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PATRIOTS SCORE 24 UNANSWERED POINTS IN SECOND HALF**
The Patriots scored 24 unanswered points in the second half to turn a 17-3 halftime deficit into a 27-17 victory. The Patriots ran for 111 yards in the second half, recorded six second-half sacks, and forced three second-half turnovers to lead the comeback. New England's 24 second half points are its highest second-half total this season and its most since scoring 31 second-half points against San Francisco on Dec. 16, 2012. The Patriots' winning comeback from a 14-point halftime deficit was their biggest comeback from a halftime deficit to win since December 24, 2011, when the Patriots trailed the Dolphins at Gillette Stadium 17-0 at halftime and came back to win 27-24.
PATRIOTS' THIRD-QUARTER SPARK TIES GAME
The Patriots scored two touchdowns in 1:46 of game time in the third quarter to turn a 17-3 deficit into a 17-17 tie. Tom Brady found Aaron Dobson for a 14-yard score to cut Miami's lead to 17-10 with 8:28 left in the third quarter. After a Logan Ryan strip-sack gave the Patriots possession at the Miami 13-yard line, Brandon Bolden ran the ball in from two yards out and scored with 6:42 left in the third quarter to tie the game at 17.
PATRIOTS EXTEND STREAK TO TEAM RECORD SEVEN STRAIGHT WINS OVER MIAMI
The Patriots have won seven straight games against Miami after series sweeps in 2010, 2011 and 2012. The Patriots current streak of seven straight victories over the Dolphins tops New England's six straight wins over Miami from 1986 through 1988 as the Patriots' longest winning streak against the Dolphins.
PATRIOTS EXTEND STREAK TO 14 STRAIGHT WINS OVER AFC EAST FOES AT HOME
The Patriots won their 14th straight game at home against AFC East opposition. The last time the Patriots lost a home game against an AFC East opponent was on November 13, 2008, when the New York Jets left Gillette Stadium with a 34-31 overtime win. The Patriots are now 30-5 against the AFC East at Gillette Stadium.
BOUNCING BACK AFTER A LOSS
Since the beginning of 2003, the Patriots are 32-4 (.889) in regular season games following a loss. The Patriots have dropped back-to-back regular season games just four times since 2003.
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DEFENSE BEARS DOWN LATE AGAINST AFC EAST**
The Patriots have now allowed no fourth-quarter points in their last five games against AFC East opponents. The last time a divisional opponent scored in the fourth quarter against the Patriots was on December 2, 2012, at Miami.
THIRD ROUND PICK LOGAN RYAN FORCED A FUMBLE ON HIS FIRST NFL SACK
Logan Ryan forced a fumble on his first NFL sack a week after returning his first career interception for a touchdown. Ryan strip-sacked Ryan Tannehill, forcing a fumble on a 10-yard sack that was recovered by Rob Ninkovich to give the Patriots possession at the Dolphins' 13-yard line in the third quarter. The play set up a 3-play, 13-yard drive that ended in Brandon Bolden's 2-yard touchdown run that tied the game at 17 in the third quarter. The play marked the second time in as many weeks that a Ryan turnover has led to Patriots points. Last week against the New York Jets, Ryan scored on a 79-yard interception return for a touchdown.
CHANDLER JONES BLOCKS FIELD GOAL
Chandler Jones blocked a 39-yard Miami field goal attempt with 2:51 remaining in the game to help thwart a Miami comeback attempt. The block came with Miami seeking to make the game a one-score game, as it trailed 27-17 in the fourth quarter. The blocked field goal was the first for the Patriots since October 4, 2010, when Patrick Chung blocked a 54-yard attempt by Miami's Dan Carpenter in Miami.
AARON DOBSON SCORES SECOND CAREER TOUCHDOWN
Rookie WR Aaron Dobson scored his second touchdown of the season after a 14-yard touchdown catch from Tom Brady in the third quarter. Both of Dobson's touchdown receptions this season have come on his first catch of the game. His 39-yard touchdown reception vs. the New York Jets on Sept. 12, 2013 was on his first reception of the night and the first reception of his career.
STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI HAS NINE 40 FIELD GOALS IN 2013; IS 21-OF-22 OVERALL
Stephen Gostkowski has nine field goals of 40 or more yards in 2013, including a 48-yarder against the Dolphins that gave the Patriots a 20-17 lead late in the third quarter. Gostkowski needs three more field goals of 40 or more yards this season to set the Patriots' single-season record for most 40-yard field goals in a single season. Adam Vinatieri had 11 field goals of 40 or more yards in 2004 and 1998 and Gostkowski had 11 such field goals in 2012. Gostkowski is 21-for-22 overall on field goals in 2013.
TOM BRADY IMPROVES TO 11-1 IN HOME GAMES AGAINST MIAMI
Tom Brady improved his record as a starter at home against Miami to 11-1. The only time the Patriots have lost a home game against Miami in which Brady started was in the final game of the 2005 season on Jan. 1, 2006, where Brady left the game after the first quarter since the Patriots had already locked up the AFC East, and the Patriots lost to the Dolphins, 28-26.
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PATRIOTS TIE RAIDERS FOR MOST REGULAR SEASON WINS AMONG ORIGINAL 8 AFL TEAMS**
The Patriots won their 432nd regular season game, tying Oakland for the most regular season wins among the original eight AFL teams (not including Oakland's 2013 Week 8 Game).
DIVISIONAL DOMINANCE
The New England Patriots own a 62-16 (.795) record in regular season AFC East games since the beginning of the 2001 season, compiling the best intra-division record of any team in the NFL.
PATRIOTS WICKED GOOD IN OCTOBER
The Patriots are an NFL-best 37-9 in the month of October since the 2003 season. The Patriots are 22-1 (.957) at home during that time in October. The Patriots' only home loss on October since 2003 was a 41-17 victory by the visiting San Diego Chargers on Oct. 2, 2005.
STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI EXTENDS FIELD GOAL STREAK TO 15
Stephen Gostkowski extended his streak to 15 straight field goals with his 34-yard field goal in the second quarter and a 48-yard field goal in the third quarter. The streak is the longest single-season consecutive field goal streak of Gostkowski's career.
GOSTKOWSKI APPROACHING TEAM RECORD FOR CONSECUITVE FIELD GOALS
Gostkowski is approaching the team record for consecutive field goals made in a single season as well. The record is held by Adam Vinatieri, who booted 23 consecutive field goals in the 2004 season.
PATRIOTS FORCE A TURNOVER FOR THE 35th STRAIGHT GAME
The Patriots have now forced a turnover in 35 straight games dating back to 2011 after Logan Ryan's forced a fumble on a 10-yard sack in the third quarter. It is the longest active streak in the NFL. The NFL record for most consecutive games with a turnover since the merger in 1970 is 71 by Philadelphia from 1985-1990. The last time the Patriots did not register at least one turnover was on Oct. 9, 2011 vs. the New York Jets.
BRADY PASSES FRAN TARKENTON FOR FOURTH PLACE ON NFL TD LIST
Tom Brady threw his 343rd career touchdown pass on a 14-yard touchdown pass to WR Aaron Dobson in the third quarter to pass Fran Tarkenton for fourth place on the NFL's all-time list. With five touchdown passes today, Drew Brees also passed Tarkenton and Brady and Brees are now tied for fourth place all-time with 343 career touchdown passes. Dan Marino is in third place with 420 touchdowns.
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NINKOVICH HAS RECOVERED THE MOST FUMBLES SINCE 2010; RECOVERED HIS 11TH FUMBLE SINCE 2010**
Rob Ninkovich recovered a third quarter fumble that was forced on a sack by Logan Ryan in the third quarter. Ninkovich has the most fumble recoveries of any NFL player over the last four years (2010-13) with eleven. Vince Wilfork is second with seven opponent fumble recoveries during that time.
