New England Patriots: Five Offense Observations From 38-7 Win Vs. Miami Dolphins

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots offense continue to roll, scoring over 30 points in each of their past eight games of the 2010 NFL season. With a 38-7 win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 17, the Patriots are one of the most fearsome offenses in the league headed into the playoffs.

The scariest part is that a lot of the production came with the second-stringers on the field.

With so much momentum headed into the playoffs, the Patriots look downright unstoppable, especially on offense. Here are some of my observations on the offensive side of the ball on Sunday.

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'Dandy' Tom Extends Two Of His Record Streaks

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FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 02: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots passes the ball in the first half against the Miami Dolphins on January 2, 2011 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

With two touchdowns and no interceptions, Tom Brady extended his record streak of such numbers to nine games. He broke "Dandy" Don Meredith's record of six, and is still going strong.

With 16 pass attempts on the day, Tom Brady extended his record streak of pass attempts without an interception to 335. He passed Bernie Kosar last week, and put his record even further out of reach on Sunday against Miami.

There are no words to describe the play of Brady this season, but if I could sum it up in three, it would be "whole other level." If I could sum it up in two, it would be "lights out." And if I had to sum it up in just one, it would be "incredible." So I guess there are some words to describe Tom's terrific season.

But that wasn't it for the Patriots milestones on Sunday...

BenJarvus Green-Ellis Caps Off 1,000-Yard Season

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FOXBORO, MA - NOVEMBER 21: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots hands the ball to terammate BenJarvis Green-Ellis, who runs the ball in for a touchdown in the second half at Gillette Stadium on November 21, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by

BenJarvus Green-Ellis entered Sunday's game needing 72 yards to become the first Patriots running back to eclipse 1,000 yards since Corey Dillon set a franchise record with over 1,600 back in 2004.

His 80 yards on the day did the trick.

For a running back who was thought to be buried in a wealth of talent in the preseason, and whose spot on the roster was questioned at that time, Green-Ellis has delivered beyond the expectations of anyone. He may have done enough to take the Patriots out of the running for a first-round running back in the 2011 NFL Draft, too.

Julian Edelman's Impressive Punt Return

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FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 02: Julian Edelman #11 of the New England Patriots carries the ball in the first half against the Miami Dolphins on January 2, 2011 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Yep, the record-setting continued for the Patriots even into Week 17 of the season.

In the second quarter of the Patriots' rout of Miami, Julian Edelman returned a punt 94 yards for a touchdown. Unlike earlier this season, when he worked magic against the Bears, there were no flags on the play.

His punt return is the longest in Patriots history, passing Mike Haynes's record 89-yard return from November 7, 1976.

This one was long overdue, as Edelman had two returns for touchdowns in the preseason. He has been effective on punt returns all year, and averages over 10 yards per return, but this was a big monkey for Edelman to get off his back.

Big Day For The Back-Ups

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FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 02: Tom Brady #12of the New England Patriots celebrates the touchdown with teammate Brian Hoyer #8 in the first half against the Miami Dolphins on January 2, 2011 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty

It wasn't all about the superstars today, though.

As was to be expected, with the Patriots nursing an impressive lead, the starters tagged out and the back-ups made their way onto the field during the second half. Far from expected, though, was their stellar play, albeit against a weak Miami defense.

Taylor Price had three receptions in his first game as a Patriot, all of which came in the second half. Many Patriots fans were anxious to see him play after riding the bench in what was essentially a red-shirt year for the rookie, learning behind the veteran receiving corps.

Most impressive, though, was a 42-yard bomb on a double-fake by Brian Hoyer. He faked a hand-off, then faked an end-around to Edelman, and capped off the play with a deep throw to Brandon Tate, who made a very impressive catch for the touchdown.

Danny Woodhead Injury

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FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 02: Danny Woodhead #39 of the New England Patriots tries to avoid Koa Misi #55 of the Miami Dolphins on January 2, 2011 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

On a scary play that involved New England's first turnover on offense in eight games (another NFL record), the Patriots' little dynamite Danny Woodhead fumbled the ball and came off the field immediately after. He didn't return after being called "questionable" with a head injury.

We don't know the severity of the injury, but Woodhead appeared to have his wits about him as he sat on the sideline. It was a scary moment for anyone who remembers last year's last-minute injury to Wes Welker against the Texans.

The Patriots are typically mum about the injury status of their players, and I wouldn't be surprised if they simply kept him out as a precautionary measure. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if we didn't learn anything about this until just before the Patriots' first playoff game.

See You at Gillette Stadium in Two Weeks!

With a first-round bye and home field advantage, the Patriots will take a week off and rest up their players, hopefully getting fully healthy before their divisional matchup. They will have a tough opponent no matter who they face, with the Ravens, Colts, Chiefs, and Jets all potential opponents.