Pats blow shot at bye as Miami stuns New England
Patriots must play in wild-card round after Kansas City’s win over Chargers
Ryan Fitzpatrick tossed a five-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mike Gesicki with just 24 seconds left in the game as the Miami Dolphins upset the host New England Patriots 27-24 on Sunday at Foxborough, Mass.
The Patriots (12-4), who started the season 8-0, could have clinched a first-round playoff bye with the win. Instead, their loss combined with Kansas City’s win over the Los Angeles Chargers dropped the Pats to the No. 3 seed — and means New England must host the Tennessee Titans in the wild-card round while the Chiefs get the bye. This will mark the first time since 2009 the Patriots did not get a first-round bye in the playoffs. That season, New England won the AFC East but lost in the wild-card round to Baltimore.
The Titans secured a playoff berth with a 35-14 victory over the host Houston Texans.
Since Tom Brady became New England’s starting quarterback, the Patriots have had to play in the wild-card round three times.
They are 2-1 in wild-card games and failed to reach the Super Bowl in those three post-seasons.
Miami (5-11), which started this season 0-7, won at New England for the first time since 2008. The Dolphins entered this game as 16-point underdogs.
Brady, who passed for 221 yards and two touchdowns with one interception, is 15-2 at home against Miami.
Fitzpatrick completed 28 of41 passes for 320 yards and one touchdown, with no interceptions.
Dolphins receiver Devante Parker had a big game with eight catches for 137 yards.
But one of Miami’s biggest moments came in the second quarter, when former Patriots cornerback
Eric Rowe scored on a 35-yard interception return.
It was Rowe’s first interception of the season and the first picksix Brady has ever thrown against Miami.
Miami, beaten 43-0 at home by the Patriots on Sept. 15, got off to a great start on Sunday, taking a 10-0 lead on Jason Sanders’ 27-yard field goal and Rowe’s picksix. Rowe stepped in front of Julian Edelman to make his play.
But New England went into halftime tied 10-10 on Nick Folk’s 25-yard field goal and Sony Michel’s four-yard scoring run.
The teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter. Fitzpatrick scrambled for a two-yard score, and linebacker Elandon Roberts — who moonlights as a fullback — caught a 38-yard TD pass from Brady, breaking a tackle along the way. It was Roberts’ first career catch.
Miami took a 20-17 lead on Sanders’ 32-yard field goal with 8:29 left in the fourth.
New England took its first lead of the game, 24-20, on an eightplay, 60-yard drive that ended with a third-and-goal screen pass to James White that became a 13-yard touchdown.
Fitzpatrick then rallied Miami, engineering a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, with the flip to Gesicki at the end.
Brady tried to force overtime with a potential field-goal drive, but the Patriots could only gain 12 yards on five plays.
EAGLES WIN NFC EAST
Boston Scott rushed for three touchdowns, quarterback Carson Wentz threw for another and the Philadelphia Eagles clinched their third straight playoff berth following a 34-17 win over the host New York Giants. The Eagles won their fourth in a row, finished 9-7 and won the NFC East and will be the No. 4 seed in the playoffs.
Philadelphia captured this victory without a number of key starters such as tight end Zach Ertz (rib), right tackle Lane Johnson (ankle) and cornerback Ronald Darby (hip) among others.
Scott became the first Eagles running back to rush for three touchdowns in one game since 2011. Wentz completed 23 of 40 passes for 289 yards.
The already banged-up Eagles lost two more players to injury in the first half -- running back Miles Sanders (ankle) and right guard Brandon Brooks, who was carted off with an apparent arm injury.
Brady tried to force overtime with a potential field-goal drive, but the Patriots could only gain 12 yards on five plays.
PACKERS PREVAIL
Mason Crosby kicked a 33-yard field goal as time expired to give the Green Bay Packers a 23-20 victory over the host Detroit Lions.
The winning boot allowed the Packers (13-3) to clinch a firstround bye for the NFC playoffs.
The Lions (3-12-1) lost their ninth straight game despite holding a 17-3 halftime lead.
Aaron Rodgers overcame a miserable first half to finish 27 of 55 passing for 323 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Aaron Jones rushed for 100 yards and Davante Adams caught seven passes for 93 yards.
COWBOYS MISS PLAYOFFS
Dak Prescott completed 23 of 33 passes for 303 yards and four touchdowns, three of which went to Michael Gallup, and the Dallas Cowboys rolled to a 47-16 win over the visiting Washington Redskins.
However, Dallas (8-8) missed the postseason for the seventh time in the past 10 years. The Cowboys needed to win, and for the Eagles to lose, to win the NFC East, but the Eagles beat the Giants to take the division title.
Ezekiel Elliott tallied two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving, as the Cowboys posted their highest point total of the season.
The Redskins, lost their final four games.