Patriots keep ‘foot on the gas pedal’ in beating Dolphins
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The New England Patriots finished the regular season with a perfect road record, and are hoping their next trip is to the Super Bowl.
Tom Brady threw for 276 yards and three scores Sunday to help the Patriots clinch homefield advantage throughout the AFC playoffs by beating the Miami Dolphins 35-14.
New England took a 20-0 lead in the first half, and turned away Miami’s comeback bid with the help of a 77-yard touchdown catch-and-run by Julian Edelman and a 69-yard fumble return by linebacker Shea McClellin .
The Patriots (14-2) were already assured of a first-round bye but played all-out, as coach Bill Belichick had promised.
“It’s just important to keep that foot on the gas pedal,” Brady said.
New England became the ninth team since 1972 to go undefeated on the road during the regular season.
The Dolphins (10-6), beaten for only the second time in the past 11 games, had already earned an AFC wild-card berth and will play their first postseason game since 2008 next weekend at Pittsburgh. That made the thumping by New England much easier to take.
“Flush it,” safety Michael Thomas said. “We’re still in it. Last year at this time we were going home.”
If the Dolphins beat Pittsburgh, they’ll face New England again in two weeks.
“Can’t wait,” Dolphins receiver Jarvis Landry said.
The Patriots had lost their past three games in Miami, and appeared intent from the outset on snapping that streak. By the time they led 20-0, they had advantages of 238 to 30 in yards, and 17 to one in first downs.
“This has always been a challenging place for us, for one reason or another,” Brady said.
The Dolphins were steamrolled by a Brady-led offense that wasn’t forced to punt until late in the third quarter.
“He’s a Hall of Famer,” Miami coach Adam Gase said. “It happens. A lot.”