New England Patriots outclass Miami Dolphins, 28-0 – NFL Week 17 Recap
New England Patriots stunned their American Football Conference (AFC) East rivals Miami Dolphins, 28-0, in Week 17 game on Sunday, December 30, 2012, at Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA.
It was a shameful defeat for Dolphins, who have finished the season with seven wins and nine defeats.
They were just thrashed more or less the same way in Week 10 game by Tennessee Titans, 37-3.
This loss has ended their hopes of reaching the playoffs. Dolphins center Mike Pouncey said:
"This is like our playoff game, and we didn't go out and perform the way we should have."
Dolphins defence failed to stop Patriots offence at any spot, which was led by quarterback Tom Brady. The veteran quarterback ended the game by completing 22 out of 36 passes for 284 yards and scored two touchdowns.
According to the Associated Press, Brady quoted his head coach Bill Belichick’s advice for the game.
He said:
"Coach Belichick just said, 'Look, the only people that can improve our position are us, so, regardless what anyone else does, we have to win,' and that's what we did."
Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker caught a 9-yard pass from Brady in the first quarter of the game and scored a touchdown. He received 8 catches for 94 yards.
In second quarter, Patriots running back Steven Ridley rushed for two touchdowns and took the lead to 21-0.
Ridley carried the ball 20 times for 74 yards and scored two touchdowns.
Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski received a 23-yard pass from Brady in the fourth quarter and increased the lead to 28-0.
Gronkowski said:
"It felt good. I haven't gotten hit in a while. I got limited reps (but) you always want to get some reps before heading into the playoffs."
Patriots were happy with their head coach, cornerback Devin McCourty said of Belichick:
"He never falls short of having a bunch of things that we need to fix. There's no coach that gets you better prepared to go into the playoffs."
Dolphins rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill had a bad day. He completed 20 of 35 passes for 235 yards with an interception.
Patriots defensive end Justin Francis sacked Tannehill three times and B. Deaderick, Trevor Scott, Derrick Martin and Vince Wilfork sacked him once each.
Tannehill was completely under pressure, as he threw two turnovers and faced three penalties in the game.
Patriots have won 12 and lost four games in this season, and they are the leaders of AFC East. At their home field, they have won six and lost 2 games.
They are at second position in AFC, while Denver Broncos are leading with 13-3, and have clinched playoff berth and home-field advantage.
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