Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots: Full Report Card Grades for New England
Bill Belichick always preaches complementary football, a mantra the New England Patriots fulfilled during their 41-13 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday in Foxborough. Behind a third-quarter deluge, the Pats clinched their sixth consecutive AFC East title and moved within two victories of home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs.
After Mike Wallace jump-started the Dolphins with an early 50-yard reception, Jamie Collins totally shifted the drive's complexion, exhibiting a jaw-dropping vertical leap to block a Caleb Sturgis field goal. After Kyle Arrington scooped up the ball for a 57-yard return touchdown, the Patriots were stunningly up 7-0.
However, following a Tom Brady interception, Miami drove 60 yards into the red zone, before stalling out and settling for a Sturgis chip-shot field goal. Despite the 7-3 lead, the Patriots allowed Miami to control possession and tempo for much of the first quarter, which left the game in a tenuous state.
Following a Patriots punt to open the second quarter, the defense subsequently picked up the offense, as a 60-yard Duron Harmon interception return set the Pats up at the Miami 8-yard line. Shane Vereen subsequently punched it in on 3rd-and-goal from the 3-yard line, putting New England up 14-3.
Miami continued to move the ball down the field, but after Damien Williams dropped a wide-open touchdown, a 53-yard Sturgis field goal moved the Fins to within eight. After a long punt return from Jarvis Landry, Mike Wallace corralled a gorgeous one-handed touchdown to cut the lead to 14-13, providing a massive momentum swing before the halftime intermission.
The Patriots responded with their best offensive drive to open the second half. The touchdown march included Rob Gronkowski's first catch of the game and a Russell Wilson-esque 17-yard pump-and-run from Brady. Following a Dolphins three-and-out, the Pats added another field goal to re-up their lead back to 11.
The snowball continued to gain steam, as a Patrick Chung interception on Miami's first play of the subsequent drive immediately led to a 27-yard Gronkowski touchdown. The Dolphins once again went three-and-out, and the Pats again scored, with Julian Edelman widening the lead to 38-13. New England outscored Miami 24-0 in the third quarter, which featured a stunning series of constant knockout blows.
The fourth quarter subsequently became a mere formality, with the Pats tacking on a field goal for the final score. Read on for full position-by-position grades and analysis of New England's division-clinching victory.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Tom Brady struggled throughout the first half amid consistent Dolphins pressure, averaging just 5.5 yards per attempt after the first 30 minutes. Miami's front seven was a bit reminiscent of the lengthy New York Giants units that flummoxed Brady in the two Super Bowl losses, forcing him off his spot and batting down three passes. That doesn't include Jason Trusnik's interception; it was an athletic tip from a dropping linebacker Brady was unable to identify.
In avoiding a sack during that span, Brady demonstrated his rapidly improved pocket presence. Unfortunately, his mechanics appeared to break down at times, as highlighted by several underthrown passes, including one that may have resulted in a Rob Gronkowski touchdown before the end of the first half.
However, behind improved protection, Brady's game completely flipped around in the second half. He finished 21-for-35 for 287 yards on 8.2 yards per attempt, including two touchdowns that came in the third quarter. His 17-yard scramble on 3rd-and-11, which led to the first touchdown of the quarter, was the type of unexpected game-changing play that began the inexorable momentum shift toward the Patriots.
This was far from a perfect performance from Brady, but he was in total control in spurring the third-quarter route. As such, the final grade gets skewed upward a bit to reflect Brady's excellent pocket maneuvering and central role in turning the tight game into a blowout.
Grade: A-
Running Back
2 of 10
The Patriots' always unpredictable backfield took yet another turn on Sunday. Week 15 will go down as the (temporary) reincarnation of Jonas Gray, who revived a flagging Patriots ground game to help boost the offense's second-half production.
Gray compiled 69 yards on 12 touches after halftime, exposing a Miami front seven that had gotten worn down by the Patriots' quick-strike offense. There's no guarantee that Gray continues to receive regular snaps, as he did in the final 30 minutes on Sunday, but expect him to receive more regular opportunities to spell Blount moving forward (as long as he shows up on time to team meetings).
Of course, part of the reason Gray ended up playing more than half of the second-half snaps was because of LeGarrette Blount's first-half struggles. He ended with just 17 rushing yards on eight carries, and though he did have a third-quarter touchdown, his second consecutive stagnant game will likely reduce his carries moving forward.
Shane Vereen continues to play exclusively as a third-down back, as he had just six carries for five yards on the day (though like Blount, he scored a touchdown). However, Vereen could not take advantage of a seemingly favorable matchup against the Dolphins linebackers, getting just a single reception on three targets for 12 yards. Considering how much Blount and Vereen struggled in the first half, Gray's 5.6 yards per carry in the second half figures to turn the backfield into a more egalitarian three-back committee.
Grade: B+
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
Arguably no player exemplified the day-and-night switch more than Rob Gronkowski. After failing to catch a single pass in the first half, Gronk dominated the Dolphins (particularly hapless slot corner Jimmy Wilson) on a variety of seam routes, ending with 96 catches and a touchdown on just three receptions.
