The New England Patriots are used to keeping it close.
Heading into Week 15 of the NFL season, 10 of New England’s 13 games had been decided by seven points or less. And each of the team’s last four games had been decided by four points or less.
That trend continued against the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium on Sunday. Although in this divisional meeting, the Patriots’ sixth game-winning drive of the campaign fell short in a 24-20 defeat, as quarterback Tom Brady was intercepted in the end zone by Dolphins defensive back Michael Thomas with two seconds remaining.
The Dec. 15 rematch kept Miami in the playoff hunt at 8-6, while it kept New England from clinching the AFC East and perhaps more at 10-4. Yet as Patriots head coach Bill Belichick articulated in his Monday conference call, the margin between winning and losing was minimal.
“They played well, played hard,” Belichick said of Miami. “I thought our guys did too, we just came up a little short. We had some plays that we’d all like to have back and one or two would have been a difference but just didn’t turn out that way.”
The Dolphins’ victory came down to more than an interception on fourth down, however. It came down to the momentum swings leading up to that moment.
It came down to turning points.
Second Quarter, 0:40 – Mike Wallace’s 39-Yard Post Route
Just 40 seconds stood between New England and a 10-point halftime lead, but the Dolphins had different plans. Eight plays into the offense’s two-minute drill, Miami had the ball at the 39-yard line, combatting a 3rd-and-2.
In an effort to sustain the drive and carve into the deficit, the Dolphins dispersed in “11” personnel. Running back Daniel Thomas flanked quarterback Ryan Tannehill in shotgun for blitz pickup, while “Move” tight end Charles Clay stood in a three-point stance on the right side of the line for five-yard in.
On the outskirts, the Dolphins assembled Brian Hartline for a vertical pattern from left, Rishard Matthews for a diagonal hitch from the slot, and Mike Wallace for a post from right.
New England’s defense countered with a wide 4-2 nickel, bundling linebackers Dane Fletcher and Jamie Collins in an “X” blitz to overload the A-gaps. In the secondary, right cornerback Alfonzo Dennard, slot corner Aqib Talib, and left corner Marquice Cole utilized press-man coverage against their respective route-runners.
And at the third level, strong safety Steve Gregory stepped back in single-high to zone center field. Devin McCourty, on the other hand, stepped in to play man on Clay.
As Tannehill handled the snap and New England’s six-man rush crashed, the Dolphins targets dispersed. The patterns of Hartline and Matthews were met by disheveling press on the left side of the hashes, effectively removing them from the equation.
The patterns of Clay and Wallace found different results.
With McCourty monitoring from a distance, Clay broke off the line and angled inward without disruption. And with Cole playing the outside, Wallace broke off the line and veered upward without disruption. The culmination of those events would reveal a meshing point.
Wallace was set to pivot on his post.
Tannehill saw the void and fired the football towards Wallace as he crossed the 30. At that juncture, Cole was trailing, McCourty was upfield, and Gregory was changing direction at the 15.
The pass hit Wallace between the numbers as the wideout left his feet to separate from Cole, who had undercut the route. Cole extended his arms to rip at the ball and his opponent’s midsection. But Wallace had secured possession and dislodged from the Patriots corner.
It would be up to Gregory to make a stop in the open field.
Gregory zeroed in on Wallace, chopping his strides and squaring shoulders. Although as Wallace’s feet landed, he was in position to arc around the eight-year pro.
Wallace eclipsed the last line of defense and sprinted the final 20 yards for a touchdown. And with that, Miami had trimmed the deficit to three points at intermission.
Fourth Quarter, 2:45 – Charles Clay’s Six-Yard Screen
The reverberation of Wallace’s touchdown carried over into the second half. Miami tied the game at 10 apiece in the third quarter before taking the lead on the first play of the fourth.
New England finally responded with field goal. Then, the Patriots regained the lead with a score from wideout Julian Edelman at the 4:07 mark. Nevertheless, Miami fought to answer back – even if it was fourth down.
That was the case with 2:45 left to play. Down 20-17 and at midfield, the Dolphins faced the tall climb of a 4th-and-5. The offense broke huddle in “02” personnel with Clay motioning out of the backfield next to fellow tight end Dion Sims near the right sideline. Synchronously, Matthews, Hartline and Wallace lined up near the left sideline.
