Patriots Game 11: Patriots 41 – Dolphins 28
The Good:
QB Matt Cassel went over 400 yards passing for the second straight week (Cassel completed 30 of 43 passes, including touchdowns of 25, 8 and 29 to Moss, and ran for a score).
WR Randy Moss was the recipient of all three of Cassel's touchdown passes, totaling 125 yards on eight catches. In a game that featured seven lead changes, Moss was responsible for two of them.
RB Kevin Faulk is a dual threat with eight rushes for 53 yards and a touchdown, and adds six catches for 52 yards.
Any chance the Dolphins had of rallying back was nullified when Patriots CB Brandon Meriweather intercepted Chad Pennington on the drive after the 29 yard Cassel to Moss TD.
Nose tackle Vince Wilfork anchored the defense's solid performance against the run, as the Dolphins were held to 25 rushing yards on eight "Wildcat" plays, and 62 yards on 19 carries overall.
The Bad:
Three times the Patriots lost the lead (but also took it back three times).
The Dolphins made four trips inside the 20-yard line and score four touchdowns.
In the first quarter alone, right guard Stephen Neal was called for a holding penalty, a personal foul (offsetting), and a false start.
RB Sammy Morris loses a fumble in the second quarter that is ultimately turned into seven points by the Dolphins. He finished with eight carries for 35 yards.
The Ugly:
Miami linebacker Channing Crowder and New England tackle Matt Light were ejected midway through the fourth quarter. Crowder lost his helmet when blocked by Light on a field-goal attempt and shoved Light, who responded by taking several swings at Crowder's head.
Final Thoughts:
"It's nice to come down to Florida and win. It certainly hasn't been a great venue for us through the years. It's good to come out on top. I thought our players stepped up and played hard today. Miami is a good football team. We definitely had our hands full. Offensively, we had a lot of good production, other than when we had some penalties and a couple miscues. I thought those guys really stayed after it and moved the ball effectively. Defensively, we were just trying to hang in there." -- Patriots Coach Bill Belichick
In Week 3, the Dolphins burned the Patriots for 119 yards and four touchdowns using their "Wildcat" package. This time around, the Patriots were ready, holding Miami to 25 yards on eight direct snaps to Ronnie Brown.
New England bounced back from an overtime loss to the Jets on Nov. 13. Since the start of the 2003 season, the Patriots are 17-1 in games following a loss.
Matt Cassel became the first QB in Patriots franchise history with back-to-back 400-yard games.
Tidbit: The Patriots are 6-0 when winning the coin toss. They are 1-4 when losing the toss.
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