video: Patriots Clinch #1 Seed in the AFC, Beat Dolphins 35-14
Monday, January 02, 2017
The win gives the Patriots a 14-2 record overall, including an undefeated record on the road.
"14-2 is a good place to be. It's pretty sweet to come here and win. It's been a tough place for us to play and that's an excited locker room. To finish eight wins in a row too, with our wins, those are fun flights home and bus rides. It's been good," said Patriots quarterback Tom Brady after the game.
The Dolphins will enter the playoffs as the sixth seed and will play at Pittsburgh next week.
Patriots Hold on
Trailing by 13, the Dolphins drove to the Patriots nine-yard line before a Matt Moore pass to Damien Williams was knocked free by Devin McCourty and recovered by Shea McClellin who returned it 69 yards to the Dolphins 18 yard line before being tackled. The return is the longest return in Patriots history.
On thePatriots ensuing possession, Brady handed the ball to LeGarrette Blount on the goal line and he ran up the middle untouched for his 18th touchdown of the season. Brady hit Julian Edelman for a two-point conversion to give the Patriots a 35-14 lead and the win.
Prior to that, the Patriots saw their 20 point lead cut to six in the third quarter after Moore found Kenny Stills in the endzone to cap off a stretch in which the Dolphins scored 14 straight points.
On the Patriots next possession, Brady found Edelman, who turned a short pass into a 77-yard touchdown run to put the Patriots back in control, up 27-14 after a Stephen Gostkowski extra point was good. The run was sparked by a big block by Michael Floyd.
Patriots Roll Early On
The Patriots offense wasted no time grabbing control of the game.
After receiving the opening kickoff, Brady led the Patriots on a 13 play drive concluding with a touchdown pass to Martellus Bennett in the back of the end zone to put the Patriots up 7-0 after a Gostkowski extra point.
On the Patriots next offensive possession, Blount ran the ball three times for 31 yards to get the Patriots to the Dolphins 14-yard line.
On first and 10, Brady hit Michael Floyd over the middle and while Floyd was hit immediately he fought his way to the end zone, just getting the ball over the goal line. New England went up 14-0 after a Gostkowski extra point was good.
The touchdown was his first as a member of the Patriots.
That a boy Mike, eat out there lil bro!!
— Larry Fitzgerald (@LarryFitzgerald) January 1, 2017
New England would add two field goals to take a 20-0 lead before the Dolphins would get on the board just before the half.
The Leaders
Brady completed 25 of 33 passes for 276 yards and three touchdowns in the game. Finishing the regular season with 28 touchdowns and only two interceptions.
Brady's 28:2 TD-INT ratio is the best in NFL history. Patriots only threw 2 INTs all year as a team setting a new NFL record. Previous was 5
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) January 1, 2017
Edelman hauled in eight catches for a career-high 151 yards and a touchdown. He also went over 1,000 yards receiving for the second season in a row.
Next up
The Patriots will play their first playoff game on Saturday, January 14 at 8:15 p.m. at Gillette Stadium. They can either play Miami, Oakland or Houston.
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