Patriots Take Division Lead From Dolphins

NFL News - November 8th, 2009 - Written by John

Tom Brady threw for 332 yards, 147 of them to Randy Moss, and the New England Patriots took a commanding lead in the AFC East.

They kept the wildcat offense in check all day in a 27-17 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. It was the first time the Dolphins lost in conference all year and is an important game for New England. Both teams finished 11-5 last year, but the Dolphins were awarded a berth in the playoffs because of a better conference record.

Moss' day was his best since 2007, primarily coming from two highlight-reel plays that had a direct impact on two of New England's touchdowns. The first was a one-handed catch for a 36-yard gain that put the ball at Miami's one-yard line. The second, a flashy 71-yard touchdown dash on a 10-yard pass that left the Dolphins gassed several yards behind him. He is now seventh on the all-time list of receiving yards, passing Henry Ellard and Cris Carter.

Miami's wildcat offense wasn't completely stumped, but wasn't enough to deliver a win. Their two touchdowns came in that very same offense, but was stymied late in the game. Quarterback Pat White set a season-high with 45 yards on the ground, only three yards short of Ronnie Brown for the team lead.

The Dolphins struck first when Dan Carpenter hit a career-long 52-yard field goal. But the Patriots came swarming back when Moss' super catch nearly went for a score. Instead, Laurence Maroney got the reward, scoring on a one-yard plunge.

Midway through the first quarter, Ricky Williams tied it at 10 when he took a wildcat handoff at the 15 and weaved his way through traffic into the end zone. After two Patriots field goals, the Dolphins took their second lead of the game when the wildcat struck again. This time it was Brown who had his way, throwing a one-yard touchdown pass to Joey Haynos.

But New England would recover when Moss broke free and scored and Stephen Gostkowski sealed it with another field goal with just over a minute remaining.

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