New England Patriots 49, Miami Dolphins 28
The Patriots rolled to a 42-7 halftime lead in this game and then cruised to victory in the 2nd half. Tom Brady was outstanding again yesterday as he completed 21 of 25 passes for 354 yards with 6 TD passes and 0 interceptions. Laurence Maroney (6 car, 31 yards) and Kevin Faulk (6 car, 27 yards) carried the bulk of the running game for the Patriots. Wes Welker got his revenge on the Dolphins for trading him as he led the way for the Patriots with 9 receptions for 138 yards (15.3 avg) with 2 TD grabs. Randy Moss also was outstanding as he caught 4 passes for 122 yards (30.5 avg) with 2 TD grabs including 1 that he caught 1 handed in double coverage. Donte’ Stallworth (3 rec, 51 yards, TD) and Kyle Brady (3 rec, 10 yards, TD) each pitched in too in the passing game. The Patriots finished up with 84 yards rushing on 22 carries (3.8 ypc) and they also completed 22 of 28 passes for 359 yards.
The defense let off the gas pedal a little bit in the second half with the Patriots enjoying a big lead. Tedy Bruschi led the way on defense with 12 tackles for the Patriots. Safety Rodney Harrison also had a solid game with 8 tackles and a sack. The Dolphins ran the ball 30 times for 179 yards (6.0 ypc) and they also completed 24 of 37 passes for 203 yards.
The Patriots special teams also pitched in as reserve cornerback William Andrews returned a kickoff 77 yards to a TD in the first half of the game.