BY DAN BEGNOCHE
What a difference a half makes.
The Dolphins' defense knew the key to beating the Patriots Saturday was to shut down Tom Brady. And for 30 minutes, Miami did just that, holding Brady to seven completions and sacking him three times.
Miami's defense forced four three-and-outs from Brady and the offense in the first half and didn't allow the Pats to cross midfield until their last drive late in the second quarter when they missed a 51-yard field goal and went into the locker room down 17 points.
“First half we came out and played our tempo and our ballgame,” coach Todd Bowles told the media. “The second half they made us play theirs.”
Brady and the Patriots' offense came out of the half with scores on their next five drives, holding the Dolphins to only one more tally as they eeked out a 27-24 win at home.
“We had (Brady's) number in the first half, but in the second half he came out and made a lot of plays,” Dolphins linebacker Karlos Dansby said. “He is a coach on the field.”
Brady rebounded with a 74 percent completion rating in the second half, including a touchdown to receiver Deion Branch. His stats were nothing close to Brady-esque, but the win clinched home-field advantage in the playoffs for the Pats, who are now 12-3.
“It's good to clinch,” Branch said, "but not by the way we played. It's not the way you want to do it.”
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