.
This gives the Patriots something to worry about.
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Drivers in the Fort Lauderdale area should keep their eyes peeled for a homeless man in a Philadelphia Eagles hat. Rest assured, South Florida reporters will be on the prowl for him.
Bill Parcells supposedly talks football with this guy more than he has with the media in the two years he's been in charge of the Miami Dolphins.
Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy wrote a column about the "Man Behind The Curtain in Miami" and mentioned Parcells' dispossessed buddy. Parcells, on his drive to the Dolphins' facility in Davie, Fla., purportedly brings the guy the newspaper every morning on 17th Street. Problem is, there are eleventy-six 17th Streets, Avenues and Courts -- each in NE, SW, NW, SE versions -- in South Florida.
But the bulk of Shaughnessy's column is about Parcells' history of turning around downtrodden franchises. Compared to past rebuilding projects, Parcells hides in his spider hole and speaks to the media less often than Fidel Castro.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Drivers in the Fort Lauderdale area should keep their eyes peeled for a homeless man in a Philadelphia Eagles hat. Rest assured, South Florida reporters will be on the prowl for him.
Bill Parcells supposedly talks football with this guy more than he has with the media in the two years he's been in charge of the Miami Dolphins.
Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy wrote a column about the "Man Behind The Curtain in Miami" and mentioned Parcells' dispossessed buddy. Parcells, on his drive to the Dolphins' facility in Davie, Fla., purportedly brings the guy the newspaper every morning on 17th Street. Problem is, there are eleventy-six 17th Streets, Avenues and Courts -- each in NE, SW, NW, SE versions -- in South Florida.
But the bulk of Shaughnessy's column is about Parcells' history of turning around downtrodden franchises. Compared to past rebuilding projects, Parcells hides in his spider hole and speaks to the media less often than Fidel Castro.
"I've spent limited time with him," Dolphins CEO Mike Dee told Shaughnessy. Dee is former CEO of the Boston Red Sox. "But in the time I have known him, I have found him to be everything you would expect -- smart, experienced, with great insight. An iconic figure. He's a very tall tree in a forest of tall trees.
"The Dolphins hold a high place in this community. In the last six or seven years, they had fallen on hard times. Them going 1-15 was the equivalent of the Red Sox going 70-92 and finishing 22 games behind the Yankees.
"Bill's arrival, and what he stands for, immediately gave optimism to the marketplace. Even with the 0-3 start this year, fans are not panicking. He brings a level of credibility that things are going to turn around. It goes way beyond the X's and O's."
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham
The New England Patriots' chances of victory over the Miami Dolphins have improved even more.
The Dolphins have downgraded underrated nose tackle Jason Ferguson and inside linebacker Channing Crowder from doubtful to out for Sunday's game Gillette Stadium.
A battered, inexperienced defense generally isn't the blueprint to beat Tom Brady.
A significant amount of experience has vanished from Miami's defense the past two weeks. Top cornerback Will Allen went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 7, forcing the Dolphins to start two rookie cornerbacks (Sean Smith and Vontae Davis).
In last week's victory over the New York Jets, the Dolphins took it a step further and gave safety Chris Clemons his first NFL start in place of Gibril Wilson. That gave the Dolphins a secondary comprised of three-quarters rookies.
Miami will miss Ferguson the most. He's not a star nose tackle like Kris Jenkins for the Jets or Vince Wilfork for the Patriots, but he's in their mold. Ferguson anchors the Dolphins' 3-4 defense and is a solid run-stopper who can occupy multiple blockers.
Backup defensive tackle Paul Soliai, who was in coach Tony Sparano's doghouse over weight issues and a general lack of commitment last year, is coming off the best game of his career. Soliai was credited with six tackles, a pass deflection and the forced fumble Jason Taylor returned for a touchdown against the Jets.
Soliai will need to be a force again to compensate for Ferguson.
Crowder will miss his second straight game with a shoulder injury. Reggie Torbor should start again.
Crowder's absence doesn't mean as much to the Dolphins as the casual fan might think. His mouth has made him more relevant than his play this season. He's a decent tackler but has zero sacks, zero passes defensed and zero forced fumbles.
Plus, the dropoff to Torbor isn't that considerable. The season the New York Giants won the Super Bowl, Torbor started their final five regular-season games and all four in the postseason, including that gargantuan upset to deny the Patriots a perfect season.
