Miami Dolphins vs New England Patriots Match Player Stats On Dec 14, 2014

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Dec 14, 2014

Patriots 41, Dolphins 13: Tom Brady threw for 287 yards and a pair of touchdowns as New England took over in the second half to surge past visiting Miami and clinch the AFC East.

Rob Gronkowski made three catches for 96 yards and a score while Julian Edelman picked up 88 receiving yards and a touchdown for the Patriots (11-3), who have won six straight and 12 of the last 14 AFC East titles. LeGarrette Blount and Shane Vereen each added a rushing TD as New England locked up a postseason berth and remained in line for home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

Ryan Tannehill went 29-of-47 for 346 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions as the Dolphins (7-7) fell for the fourth time in six games to see their wild-card hopes take a big hit. Mike Wallace had five receptions for 104 yards and a score, but Miami's defense allowed 293 yards in the second half.

The Patriots, who were outscored 23-0 in the second half of a loss at Miami in Week 1, scored on the opening possession of the third quarter on Blount’s 3-yard burst and got a field goal on the next drive before Patrick Chung picked off Tannehill. Brady fired a 27-yard TD to Gronkowski on the next play and, after the defense forced a punt, needed only three plays to find Edelman for a 6-yard TD to make it a 38-13 gap.

New England took advantage of some mistakes to run up a lead at the half, opening the scoring when Jamie Collins blocked a 41-yard field-goal attempt and Kyle Arrington returned it 62 yards for a TD and making it 14-3 when Vereen scored three plays after Duron Harmon intercepted Tannehill. The Patriots played things conservatively at the end of the half and Tannehill took advantage with a 32-yard TD pass just before the break that Wallace secured while falling to the ground in the end zone to make it 14-13.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Wallace’s TD at the end of the first half marked the Dolphins first passing score of more than 21 yards this season. … Arrington (hamstring) left the game in the first half and watched from the sidelines in street clothes after the break. … Patriots coach Bill Belichick tied the legendary Curly Lambeau of Green Bay for fourth all-time with 229 wins (combined regular season and playoffs), while New England K Stephen Gostkowski (1,165) passed Adam Vinatieri (1,158) for first place on New England's all-time scoring list.