Dynasty dead: Miami Dolphins end Patriots’ reign with a dominant ground performance
If this is how it needs to be, this is how it needs to be.
Tua Tagovailoa chucking the ball all over the stadium might be the Dolphins’ future, but their present recipe for success has come into focus:
Play suffocating defense, don’t turn the ball over and hand off as often as possible to Salvon Ahmed and Matt Breida.
The Dolphins followed the script perfectly Sunday to officially end the Patriots’ dynasty with a wholly satisfying 22-12 victory.
Entering the game, the Dolphins (9-5) hadn’t had a 100-yard rusher in two years.
On Sunday, they nearly had two.
Ahmed, in his first game back from an irksome shoulder injury, rumbled for 122 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, while Breida went for 86 on 12 attempts.
“I just went out there and tried to do my best, and they were able to go out there and make things work, and I just followed behind them,” said Ahmed, who had two of the Dolphins’ three longest plays from scrimmage Sunday, shaking loose for runs of 31 and 19 yards. “The O-line was doing great things and the receivers were blocking down field and so it was fun to be a part of that.”
Sunday marked the first time the Dolphins went over 200 rushing yards in a game since 2016.
If that year sounds familiar, it should.
It was the last time the Dolphins made the playoffs.
A return appearance remains very much in play, but the Dolphins might not be able to afford another loss the rest of the way. The Ravens and Colts both won Sunday, keeping the Dolphins static as the seventh seed in the AFC.
But if the Dolphins get more great play from their offensive line — doing so Sunday without Ereck Flowers for the entire game and Solomon Kindley down the stretch — nothing should be ruled out.
The Patriots (6-8), meanwhile, were eliminated from postseason consideration for the first time since 2008.
“I think it’s about execution,” said Dolphins coach Brian Flores, who in Year 2 of the rebuild has already led the Dolphins to their second winning season since 2009. “That’s what it’s about every week, execution, execution, execution, execution, execution. I think we did a good job from that standpoint in the run game, getting guys blocked, receivers, tight ends, backs.
“... Our guys played hard,” he added. “It’s something we talked about and harped on all year.”
The best news for the Dolphins: They won by two scores despite a relatively quiet game from Tagovailoa (20 of 26 for 145 yards and no passing touchdowns).
Tagovailoa might someday be a quarterback who carries his offense. But for much of the past month, he’s been a complementary piece, helped by an outstanding defense and an improving run defense.
Since returning from a thumb injury that kept him out of the Jets game, Tagovailoa has completed 74 of 113 passes for 757 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. His passer rating over that stretch (86.8) is solid, but not spectacular.
“I think there’s a lot of things that I need to continue to work on,” Tagovailoa said. “It’s a continuing learning process for me as well. Going up against a Bill Belichick defense, that was a tough challenge for us offensively. But I think the offensive line did a tremendous job and, in both the run and the pass game, and then you also had the running backs doing their thing as well.”
With Tagovailoa and the offense sputtering in the first half Sunday, play-caller Chan Gailey decided to stop getting cute and start getting physical.
The result: Three very long, very impressive touchdown drives in the team’s next four possessions, keyed by a surprisingly dominant run game.
The first drive covered 72 yards on nine plays, capped by 1-yard plunge by Ahmed with Christian Wilkins as the lead blocker. Dolphins rushed for 47 yards on the possession.
That was just the appetizer for the 14-play, 90-yard scoring jaunt, with Tagovailoa finishing it off with a 3-yard touchdown scramble. Gailey got tricky on their two-point conversion, dialing up a hook and ladder. His players executed to perfection, with Isaiah Ford catching and then pitching to a streaking Ahmed.
The Patriots, meanwhile, were trading field goals for touchdown. Nick Folk was good from 42 and 45 yards in the second half, setting up a three-point game with 9:03 remaining in regulation.
That proved to be a losing proposition when Tagovailoa went in again, this time from 1 yard out, to reward an 11-play, 75-yard, game-sealing scoring drive.
That was more than enough help for a Dolphins defense that held the Patriots to 303 yards, prevented a first down on seven of nine third downs and forced a turnover for a league-leading 20th straight game.
In all, the team finished stronger than it finished, which has been a concerning trend as of late.
Regardless of the personnel — and to be sure, Miami was limited on Sunday with Mike Gesicki, DeVante Parker and Jakeem Grant all out — the Dolphins have been ineffective on offense in the first half as of late.
They were shut out through two quarters Sunday — thanks to a J.C. Jackson interception in the end zone, an overturned fumble return for a touchdown by Xavien Howard and a missed 52-yard field goal by Jason Sanders — and have scored 26 points total before the break in Tagovailoa’s last four starts.
After the break, Tagovailoa threw for just 63 yards on 12 attempts. It was the winning approach — and might be the final two weeks of the season.
“Moving the ball down the field with efficiency, getting first downs, putting pressure on the defense, however you do it, run game, pass game, but you want balance,” Flores said. “I think we were able to have that today.”
This story was originally published December 20, 2020 at 4:01 PM.