The Patriots, however, have their share of injuries. They've already ruled out left tackle Matt Light, running backs Sammy Morris and Fred Taylor, receiver Julian Edelman and defensive end Jarvis Green.
The New England Patriots' chances of victory over the Miami Dolphins have improved even more.
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The Dolphins have downgraded underrated nose tackle Jason Ferguson and inside linebacker Channing Crowder from doubtful to out for Sunday's game Gillette Stadium.
A battered, inexperienced defense generally isn't the blueprint to beat Tom Brady.
A significant amount of experience has vanished from Miami's defense the past two weeks. Top cornerback Will Allen went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 7, forcing the Dolphins to start two rookie cornerbacks (Sean Smith and Vontae Davis).
In last week's victory over the New York Jets, the Dolphins took it a step further and gave safety Chris Clemons his first NFL start in place of Gibril Wilson. That gave the Dolphins a secondary comprised of three-quarters rookies.
Miami will miss Ferguson the most. He's not a star nose tackle like Kris Jenkins for the Jets or Vince Wilfork for the Patriots, but he's in their mold. Ferguson anchors the Dolphins' 3-4 defense and is a solid run-stopper who can occupy multiple blockers.
Backup defensive tackle Paul Soliai, who was in coach Tony Sparano's doghouse over weight issues and a general lack of commitment last year, is coming off the best game of his career. Soliai was credited with six tackles, a pass deflection and the forced fumble Jason Taylor returned for a touchdown against the Jets.
Soliai will need to be a force again to compensate for Ferguson.
Crowder will miss his second straight game with a shoulder injury. Reggie Torbor should start again.
Crowder's absence doesn't mean as much to the Dolphins as the casual fan might think. His mouth has made him more relevant than his play this season. He's a decent tackler but has zero sacks, zero passes defensed and zero forced fumbles.
Plus, the dropoff to Torbor isn't that considerable. The season the New York Giants won the Super Bowl, Torbor started their final five regular-season games and all four in the postseason, including that gargantuan upset to deny the Patriots a perfect season.
The Patriots, however, have their share of injuries. They've already ruled out left tackle Matt Light, running backs Sammy Morris and Fred Taylor, receiver Julian Edelman and defensive end Jarvis Green.
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham
Boston Globe reporter Albert Breer caught up with Tom Brady on Friday, and the New England Patriots quarterback scoffed at the notion he gets special treatment from officials.
Miami Dolphins outside linebacker Joey Porter alleged Thursday that Brady gets courtesy calls because he's such a big star and suffered a season-ending knee injury last year.
"No, I don't think so," Brady told Breer. "You may get more calls [for roughing the passer this year than in the past]. I don't know. I don't think I've ever influenced a call. I think the ref calls what he sees. I don't think I've ever influenced a call.
"The refs we have are very good. If they make a call on that, great. If they don't, that's fine."
This year, the NFL is enforcing what has come to be known as the Brady Rule, which prevents defenders for lunging helmet- or shoulder-first at a quarterback's legs.
In a six-point victory over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4, linebackers Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs wailed about one call in particular.
Brady gestured theatrically that he had been hit in the knee right before referee Ron Winter threw the flag on Suggs. Instead of third-and-10, the Patriots had a first down on what turned out to be a touchdown drive.
"I don't think about [the rules] very often," Brady said. "We're standing back there, trying to make the plays. You can't think about it. And we're not the only ones. Rules are in place that protect the quarterback, protect the kicker, protect defenseless receivers, defensive linemen on cut blocks. I just don't see it as a quarterback issue. We're just the ones holding the ball, so it's pretty visible when it happens.
"We're all kind of in the same boat there, especially if you run outside the pocket. They find ways to protect receivers, and they should. You can't just go and knock the crap out of the kicker. We all play by the rules. If you’re flagged, you deal with it, and find a way to not let it happen again."
Boston Globe reporter Albert Breer caught up with Tom Brady on Friday, and the New England Patriots quarterback scoffed at the notion he gets special treatment from officials.
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"No, I don't think so," Brady told Breer. "You may get more calls [for roughing the passer this year than in the past]. I don't know. I don't think I've ever influenced a call. I think the ref calls what he sees. I don't think I've ever influenced a call.
