Your AFC Division leading Miami Dolphins will travel to Foxborough Massachusetts today to take on the struggling New England Patriots. While the Dolphins currently hold first place the three other teams in our division, The New York Jets, the Buffalo Bills and the Patriots all share the basement together at this point with the three of them having won only one game a piece. This of course means that Miami has won as many games as the rest of their division combined at this point. A loss today by the Pats would give them their first three game losing streak since the 2002, something that Billacheat has no doubt pointed out to his team this week and something that he is going to fight tooth and nail from happening. A loss today would also put them 3 games back of the division leading Dolphins at the quarter mark of the season, a position they are not used to. The New York Jets play the Jacksonville Jaguars this week while the Buffalo Bills will play the Green Bay Packers. Assuming the Phins win and those two lose we will hold a solid lead in the AFC East heading into the second quarter of the season. Please use common sense when commenting to others in the live thread (i.e-be polite and not unnecessarily snide or rude towards others comments that do not fit your personal narrative) , follow ALL site rules(all in this case means every single one of them), keep your hands inside all moving vehicles and most especially to yourself (Johnny! ), no heavy drinking before noon unless you are camping and then all bets are off, no exposing yourself or posting photos of others doing so, if you spill it and or break it, you clean it up, no exceptions. No sharing, requesting or providing or any illegal game streams on the Phinsider. In fact, conduction of any illegal activities via the site are frowned upon for obvious reasons and will result in actions that I am no longer allowed to talk about. Thank you for your cooperation. Dolphins (3-0) 1st AFC East @ Patriots (1-2) 2nd AFC East<doc-sep>The New England Patriots are looking to finally get on track, while the Miami Dolphins are looking to strengthen their already considerable grip on the AFC East. If the Patriots win, they’ll be back within striking distance of Miami and all will be well. If they lose, then there’s a real chance the Dolphins will have a 3-game lead in the division after a mere four games. Here’s everything you need to know about the game. Pregame Show Early Games Rooting Guide High Import Bills @ Packers: The Patriots want the Bills to lose for pretty obvious divisional reasons. Jets @ Jaguars: The Patriots want the Jaguars to win right now. Winning the division is always the most important step for New England. Low Import Texans @ Colts: The Patriots play both teams- the Colts are next on the schedule on Thursday Night- so there isn’t much of a desire for either team to win, but they want this to be a super physical and exhausting game. A bird-in-the-hand situation suggests they want the Texans to win for the “strength of victory” tiebreaker that New England knows they have. Eagles @ Titans: The Patriots eventually play the Titans so they’ll want Tennessee to win for “strength of schedule.” Bengals @ Falcons: Because the Patriots don’t face the Bengals, go NFC team. Lions @ Cowboys: The Patriots lost to the Lions, but they want Detroit to win for “strength of schedule” purposes. No Import Buccaneers @ Bears: This game doesn’t really matter for the Patriots. Patriots Game Details Date: Sunday, September 30, 2018 Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. ET Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro MA SB Nation affiliate: The Phinsider TV: CBS, with Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Rich Gannon (color commentary), and Steve Tasker (sideline reporter): Live Updates Pregame updates: There’s a “good chance” that Josh Gordon will play! Take a look at the Patriots’ inactives: TE Jacob Hollister OL Ted Karras OL Cole Croston DE Keionta Davis DE Derek Rivers DE Geneo Grissom CB Eric Rowe Please click here for additional analysis and the Dolphins’ inactive players. Q1 The Dolphins received the ball to start the game and opened up the game with a 22-yard pass to Kenny Stills. That was the only first down of the drive as the Patriots forced Miami to punt from midfield. The Patriots started from the 24-yard line and a big defensive holding call by Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard on third down set the