Home  Sports Patriots rain on Dolphins’ parade
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Patriots rain on Dolphins’ parade |
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Written by Mikhail S. Rose
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Sunday, 30 November 2008 |
For just over three quarters, the Miami Dolphins really looked like the improved, play-off potential team that won their last four games in succession, and defeated the New England Patriots convincingly early in their season. But, on Sunday inexperience and frustration overcame game skills and the team crashed to a whopping 48-28 defeat by the Patriots at Dolphins stadium.
Until just after the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Dolphins competed keenly with the Patriots, who obviously came into Miami to avenge the embarrassing defeat by the Dolphins in September. Signs of the tremendous offensive feat that Patriots substitute quarterback, Matt Cassel would display was seen in the Patriots first drive when he completed all of his five passes, but with the Dolphins strong defensive stance, the Patriots only scored a field goal. Minutes after, the Dolphins scored a touchdown after cornerback Jason Allen tipped a Cassel pass from Patriot’s wide receiver Randy Moss to set up a TD pass from Chad Pennington to Greg Camarillo. But the Patriots scored two touchdowns in the second quarter, one a six yard quarter back sneak into the end zone by Casssel and the other a 25 yard pass to Randy Moss. The Dolphins answered with a 7 yard TD run by Pennington and the first half ended Patriots 17 Miami 14.
On the first play of the quarter Dolphins wide receiver Tedd Ginn Jr. pulled in a 46 yard pass from Pennington, and minutes later rookie tight-end Casey Cramer caught a TD pass from Pennington in the back of the end zone. But, the Patriots came roaring back when Moss and Cassel teamed up for the Patriots to go ahead 24-21. Before the quarter ended, Patriots wide receiver Wess Welker caught a screen pass from Cassel for 64 yards and running back Faulk ran in the Patriots 4th TD to take the score to 31-21. But the Dolphins were not ready to quit, and on their first drive in the fourth quarter Ricky Williams made a brilliant catch on a Pennington pass to make the score 31-28, and then the Dolphins imploded.
Following another Patriot TD and field goal, they led Miami 41-28 with some 8 minutes left, and still could win, but the Dolphins defense created numerous penalties, including two consecutive fouls for rough play and unsportsmanlike behavior by Joey Porter, which eventually led to another Patriots TD and the final score of 48-28.
Before the Patriots final TD, Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder and Patriots tackle Matt Light both were ejected for fighting, with Light grabbing Crowder by the dreadlocks and getting in a few punches. According to Dolphins coach Tony Sparano, the Dolphins lost their poise faced with defeat.
However, the Dolphins did not lose because they lost poise but because they could not stop New England's Matt Cassel, who completed 30 of 43 passes for 415 yards and three touchdown passes, all to Randy Moss.
The Dolphins have 5 games left, three against teams with losing records, and one each against the steaming New York Jets, and the Buffalo Bills. Although they face a weak St. Louis Rams team next Sunday, in St. Louis, unless they regain their poise and can stop the pass, I cannot predict a Dolphins victory.
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