Pats punch in bags
Prove too tough for nasty Fins
FOXBORO — Predictably, the Patriots had their way with one of their divisional punching bags at Gillette Stadium.
Despite a few self-inflicted wounds, the Pats pounded the Miami Dolphins, 35-17, yesterday at home, and there were far too many signs of this inevitable outcome. The Patriots (9-2), who extended their winning streak to seven, have now won 15 of their last 17 home games against the Dolphins.
“I’m glad we kind of showed some mental toughness, and kept grinding and made some plays when we needed to,” Tom Brady said after the Pats clinched their post-merger NFL record 17th consecutive season with a winning record.
And the South Beach visitors showed their discomfort long before their losing streak hit five games, as they bundled up in winter hats and heavy hoodies for pregame warmups.
Shortly after kickoff, the Pats tested their opponents’ mental conviction with a tone-setting fake punt. And to think, they’ll do it all again in two weeks in Miami.
Brady completed 18-of-28 passes for 227 yards, four touchdowns and just his third interception of the season while taking a beating behind an offensive line that only fielded three starters. Brandin Cooks led the way with six catches, 83 yards and a score. Rob Gronkowski (five catches, 82 yards) and Rex Burkhead (53 yards from scrimmage) each had a pair of touchdowns, and Dion Lewis (112 rushing yards) hit the century mark for the first time in his career.
“We’ve got a lot of guys battling,” Brady said. “We don’t have so much depth at certain positions, like the receiver position, but those guys have hung in there so (I’m) really proud of all those skill guys.”
Additionally, the defense racked up seven sacks, led by a pair each for Trey Flowers and Elandon Roberts, and Stephon Gilmore intercepted a pass in the end zone. Duron Harmon added an interception, and Flowers forced a fumble that was recovered by Patrick Chung.
“A lot of guys in this room can make plays,” Flowers said. “You saw that today.”
Make no mistake, it was a physical affair. Brady was sacked once and hit eight times, and several Pats departed with injuries.
Nate Ebner helped the Patriots build a 7-0 lead, but he might have sacrificed his knee to do it. After the Pats opened the game with a three-and-out, Ebner called for a fake punt before the snap. He signaled for the fake based on Miami’s defensive look, which was the result of midweek film study, and he validated the decision by taking the direct snap and following Brandon Bolden’s block around the right edge for a 14-yard gain on fourth-and-8. However, Ebner’s right knee buckled while trying to make a cut.
Burkhead later finished the drive with a 2-yard touchdown.
After the defense forced a three-and-out, Brady completed 5-of-6 passes for 62 yards, including his final three to Gronkowski for 46 yards. Gronkowski made it 14-0 when he hauled in a 5-yard TD.
The Pats allowed their AFC East rival back into the game in the second quarter. Ted Karras, who made his second start at center due to David Andrews’ illness, flung the shotgun snap well past an unready Brady, and Reshad Jones scooped the loose ball and returned it 14 yards for a touchdown.
Brady and Cooks connected for an easy 37-yard pass on thirdand-14 on the next possession. The Pats finished the drive with a well-designed play to extend the lead to 21-7. Brady motioned two players to the right side of the formation, which allowed him to then send Burkhead into the left slot against Chase Allen. Burkhead then beat the rookie linebacker on a simple out route for a 1-yard touchdown catch.
Cody Parkey’s 28-yard field goal cut the Pats’ lead to 21-10, but the Dolphins missed an opportunity to inflict more pain when Bobby McCain intercepted Brady.
Gilmore mitigated the damage, though with an end zone interception of Matt Moore in the first half’s final seconds.
“Anytime you get a turnover before the half when they could go in and score, it’s big,” Gilmore said. “Our coaches teach that all the time. If you get a turnover at the half, it’s big for the team.”
The nastiness peaked in the third quarter when the post-play scraps were intensified by McCain’s decision to punch Danny Amendola, which drew an ejection. And so the Pats seemed to take extra glee when Brady and Gronkowski hooked up for a 15-yard touchdown to push the margin to 28-10. Gronkowski set a franchise record with his 16th career multiple-TD performance.
In the fourth quarter, Moore flicked an easy 8-yard TD pass to Kenyan Drake as Elandon Roberts got caught in traffic.
The Pats mitigated the stress as Brady and Cooks connected for a 5-yard touchdown on a shovel pass.
“Seven straight wins is pretty good, but we know our biggest games are ahead of us,” Brady said. “Because all of the good teams now are going to start playing really well, and we’ve got to be one of those teams.”