He still had an impact on the first half—for instance, Miami's double-team near the goal line opened up room for the aforementioned Vereen touchdown. But the Patriots' stagnant passing game did not awaken until Gronk provided a vertical option, allowing Brady to eviscerate Miami's split safety schemes for numerous quick strikes.
Julian Edelman was also featured regularly from the get-go, with 43 all-purpose yards on the first drive and a team-high seven catches for 88 yards on the day. He caught the lone deep perimeter throw, a 31-yarder in the fourth quarter, and added a six-yard touchdown on a corner route to cap off the 24-point third quarter. He did have a fumble (which he recovered) and dropped a would-be first down, but it was an overall solid showing for Minitron.
Brandon LaFell unexpectedly drew the Brent Grimes assignment instead of Edelman and ended with a respectable six catches on eight targets for 66 yards. Though LaFell did not utilize his size advantage over Grimes to generate any big perimeter plays, his steady stream of seam and in routes helped keep the offense moving.
Grade: A
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Offensive Line
4 of 10
The play action really turned things around for this unit. The first half was a continuation of the pass protection issues the line suffered through the past few weeks, as Miami constantly forced Brady out of the pocket and into off-balance throws.
However, with play action and an improved running game keeping the Dolphins defensive line off balance, the Pats ultimately kept Brady clean on the day, allowing no sacks for the first time since Week 12. Though the play-calling was helpful, the improved protection also allowed Brady to exploit Miami's back end on deeper vertical concepts.
Nate Solder and Sebastian Vollmer particularly recovered well from their dismal Week 1 showings against Miami, as neither conceded even a quarterback hit to the Dolphins' talented edge-rushing tandem of Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon. Ryan Wendell had some struggles with two penalties, while the interior line was unable to really contain Jared Odrick (three QB hits, one pass deflection), but those issues also largely dissipated after halftime.
One injury of note: After Dan Connolly suffered a neck injury, Josh Kline came in at left guard in the third quarter and finished out the game. Connolly has dealt with a litany of injuries this season, including an ankle issue heading into this game, so it would hardly be surprising to see Kline start next week against the New York Jets.
Grade: B
Defensive Line
5 of 10
This unit exposed the consequences of needing to abandon the run with a shoddy offensive line, as the Patriots teed off on Ryan Tannehill in the second half. New England finished with four sacks and 10 quarterback hits, despite a relative lack of blitz calls.
Rob Ninkovich was arguably the defensive player of the game, providing the most consistent pressure on the day. We'll have to wait for the charting numbers to come out, but it would hardly be surprising if Ninkovich led the team in pressures. He also added a pass deflection, nearly coming up with his second interception of the year.
Chandler Jones played roughly half the snaps in his return to the lineup, often kicking inside in interior rushes. He ended up with 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble in the fourth quarter, which resulted in a 16-yard loss after Ja'Wuan James recovered the fumble. Akeem Ayers started the game, but given his own high level of play, expect the Pats to employ a more liberal rotation at defensive end.
The interior linemen also redeemed themselves after the Dolphins shredded New England with inside zones in their Week 1 win. Vince Wilfork had his most noticeable impact with numerous run stuffs, while Alan Branch also generated the most consistent interior penetration. Miami ended up with just 76 yards on 3.3 yards per attempt.
As with the edge, Sealver Siliga's return to health has allowed the Patriots to use a more liberal rotation, keeping the D-line much fresher toward the end of games. As the Miami line wore down and was forced to pass-protect every play, the benefits of that became obvious on Sunday.
Grade: A
Linebacker
6 of 10
In his return to the lineup, Dont'a Hightower resumed play-calling responsibilities and finished second on the team with eight tackles, including a half-sack and tackle for a loss. He played more of a rushing role than he usually does, as the Pats often employed only three defensive linemen and Hightower on their fronts, but it was a typically steady appearance for the third-year linebacker.
Jamie Collins had a much more up-and-down day. His biggest play came on special teams (more on that later), but he also had multiple run stuffs on defense. However, he had a rough time on Miami's first scoring drive, getting beaten down the seam by Charles Clay, missing a tackle on Lamar Miller and getting called for holding.
Collins was also beaten by Damien Williams on a stop-and-go route out wide on third down, which would have resulted in an easy touchdown if not for a Williams drop. Collins was not a net-negative because of his special teams play, but from a purely defensive perspective, he did not come close to matching his spectacular Week 14 performance against the San Diego Chargers.
With both Collins and Hightower healthy, Jonathan Casillas returned to more of a base package-oriented role. Though the play from this unit was not spectacular, it was consistently helpful in buttressing the excellent play from the defensive line.
Grade: B
Secondary
7 of 10
Undrafted rookie Malcolm Butler has largely held his own this season, but Tannehill picked on him throughout the first half. Butler was the culprit on huge Mike Wallace plays that bookended the first half—a 50-yard catch to open the game and a spectacular one-handed 32-yard touchdown five seconds before halftime.
