Patriots torch Miami, score 41 points
It was a day Patrick Chung will probably never forget, helping the Patriots beat the Miami Dolphins 41-14 in Miami on Monday night.
Chung blocked two kicks and returned an interception for a touchdown as the NFL’s leading point-scorers racked up their first 40 point game of the season. Chung wasn’t the only player to have a big night. Rob Ninkovich, a fifth round draft pick by the New Orleans Saints in 2006, intercepted Miami quarterback Chad Henne twice and Brandon Tate returned his second kick-off touchdown of the season.
Despite putting 41 points on the board, New England were losing 7-6 at half-time. But Tate’s 103 yard kick-off return quickly changed things around for the Pats.
"We practiced everything that happened -- all of those blocks, and people doing their job allowed me to make a play," Chung said of his big night.
To cap his night off Chung returned an interception for a 51-yard touchdown, capping off the Patriots’ rout.
All the special team plays helped keep star quarterback Tom Brady on the bench. Brady completed 19 of 24 passes for just 153 yards with one touchdown. That TD wasn’t thrown to the regular offensive targets, but Danny Woodhead, the Patriots’ reserve fullback.
So effective was New England’s special teams that Randy Moss was only targeted once by Brady, and that was a dropped touchdown pass in the Dolphins’ endzone. It was the first time since November 19 2006 Moss hasn’t had a reception in a game.
Dolphins running back Ricky Williams scored on a 28-yard pass from Henne in the third quarter to make the score 20-14, but that was all the Dolphins could muster.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick was pleased with his team’s efforts.
"It's not the guy who blocks it, it's the other guys that hit the gaps and take the blockers and open it up for the guy that they missed. It was a nice job by the whole team. ... We've been close on a couple and haven't gotten them, so it was great to get them,” Belichick said.
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