wheels in motion for Sony Michel and the Patriots offense. Michel gained 36 yards on the next three plays before the Patriots reached the red zone. Tom Brady found Josh Gordon for 13 yards on 3rd and 6 to get to the Dolphins 3-yard line, but Miami made a goal line stand and forced Stephen Gostkowski to kick a 20-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead. CBS noted that this was the Patriots first lead in 9 quarters of football. The New England defense almost forced a three-and-out but a ticky-tacky defensive holding call against Jonathan Jones gave the Dolphins a new set of downs. The Patriots forced another third down and held strong, forcing another punt. Cyrus Jones made a nice return back to the 35-yard line. Tom Brady misread the Dolphins defense as Phillip Dorsett was running an in-route as Bobby McCain dropped off from his coverage of Chris Hogan and intercepted the pass. Brady’s stats over the past five quarters: 17 of 33 (51.15%) for 163 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. Passer Rating: 50.4 Q2 The Patriots forced a three-and-out against the Dolphins defense as they’re putting together their best day in a long time. Tom Brady and company responded with a huge 55-yard touchdown pass to Cordarrelle Patterson and a 10-0 lead. Feel free to laugh at the above entry. Patterson is the 70th unique receiver to catch a touchdown pass from Tom Brady, tying Vinny Testaverde for the most in NFL history. ALERT: THE PATRIOTS HAVE FORCED BACK-TO-BACK THREE-AND-OUTS! The Patriots were unable to respond with the good field position, but a bad snap and handle by Ryan Tannehill allowed Kyle Van Noy to recover the football on the 20-yard line for great field position. James White took the very first play of the drive 20 yards on the ground for a touchdown and a 17-0 lead. The New England defense forced yet another three-and-out! That is three three-and-outs and a fumble recovery on the past four drives. Kyle Van Noy was outstanding on the edge on this drive, while Jonathan Jones is having an incredibly strong day in coverage. The Patriots used up the rest of the time in the first half as Sony Michel flexed on the final drive of the half. Tom Brady and company converted three third downs before Brady found Phillip Dorsett for an acrobatic 9-yard touchdown and a 24-0 lead. TUCK & ROLL DORSETT pic.twitter.com/Ne6UnNeHEl — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) September 30, 2018 Oh, the Patriots get the ball after the half, too. Q3 New England and Miami traded three-and-outs to start the second half. Tom Brady and company responded with a 9 play, 59-yard drive that ate up 5 minutes of the clock and resulted in a huge third down moonshot of a pass from Brady to James White. White has 84 total yards and 2 touchdowns today as he’s become the engine of the offense. Since I made fun of Brady’s statline: 15/22 (68.2%) for 176 yards and 3 touchdowns. Passer rating: 131.8 J.C. Jackson intercepted Ryan Tannehill on his next drive to set the Patriots up on their own 10-yard line. Q4 Sony Michel recorded the first 100-yard game of his career as the Patriots marched down the field to the and Michel punched in a 10-yard scamper for a 38-0 win. Michel has 112 yards on the day. John Simon recorded a big third down sack of Ryan Tannehill to force another punt. Cyrus Jones returned it to the 43-yard line. Brady found Chris Hogan to get the ball to the 28-yard line of the Dolphins (why is Brady still in the game?)<doc-sep>After two straight losses to fall to 1-2, the New England Patriots appear to be back on track thanks to a dominant win over the visiting Miami Dolphins. The 38-7 victory saw some big performances in all three phases, but the players that stood out the most are up for this week’s game ball vote. RB Sony Michel After two up-and-down performances to start his NFL career, Sony Michel was dominant as a runner today – thanks in part to some outstanding run blocking, but also due to his vision and patience coming out of the backfield. Overall, the first-round rookie finished the day with 25 carries for 112 yards and a touchdown. Michel played a key role in the Patriots establishing an early rhythm and controlling the tempo of the game all day long. LB Kyle Van Noy He likely will not win the vote, but Kyle Van Noy is still on this ballot to represent a Patriots defense that has looked much improved against an explosive Miami squad. The veteran also made one of the game’s biggest plays