However, that was the low point for the Pats secondary, which received excellent safety play. Devin McCourty's 3rd-and-goal pass deflection on Charles Clay saved a touchdown, while Duron Harmon's pick and 60-yard return created another. Patrick Chung also generated an interception that led to Gronk's touchdown on the very next play and effectively sealed the game, as the secondary was ball-hawking throughout the day.
Chung also led the team with 10 tackles, including five solo ones. After a few rough weeks in coverage, he bounced back significantly on Sunday, often lining up in the slot in dime personnel. This was closer to the level of performance that earned Chung plenty of midseason praise.
Among the regular starting cornerbacks, Darrelle Revis shadowed rookie Jarvis Landry before switching over to Wallace after halftime. Brandon Browner continued to pile up the flags, with holding, pass interference and taunting calls, but did tip the pass that led to Chung's interception.
Kyle Arrington left with an injury for the third time in fourth games, but unlike the past two times, a hamstring injury forced him out of the entire game this week. Logan Ryan came in after Arrington's injury instead of Butler and was largely steady in the slot. In the event that Arrington's hamstring keeps him out, look for Ryan to get the No. 3 CB job.
New England played some three-cornerback base personnel as well, a wrinkle that appeared in 2013 but has been relatively rare this season. The unit struggled with Miami's pace at times and did concede 346 yards on 7.4 yards per attempt, but with two turnovers and just 13 points surrendered, the pass defense performed better than the raw yardage totals would suggest.
Grade: B+
Special Teams
8 of 10
Special teams are often overlooked, but on Sunday, the third phase provided several of the game's most important momentum shifts. Jamie Collins helped set a franchise record with the Patriots' third blocked punt of the season, and Kyle Arrington's scoop-and-score represented a massive 10-point swing, providing the cushion New England needed during a sleepy first half.
On the flip side, Jarvis Landry's 32-yard punt return to set up Mike Wallace's last-second first-half touchdown was an example of astoundingly poor situational football. Landry broke multiple tackles as the punt coverage team lost contain, providing the field position boost that Miami needed to take the subsequent end-zone shot to Wallace.
Elsewhere, Stephen Gostkowski became the Patriots' all-time leading scorer with his third-quarter field goal, surpassing predecessor Adam Vinatieri. Gostkowski was a perfect 2-of-2 on field goals, hitting from 35 and 36 yards out. Ryan Allen continued a recent stellar stretch as well, with two of his three punts landing inside the 20.
The return game was more modest. Julian Edelman had a twisting 12-yard punt return, while Danny Amendola offset a poor decision to take one kick return out of the end zone with a nice 24-yard return later. The Landry return prevents this unit from earning full marks, but it's hard to grade too harshly when putting the blocked field goal in context.
Grade: A-
Coaching
9 of 10
After a tough game last Sunday, Josh McDaniels found an ideal zone in his play-calling rhythm this week. He stuck with the run despite the lack of early success, which was partially a byproduct of never trailing, but the persistence paid off when Miami's front seven wore down and began hemorrhaging holes for Jonas Gray.
In addition, McDaniels had a nice feel for when to look for the big pass play. Though Tom Brady's vertical accuracy was off, a couple of well-designed play calls in the first half freed Gronkowski and Brian Tyms down the field, exploiting Cortland Finnegan's aggressiveness. Additionally, the 27-yard touchdown to Gronk immediately following the Chung interception extended the Patriots' lead to 18 points; it was an illustration of McDaniels' instinct to go for the jugular.
Defensively, the Patriots clearly hammered home assignment discipline this week. Apart from a few breakdowns, Miami was unable to generate any consistent rushing rhythm. In addition, the defensive line rotation worked wonders, while taking Butler out for Ryan was a smart halftime adjustment.
Bill Belichick has always been excellent at halftime adjustments, and this was the most prominent example of the 2014 season. New England's dominant second half served as a reflection on the coaching staff's adjustments, which hit all the right buttons after halftime.
Grade: A
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Position Unit | Final Grade |
| QB | A- |
| RB | B+ |
| WR/TE | A |
| OL | B |
| DL | A |
| LB | B |
| DB | B+ |
| ST | A- |
| Coaching | A |
| Cumulative Grade | A- |
As poorly as the Patriots played in the first half, their remarkable 27-0 demolishing in the second half bumps this grade up. New England unleashed a rare avalanche behind excellent complementary football and some fortunate breaks (i.e., the Browner tipped interception). The final 30 minutes were an exhibition of how frightening the Patriots can be when everything is clicking.
It's encouraging that a lot of the issues New England suffered through in the first half, like the offensive rushing game and the big pass plays on defense, largely corrected themselves in the second half. A championship-caliber team must be able to adjust within the flow of a game, and the Patriots demonstrated that ability on Sunday.
With the division title in tow, the Pats are closing in on two more check marks—a win next week clinches a first-round bye, while a victory in Week 17 would guarantee home-field advantage. For a team that has been among the league's most consistent since October, it would be shocking to see the Pats take their eyes off of the prize.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
