MIAMI – Two yards from a touchdown on third down, Tom Brady took the snap and fell to the turf curled around the ball, happy to settle for a field goal.
The high-scoring New England Patriots went conservative Sunday, and the approach paid off with another AFC East championship.
Brady stuck with short throws for much of the afternoon and was content to hand off during a clock-consuming drive in the fourth quarter that helped the Patriots beat Miami 23-16 to clinch their fourth consecutive division title.
“It’s not supposed to be easy, and it wasn’t easy today,” Brady said.
Dolphins mistakes proved pivotal. A botched punt, roughing-the-punter penalty and fumble by Miami resulted in 17 New England points, and another penalty negated a Dolphins touchdown.
The Patriots (9-3) wore championship caps and T-shirts afterward.
“It’s good to be back in the postseason,” coach Bill Belichick said.
The Patriots have won six consecutive games and are assured of their 12th winning season in a row.
The Dolphins (5-7) hurt their already slim playoff chances and lost to New England for the fifth consecutive time.
“Too many mistakes,” Dolphins coach Joe Philbin said. “To beat a good opponent in December, you have to play better.”
The Patriots finished with a season-low 321 yards, and Brady went 24 for 40 for 238 yards with four sacks.
But with New England nursing a 20-13 edge midway through the fourth quarter, he led a 16-play drive that took more than seven minutes.
After he curled up on the third-down keeper, Stephen Gostkowski kicked his third field goal to pad the lead.
“It’s always good to win,” Belichick said. “It’s not about the stats, it’s about wins.”
Brady was intercepted for the first time in 203 attempts, and for only the fourth time this season.![]()
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