Dolphins look to earn rare road win vs. Patriots

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Using some occasional trickery against the Patriots has previously been a winning formula for the Dolphins.

The last time Miami won at New England was in 2008, when Tom Brady was sidelined for the season and the Dolphins sprung the wildcat on Patriots coach Bill Belichick in a 38-13 rout.

Trickery is also a big reason why the Dolphins will arrive at Gillette Stadium on Sunday with a 3-0 record and sitting atop the AFC East . They haven’t been 4-0 since 1995 — Don Shula’s last season as coach.

But getting there again will be tough. Since the Dolphins’ 2008 win, the Patriots have won nine straight at home in the series. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is 14-1 at home as a starter against Miami. His lone loss was in the final game of the 2005 season, when he was pulled after the first quarter.

Miami will also be facing a New England team that has lost two in a row and is coming off a humbling 26-10 loss at Detroit that underscored the Patriots’ weaknesses on both sides of the ball. The Patriots haven’t started 1-3 since 2001.

“Any time you play them at their place, it’s a challenge,” Dolphins coach Adam Gase said. “That’s why they’re one of the best teams. If you look at the last 15 years, it’s ridiculous how well they do at home compared to everybody else. The crowd is extremely loud, and it’s a tough environment to play in.”

After missing last season because of a torn ACL in his left knee, Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill has started this season strong. He has completed 73 percent of his passes, while throwing seven touchdowns and just two interceptions.

Despite some issues over the past two weeks, Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski said there is no sense of panic inside their locker room. New England started 2-2 last season, before recovering to win the AFC championship.

“You’ve just got to keep going forward, no matter what it is, if you’re winning or if you’re losing,” Gronkowski said. “You’ve got to just put that week behind you. … Just got to keep on grinding.”