in the second quarter: Van Noy, who had three tackles and a quarterback hit on the day, reacted quickly to a bad Dolphins snap and was able to jump on the football for a recovery. Only one play later, the Patriots were in the end zone and up 17-0. RB James White Make no mistake about it: James White is one of the most important players on the Patriots roster, and against Miami he once again proved why. Not only did the 26-year old lead the team with eight receptions for 68 yards, he also had eight carries for 44 yards – and he scored two touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air. In short: it was a vintage performance by the former fourth-round draft pick. With all that in mind, who is your choice for this week’s game ball?<doc-sep>The Patriots gave the Dolphins their first loss of the season with a 38-7 victory on Sunday. The Dolphins remain the AFC East leaders despite the loss; they are now 3-1, while the Patriots are 2-2. The Patriots' early-season struggles were topic of conversation all week leading up to the game, but they were able to find their rhythm in shutting out the Dolphins until just under three minutes to play. Miami has a history of struggling in Foxboro; it has not won at Gillette Stadium since 2008. Josh Gordon made his Patriots debut with two catches for 32 yards. James White led New England in receiving yards with 68. Rob Gronkowski passed Ben Coates for most receptions by a tight end in franchise history before he exited the game with an ankle injury. The only undefeated teams left in the NFL this season are the Rams, who beat the Vikings on Thursday night, and the Chiefs, who face the Broncos on Monday night. Sporting News provided live scoring updates and highlights from Dolphins vs. Patriots. Here's how it went down. Dolphins vs. Patriots: Score, results, highlights Dolphins : 7 Patriots : 38 (All times ET) FINAL: Patriots 38, Dolphins 7 3:58 p.m.: Brian Hoyer comes out as quarterback to take a knee and end the game. 3:51 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, Dolphins. The Dolphins avoid a shutout with a Brock Osweiler touchdown pass to Frank Gore. Patriots 38, Dolphins 7. 3:37 p.m.: Brock Osweiler enters the game as quarterback for the Dolphins. 3:36 p.m.: Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepts Tom Brady's pass intended for Phillip Dorsett. Brady has two interceptions on the day. 3:31 p.m.: John Simon sacks Ryan Tannehill for a loss of 10. THIRD QUARTER: Patriots 38, Dolphins 0 3:25 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, Patriots. Sony Michel gets his first career touchdown on a 10 yard run. The extra point is good. Patriots 38, Dolphins 0. 3:09 p.m.: J.C. Jackson intercepts Ryan Tannehill's pass intended for Albert Wilson. 3:02 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, Patriots. James White goes 14 yards for a touchdown. This is his second TD of the game. The extra point is good. Patriots 31, Dolphins 0. 2:56 p.m.: Rob Gronkowski completes a 9-yard pass for the first down, and for the record of most receptions by a tight end in franchise history with 491, beating out Ben Coates who had 490. 2:53 p.m.: James White takes the direct snap, passes to Tom Brady who throws it back to James White for a 9-yard gain. HALFTIME: Patriots 24, Dolphins 0 2:29 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, Patriots. Phillip Dorset completes a 9 yard pass from Tom Brady in the end zone to give the Patriots 6 more. Extra-point is good. Patriots 24, Dolphins 0. 2:18 p.m.: Sony Michel takes it 23 yards to bring the Patriots to midfield. 2:08 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, Patriots. It did not take the Patriots long to capitalize on the turnover. James White takes it 22 yards up the middle to the end zone. Gostowki's extra point is good. Patriots 17, Dolphins 0. 2:07 p.m.: A bad Dolphins snap results in a Patriots fumble recovery. Kyle Van Noy recovers the fumble giving the Patriots the ball at the Miami 22-yard line. 1:47 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, Patriots. Cordarrelle Patterson takes it 55 yards to the house. This is Patterson's first touchdown since 2016. Patterson is the 70th target to receive a touchdown pass from Tom Brady which ties an NFL record. The extra point is good. ​ Patriots 10, Dolphins 0. FIRST QUARTER: Patriots 3, Dolphins 0 1:33 p.m.: Bobby McCain intercepts a pass by Tom Brady. The pass was intended for Phillip Dorset. The Dolphins lead the league with eight interceptions on the year. 1:19 p.m.: FIELD GOAL, Patriots. Patriots kicker Steve Gostowski kicks a 20-yard field goal. Patriots 3, Dolphins 0. 1:19 p.m.: The Dolphins defense stops the Patriots offense at the 2 yard line and force them to kick a field goal. 1:17 p.m.: Josh Gordon gets his first catch in a Patriots uniform, a 13-yard pass to put the Patriots at the Miami 3.<doc-sep>