TWO 23-YARD GAINS LEAD TO FIRST PATRIOTS TOUCHDOWN
A pair of 23-yard gains were key plays on New England's third quarter touchdown drive that began the Patriots' second-half charge to turn a 17-3 deficit into a 27-17 win. Stevan Ridley gave the Patriots offense a spark with a 23-yard run (Ridley's longest of the season) to give the Patriots a first down at the Dolphins' 36-yard line with 10:13 left in the third quarter, one play after Miami missed a 46-yard field goal that would have given it a 20-3 lead. Two plays after Ridley's run, Tom Brady hit Rob Gronkowski for a 23-yard reception, giving New England a first down at the Miami 18. Two plays after that, Brady found Aaron Dobson on a 14-yard scoring pass that cut the Miami lead to 17-10 following the extra point.
PATRIOTS SACK ATTACK TOTALS SEASON-HIGH SIX SACKS
The Patriots defense had a season-high six sacks – all coming in the second half. The six sacks were the most for the Patriots since December 30, 2012, when New England had seven sacks in a 28-0 win over Miami.
- Logan Ryan had a pair of sacks – a 10-yard strip-sack in the third quarter and a sack for an 8-yard loss in the fourth quarter. Ryan also batted down a Ryan Tannehill pass intended for Dion Sims on third down from Miami's own 20-yard line in the third quarter, fording a Miami punt on the next play and finishing off a three-and-out for the Patriots defense.
- Dont'a Hightower sacked Ryan Tannehill for a 9-yard sack on third-and-two in the third quarter. The sack forced the Dolphins into a 46-yard field goal attempt that hit the right upright and was no good. Hightower also tackled Miami running back Lamar Miller for a 1-yard loss on first-and-goal in the first quarter.
- Rob Ninkovich sacked Ryan Tannehill for a 6-yard sack on third-and-three in the fourth quarter, setting up a Dolphins field goal that was blocked by Chandler Jones.
- Dane Fletcher sacked Ryan Tannehill for a 7-yard loss in the fourth quarter. The sack was Fletcher's first sack of the season.
- Chris Jones sacked Tannehill for a 7-yard loss in the fourth quarter. The play marked the second of back-to-back sacks for the Patriots and followed Dane Fletcher's sack. The sack raised Chris Jones's season total to 4.5 sacks, a total that ranks second on the team to Chandler Jones's 6.5 sacks. Jones entered the game leading all NFL rookies with 3.5 sacks.
PATRIOTS DEFENSIVE HIGHLIGHTS
- Marquice Cole recorded his first interception of the season and his fourth career interception when Devin McCourty batted an errant Ryan Tannehill pass, volleyball-style, back into the field of play where it was hauled in by Cole. The play gave New England a first down at the Miami 18-yard line and set up a 13-play, 82-yard drive that ended in Stevan Ridley's 3-yard touchdown run and a 27-17 Patriots lead.
- Patriots 2013 third-round draft pick Duron Harmon recorded his first career interception in the fourth quarter on a long fourth-down attempt by Ryan Tannehill.
- The Patriots defense started the game with a three-and-out, recording tackles for losses on each of the game's first two plays from scrimmage. Chris Jones tacked Miami's Lamar Miller for a 2-yard loss on the Dolphins' first offensive play. Brandon Spikes dropped Marcus Thigpen for a 1-yard loss on the following play, setting up a third-and-13 that Miami did not convert.
- Chandler Jones stopped Lamar Miller for a 1-yard loss on first down in the third quarter.
- Kyle Arrington batted away a Ryan Tannehill pass intended for Mike Wallace in the end zone in the first quarter.
BRADY'S FOURTH-DOWN CONVERSION KEEPS SCORING DRIVE ALIVE
Tom Brady had an 8-yard run on fourth-and-four from the Dolphins' 34-yard line to keep a fourth-quarter touchdown that ended in a 3-yard Stevan Ridley touchdown and a 27-17 Patriots lead.
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