"The refs we have are very good. If they make a call on that, great. If they don't, that's fine."
This year, the NFL is enforcing what has come to be known as the Brady Rule, which prevents defenders for lunging helmet- or shoulder-first at a quarterback's legs.
In a six-point victory over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4, linebackers Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs wailed about one call in particular.
Brady gestured theatrically that he had been hit in the knee right before referee Ron Winter threw the flag on Suggs. Instead of third-and-10, the Patriots had a first down on what turned out to be a touchdown drive.
"I don't think about [the rules] very often," Brady said. "We're standing back there, trying to make the plays. You can't think about it. And we're not the only ones. Rules are in place that protect the quarterback, protect the kicker, protect defenseless receivers, defensive linemen on cut blocks. I just don't see it as a quarterback issue. We're just the ones holding the ball, so it's pretty visible when it happens.
"We're all kind of in the same boat there, especially if you run outside the pocket. They find ways to protect receivers, and they should. You can't just go and knock the crap out of the kicker. We all play by the rules. If you’re flagged, you deal with it, and find a way to not let it happen again."
» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 9:
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| AP Photo/Stephan Savoia | |
| Tom Brady and the Patriots have some wiggle room in the AFC East. The Dolphins do not. |
Postseason berths aren't based on how narrowly a team lost to the NFL's elite teams. Tough losses to the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints are losses, and another one this week will make them 3-5, tied with the Buffalo Bills for last place, and three games behind the Patriots.
The New York Jets' self-evaluation during the bye week should include an oral exam. The blogger in me doesn't want to the Jets to change a thing. I hope Rex Ryan, Bart Scott, Kerry Rhodes and the boys keep speaking their minds. It makes my job much more entertaining.
But the words are ringing hollow with one victory in their past five tries. The Jets' bombastic pregame rhetoric is starting to sound empty. The postgame comments sound like excuses. The act is wearing thin. The fans deserve results. Until they start winning, the Jets would be wise to hush until they generate some credibility in the standings. But I personally hope they don't.
The Dolphins need to unveil another Wildcat wrinkle to beat the Patriots. A lot of elements appear to be working against the Wildcat offense Sunday. The Dolphins sprung it on the Patriots with dramatic results in Week 3 last year, calling it six times for 119 yards and four touchdowns. But Patriots coach Bill Belichick knows how to adjust. When they met again in Week 12, the Patriots held Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams to 25 yards on eight Wildcat plays and beat the Dolphins 48-28.
Belichick has had two weeks to prepare for the Dolphins. The Patriots are coming off their bye week, and under Belichick they are 7-2 in their first game back. He also has had the benefit of watching two films on how to stop the Wildcat. In Week 7, New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams blitzed from the secondary every time Brown lined up for the shotgun snap, holding the Dolphins to 27 yards on 14 Wildcat tries. The Jets swarmed them, too. The Dolphins ran the Wildcat five times for 15 yards last week.
Ted Ginn cannot be evaluated simply as a player. As much as the Dolfans have hoped Ginn would become a complete performer when Miami drafted him ninth overall in 2007, it's evident that the returner and the receiver are two different people.
Ginn, under fire from the fans and in the coaching staff's doghouse over dropped passes, dazzlingly returned kickoffs 100 yards and 101 yards for touchdowns Sunday against the Jets. But he didn't vindicate himself as a receiver. He lost his starting job to rookie Brian Hartine and didn't catch a pass. Only one was thrown his way. Ginn reminded everyone he's a brilliant return man, but teams don't draft return specialists ninth overall.
Ryan Fitzpatrick went 2-1, but the Bills have to put Trent Edwards back in the lineup. Fitzpatrick had a chance to seize the starting job while Edwards was sidelined three games with a concussion. Fitzpatrick came off the bench in an overtime victory over the Jets and beat the Carolina Panthers in his first start. Another win or even a respectable performance against the Houston Texans would have cinched it, but he had 63 yards passing before the final drive.
Edwards isn't the answer to Buffalo's problems. In fact, he's a part of the problem. But the Bills have no choice but to reinstall him. Their wins over the Jets and Panthers were ugly. They have recorded single-digit first downs in Fitzpatrick's two stars. The Bills hadn't done that in consecutive games since they went 1-13 in 1971.
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