The scene at Gillette Stadium on Sunday afternoon was a familiar one. And a good one. And it was exactly what the New England Patriots needed. The final score from Foxborough: Patriots 38, Dolphins 7. When I tackled my Week 4 picks before the weekend, I wrote about how the Patriots were in a must-win situation. Following a disappointing 1-2 start to the 2018 season, which included hideous back-to-back defeats at Jacksonville and Detroit, the Pats found themselves trailing the Miami Dolphins by two games in the AFC East. Coincidentally, those two teams were set to clash for their annual meeting in Foxborough. A win for the Dolphins would’ve moved them to a mind-blowing 4-0 start and given them a very firm grip on first place in the division. And it would’ve moved the Patriots to 1-3; the kind of start that hasn’t been common in New England for nearly two decades. Plain and simple, the Patriots couldn’t afford to lose to the Dolphins at home this weekend — something that hasn’t happened since 2008. And the Patriots didn’t disappoint. In fact, they looked exactly like the big, bad Pats that we’re used to seeing. From beginning to end, there wasn’t really a doubt. It was all Patriots, all game long. It was never even really close. Of course, given how the Pats had played in the last two games, I worried about them losing for a third straight week. But in reality, I never really needed to worry about this game. Losing to the Dolphins at home just isn’t something the Patriots do anymore (as mentioned earlier, the last time it happened, Matt Cassel was playing QB). And the Dolphins really aren’t that good of a team, despite the fact that they were 3-0 coming into the game. They overachieved against subpar competition in their first three games. It was only a matter of time before they were exposed. For the Patriots, on the other hand, their 1-2 record coming into the game summed up this team pretty well. They were hurting pretty bad. This banged up defense was essentially a no-show in Detroit. Tom Brady had very few offensive weapons to work with, other than Rob Gronkowski (who isn’t being targeted near as much as he should be). There were holes all over this team. But every single issue that had been an issue in the previous two games was a non-issue on Sunday. Brady was absolutely fantastic: he threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns (we’ll forget about the two picks for right now). Rookie Sony Michel picked up his first career touchdown with 112 rushing yards. James White, Philip Dorsett, and Cordarelle Patterson all made some strides, each catching a touchdown pass. And the newbie Josh Gordon got his foot in the door a little bit with Brady and the offense. Hopefully we’ll see more from him in the coming weeks. And the best news of all: we’re four games into the season, which means Julian Edelman’s suspension is finally lifted. He’ll be on the field at Gillette this coming Thursday night to face the Colts. His return to action has been very long overdue, and his presence should help push this offense to the next level. Even though the Pats played a near-perfect game on Sunday against Miami, it doesn’t mean all of their problems are fixed. They will face some difficult tests in the next few weeks, as the offense-heavy Kansas City Chiefs come to town soon, and then the Pats travel to the Windy City to face the defense-heavy Chicago Bears. Those won’t be easy games to win, and both of those teams will exploit any imperfections the Patriots have. But that’s not to take away from what happened this Sunday. The Patriots proved that they aren’t dead. They can reclaim first place in the AFC East as soon as next week, with a win and a Miami loss. They proved that, until someone takes them down in the playoffs, they are still the team to beat in the AFC. One more thing: I remember texting my buddy for the game, telling him that I really thought the Pats were going to play a good game. He responded by saying, “I think they will win, only because they always do when they are backed into a corner.” He was right.