SB Nation Boston - Patriots 27, Dolphins 24: Patriots Clinch First-Round Bye With Big Second Half Comeback

NFL Playoff Scenarios: New England Patriots Clinch First-Round Bye, Win Away From No. 1 Seed

2011-12-25T14:25:03Z

Sunday's come-from-behind 27-24 victory over the Miami Dolphins not only clinched a first-round AFC playoff bye for the New England Patriots, but basically insured that the Pats will be the No. 1-overall seed in the playoffs. Meaning, the road to Super Bowl XLVI (46) will need to go through Foxborough, MA.

However, that playoff scenario isn't a sure thing. First, the Patriots need to beat the visiting Buffalo Bills in Week 17. If that happens then New England clinches the No. 1 seed. But, if the Bills do beat the Pats then the Baltimore Ravens would need to beat the Cincinnati Bengals; or the Pittsburgh Steelers, who own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Pats, will need to lose to the at the Cleveland Browns for New England to be No. 1.

AFC Playoff Picture

Division Leaders
New England Patriots (12-3) Clinched Division
Baltimore Ravens (11-4) Clinched Playoff Berth
Houston Texans (10-5) Clinched Division
Tied: Denver Broncos (8-7) and Oakland Raiders (8-7)

Wild-Card
Pittsburgh Steelers (11-4) Cliched Playoff Berth
Cincinnati Bengals (9-6)

In The Hunt
Cincinnati Bengals (9-6)
Tennessee Titans (8-7)

Patriots 27, Dolphins 24: Patriots Clinch First-Round Bye With Big Second Half Comeback

2011-12-24T22:00:51Z

From a first half which saw them completely outclassed to by the Dolphins, to a second half where they dominated in every aspect of the game, the Patriots stormed back from a 17-0 deficit to improve to 12-3 on the season and clinch a first-round bye.

The game started as an absolute rout for the Dolphins. A long pass that picked on the disappointing Devin McCourty brought Miami within range of a field goal on their opening drive, and then not long after it was Brandon Marshall making an all-too-easy grab over McCourty's head as the beleaguered corner failed to turn his head. The latter drive would result in a touchdown and a 10-0 lead.

While the defense hadn't been playing well yet, it got downright comical on the next drive. First on a 3rd-and-12 play, Matt Moore lobbed a pass well over the head of Brian Hartline. Devin McCourty, however, was once again left looking bad, as he made an early tackle on the receiver, picking up a pass interference penalty to gift Miami a free first down. Later in that same drive it would be Rob Ninkovich running directly into Matt Moore--acting as a receiver--as he tried to defend a woefully underthrown ball from Reggie Bush on a trick play. With two free sets of downs, the Dolphins found the end zone, and after a missed field goal from Stephen Gostkowski, took a 17-0 lead into the half.

Then everything changed. Where Tom Brady had been out-of-sorts from the beginning, thrown off by pressure and underthrowing all of his receivers, he came out in the second half firing bullets. Double digit gains from Rob Gronkowski and Wes Welker helped bring the Patriots close enough to nail a 47-yard field goal and finally find their way onto the scoreboard.

From there, it was all the defense. Three plays into the ensuing drive, Vince Wilfork dived on a Matt Moore fumble to give Brady and co. a very short field. They made good when Tom Brady found Deion Branch in the back of the end zone for the touchdown, but right away the defense went back to making big plays. Two sacks forced the Dolphins to punt from their own end zone, and once again Tom Brady had the ball in Dolphins territory. A few quick plays later, and Brady was rolling over his offensive linemen for a 1-yard touchdown run. From 17-0, the Patriots had fought all the way back to 17-17.

While the Dolphins actually managed to pin the Patriots at their own 2-yard line to start the next drive--if by the unconventional method of a Devin McCourty interception--they didn't manage to hold them there for long, or keep points off the board. Rob Gronkowski shed tackler after tackler to pick up 20 quick yards, and later on a 2nd-and-15 play Tom Brady found Wes Welker for 42 yards, draping a beautiful pass right over his shoulder. While a sack would end up keeping the Patriots out of the end zone, they still managed to grab a 20-17 lead.

After a quick 3-and-out, the Patriots all-but iced the game on the next drive. Tom Brady would find Rob Gronkowski and Wes Welker twice a piece to move into the Red Zone, and then handed it off to Stevan Ridley to move it all the way to the one-yard line. From there, it was once again Brady himself putting the ball over the goal line for the score.

The Dolphins would manage to put up another touchdown in short order, as the New England defense allowed a big pass on an all-out blitz, but with Miami kicking it deep Tom Brady needed just one first down to win the game. A quick pass to Wes Welker on a 3rd-and-5 gave them just that, and sealed both the win, and a first round bye.

Patriots Vs. Dolphins Score Update: Dolphins Pull Within Three With Late Touchdown

2011-12-24T21:24:01Z

It's not over yet. Taking just one minute to drive down the field, the Dolphins are back in the game after a beautiful touchdown catch from Davone Bess.

The Patriots' defense has had trouble closing out games for much of the season, and after pitching a shutout for the first 27 minutes of the second half, today proved no different. After Devin McCourty had picked up his first interception of the year, he found himself burned again thanks in part to an all-out blitz that left him with no help at all against Brandon Marshall. The deep ball brought the Dolphins all the way to the Patriots' 40-yard line, and just four plays later Davone Bess made a beautiful diving catch in the end zone to bring the Dolphins back within three.