The course of action would be a tight end screen for Clay. Sims, right tackle Tyson Clabo, right guard John Jerry and center Mike Pouncey were all readying for rightward blocks.
On the other side of the ball, the Patriots were diagnosing Miami’s empty backfield. The 4-1 dime posted cornerbacks Kyle Arrington, Talib and Alfonzo Dennard in press on the trio of ride receivers.
But with the line of scrimmage boasting two tight ends as well, rookie fourth-round pick Logan Ryan moved over to cover Clay, which dropped McCourty down to Sims. As a result, Fletcher zoned the underneath and Gregory was left to drop back in help.
New England’s reaction played into Miami’s intentions. As Tannehill fielded the snap, he immediately looked right towards Clay, who had planted in and leaned back for the pass.
Before New England could adjust to what was transpiring, Ryan, McCourty and Fletcher were all drawn into road-grading blocks.
Clay snared the pass with his right arm over his left. But the path of the route thrust him in the wrong direction. He would have whirl through the reception to have a chance at moving the sticks.
Two of his blockers made that a more likely scenario, as Ryan and Fletcher were jammed. Another blocker was on his way to do the same against McCourty.
As Clay redirection, the time affording him space. He eyed the 50-yard line and had a highway to run through. The three closest Patriots were stifled by blocks.
Clay forged ahead and got the six yards the Dolphins needed before Gregory hit him high and Fletcher hit him low.
It was Clay’s first catch of game. And it was a vital one.
Five plays later, Miami’s resiliency paid off in a touchdown pass to third-string halfback Marcus Thigpen over the head of Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower.
The Dolphins had regained the lead, 24-0.
Fourth Quarter, 0:27 – Danny Amendola’s ‘Sluggo’ Incompletion
With 1:15 left on the game clock, the Patriots offense commenced at its own 20. Facing a four-point deficit, three timeouts and one more drive were all that remained.
The offense moved with urgency and efficiency. Over the first nine plays of the series, the Patriots had converted on a 4th-and-8, expired all three timeouts and only 48 seconds. Brady and Co. had moved the ball 61 yards.
It was placed at the Miami 19 for a 1st-and-10.
At that spot, New England displayed “11” and aimed to take a shot deep. Dynamic running back Shane Vereen plotted a wheel route from Brady’s hip pocket. And Backup tight end Michael intended on running a short post from outside the left tackle.
In the peripherals, Edelman waited on a skinny post from the left 20. Across the line, Danny Amendola stepped in for a sluggo route from the slot. And to his right, Austin Collie aligned for a five-yard dig.
The Dolphins corresponded with a 4-2 nickel. The defensive line was gearing up to rush four. Rookie cover linebacker Jelani Jenkins was guarding Vereen in man, while veteran linebacker Dannell Ellerbe was doing the same versus Hoomanawanui.
The secondary followed suit with the three cornerbacks playing press-bail man technique on New England’s three wide receivers. Safeties Chris Clemons and Reshad Jones, though, were playing Cover-1 robber to protect the deep middle and underneath.
Brady took the snap and went through his progressions. He saw right cornerback Jimmy Wilson playing the boundary versus Edelman. He saw Jenkins tracing Vereen through the flat. He saw Ellerbe and Jones looming near Hoomanawanui. He saw third-round rookie Will Davis brushing Collie.
Then he saw Amendola establishing the outside against claimed practice-squad defensive back Michael Thomas.
Thomas was with him for every step, and Clemons closing in from the hashes. But Brady released a pass out ahead of the 5’11”, 195-pound target.
Amendola located the football and left his feet to high-point it. He turned his back towards Thomas and latched onto the pass with his index fingers and thumbs. He would, however, have to hang on through the landing.
Thomas raised his left hand and threaded it upward between Amendola’s.
As Amendola hit the ground, Thomas’ left hand hit the football.
It jarred loose for an incompletion.
Thomas’ effort saved a touchdown.
It was the closest New England would get to the end zone. After an offsides penalty on Miami pass-rusher Cameron Wake, Brady’s final three pass attempts netted two incompletions and an interception by the aforementioned Thomas.
The Dolphins made plays when the opportunity was given. And in a game that was undetermined until the final seconds, those plays made all the difference.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
