Bill Belichick's Patriots are a team that always seems to find a way to win. That's true just about everywhere except Miami, where on Sunday afternoon New England found a way yet again to lose to the Dolphins.
Miami pulled off the upset with a razzle-dazzle, lateral-filled 69-yard touchdown as time expired to stun not only the Patriots but those reporters covering the game as well.
The Boston Globe writes that bizarre things happen in Miami, but this loss tops them all. A Globe column wonders if this was the worst non-playoff loss in Boston sports history. The Globe details how the Dolphins game-winning lateral play went down. When Miami QB Ryan Tannehill saw Rob Gronkowski on the back end of the defense on the final play, he was confident his team was going to score.
The Globe says the loss in Miami likely ended the Patriots hopes of securing the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Globe has the best, worst and everything in between from the loss. Though the Patriots almost always execute at crunch time, the Globe says they certainly didn’t against the Dolphins. The Globe observes that it will get lost on the final play, but Gronkowski was a force again on offense. The Globe notes Albert McClellan’s pair of blocked punts for the Patriots. The Globe looks at Tom Brady’s inexplicable decision to take a sack to end the first half and miss out and a sure-thing field goal. The Globe notes that Brady did set a record for TD passes in the ugly loss.
The Globe has a story on late former Patriots fullback Kevin Turner’s children battling with his nurse who also became his heir.
The Boston Herald declares that the stunning loss in Miami will test the Patriots character as a team. The Herald says New England continues to get in its own way in Miami. The Herald notes that Brady and Gronkowski look like they are getting their chemistry back.
The Providence Journal has its game story on Miami stunning New England on the game’s final play. The ProJo has Brady taking the blame for costing the Patriots points on the final play of the first half. The ProJo also notes that the loss will test New England’s character. The ProJo notes that Gronkowski’s role on defense certainly raises plenty of questions.
ESPNBoston.com says the last play capped off a day in Miami that was a major step backwards for the Patriots defense.
ESPN.com wonders of Brady has already won his last Super Bowl. ESPN.com explains how the Dolphins final touchdown play worked.
WEEI.com has Josh Gordon finding positives in the loss in Miami. WEEI.com has Danny Amendola saying he’s never seen anything like the final play in Miami. WEEI.com writes that the Patriots season will be defined by how they react to Sunday’s loss in Miami. WEEI.com offers up quick thoughts from the stunning loss. WEEI.com has Belichick saying Tannehill could have thrown it deeper on the final play. WEEI.com passes along the Patriots defense trying to explain what happened on the final snap. WEEI.com notes that the loss could have serious playoff ramifications for New England.
NBC Sports Boston writes that the Patriots don’t want the crushing loss to linger. NBC Sports Boston described it as a bizarre, throwback loss in Miami. NBC Sports Boston has the Dolphins detailing their game-winning “Boise” play. NBC Sports Boston also looks at Brady leaving points on the field with his rare mental error. NBC Sports Boston notes that the Patriots road to the No. 1 seed is now very tough. NBC Sports Boston looks at New England curiously subbing out Devin McCourty for Gronkowski on the game-losing play.
NFL.com also has Tannehill’s confidence level when seeing Gronk on the field on defense. NFL.com has the latest on the playoff picture.
NESN.com tries to explain what went wrong on the final play in the loss in Miami.
CBS Sports grades Week 14 action and gives the Patriots defensive a D for self-destruction.
The New York Times writes that the Patriots were one step from the top and then the unthinkable happened.