The Dolphins have elected to kick it deep to the Patriots, who were lucky to have the ball bounce into the end zone for a touchback instead of dying just outside. Now they'll need just one first down to ice the game.

Patriots Vs. Dolphins Score Update: Patriots Up 27-17 Three Minutes From Completing Huge Comeback

2011-12-24T21:15:35Z

The Patriots are just three minutes away from leaving their fans with a nice present for the holiday season. A late touchdown from Tom Brady--his second one of the game on the ground--has New England up 10 points after a first half which saw them completely outclassed by the Dolphins.

Starting from the 40-yard line, the Patriots put on a three man show with Tom Brady finding Rob Gronkowski and Wes Welker twice a piece to get the ball into the red zone. While Stevan Ridley wouldn't manage to find the zone, gaining eight yards from some plays which could have proved disastrous, he did bring the Patriots close enough that Tom Brady could again simply push it into the end zone behind the offensive line for the touchdown.

New England is in good shape now, but the Dolphins are driving, and the defense has had trouble closing out games in the past. It isn't over just yet.

Patriots Vs. Dolphins Score Update: Patriots Sieze 20-17 Lead On Field Goal

2011-12-24T21:01:58Z

20 straight points later, and the Patriots have taken their first lead of the game in the fourth quarter.

While it ended the run of touchdowns for New England, the Patriots' drive was actually the most impressive of the four on which they've scored. Starting on their own two after Devin McCourty nabbed his first interception of the year on an underthrown deep ball, Tom Brady once again went to work.

Rob Gronkowski was the man who got the Pats out from their own end zone, bowling through four different defenders before finally being brought down after a 20-yard gain. Wes Welker and a Brady scramble combined to get the Pats another first down, before Stevan Ridley took off up the left sideline for 16 more.

Now at midfield, a false start set the Patriots up with a 2nd-and-15, leaving them in need of a big play. They found one, as Tom Brady made an absolutely perfect pass to Wes Welker's inside shoulder--an impossible to defend play that grabbed 42 yards and a big first down.

Unfortunately, the rest of the passes weren't quite so pretty, and the pressure finally made its way to Tom Brady on a 3rd-and-10 play, leading to a sack and forcing the field goal.

Only three points, but given where they were after the first half, that 20-17 lead looks very attractive right now.

Patriots Vs. Dolphins Score Update: Whole New Ball Game In Foxborough

2011-12-24T20:35:48Z

From 17-0 to 17-17, the Patriots have come all the way back thanks to, above all else, a strong defensive performance in the second half.

While the last Patriots touchdown came thanks to a Dolphins fumble, the Patriots would have to settle for a punt this time around. While Matt Moore once again lost the ball as pressure hit him, this time the Dolphins were able to hold onto it to give their punter a shot.

All that ended up doing, however, was giving the Patriots' defense some extra time on the bench. With a very short punt setting New England up just 41 yards from the end zone, Welker gained seven yards on an end around and then left it to Tom Brady. Three quick passes had the Pats 13 yards out, Stevan Ridley picked up 12 of them on his next two runs, and then Brady himself rolled his way past the goal line for six points. With Stephen Gostkowski putting the extra point through, the Patriots found themselves back on even footing with the Miami Dolphins.

Patriots Vs. Dolphins Score Update: Patriots Back In It Thanks To Big Fumble

2011-12-24T20:22:11Z

The Patriots' turnover advantage has been their defense's saving grace this season, and facing a big deficit in the third quarter, they've struck gold again. On just his third play from scrimmage in the second half, the Matt Moore found himself facing big pressure, and lost the ball to Vince Wilfork at just the 38-yard line.

Suddenly finding themselves with another scoring opportunity, Tom Brady and the Patriots' offense carried over their momentum from their first scoring drive of the game. Completing four passes on four attempts, Tom Brady brought the Patriots inside of the five yard line. While a second down run from BenJarvus Green Ellis wouldn't bring them in, Brady managed to dodge pressure long enough to find Deion Branch in the back of the end zone for the touchdown.

If you can't feel the momentum shift, you're the only one. The Dolphins have already given up a big loss on their next drive, and are getting ready to give the Pats some great field position. How far away is the tie game?

Patriots Vs. Dolphins Score Update: Patriots Finally Find Points, Trail 17-3 In Third

2011-12-24T20:10:59Z

The Patriots are still in bad shape, but have finally gotten onto the scoreboard in the third quarter with a 45-yard field goal from Stephen Gostkowski.

In desperate need of some points to start the second half, the Patriots came out firing. Danny Woodhead took the opening kickoff back 39 yards to set them up with good field position, and Tom Brady fired one of the first Brady-like passes of the game over the middle to Rob Gronkowski to move into Dolphins territory.

The Patriots would come up short on a 3rd-and-1, but a patented Tom Brady sneak proved enough to pick up a new set of downs. Unfortunately, with a couple throws from Brady coming up too short, they quickly found themselves facing another fourth down. This time, with five yards to cover, there would be no sneak, and Bill Belichick called on Stephen Gostkowski to try again from 45 yards. While he had missed by a mile from a similar distance to close out the first half, in the second he managed to squeeze the ball just inside of the right upright, giving the Pats their first three points of the half.