Week 8 - Patriots v Dolphins

The new Patriots coach (triceptimous) faced his first human competition (supra_harps) of the season.
 
It was a rainy day in Foxborough and it made catching for both sides difficult, both on offense and defense. 
 
The pats received to start off, but had a quick 3 and out, with dropped 3^rd down pass. The fins then came out with a strong confident drive, but were held in the red zone to just a FG after a resilient defensive stand by new England.
 
The pats responded with a well worked drive, encapsulating run and pass plays, and most notably a daring 4^th and 1 completion on the 50 yard line. The play was topped off with a rushing TD by Vereen into the endzone.
 
The patriots thought that was it for the half with only 50 seconds left on the clock, but Harps methodically worked his way down the field with a series of pass plays, utilizing both the touchline and his timeouts. The Pats were holding strong on their 1 yard line, after taking a wideout down on the 2. After3 goal line stoppages, and with numerous defenders about to pounce on the QB, the fins were able to grab a last gasp touchdown.
 
The second half started with a 3 and out for the fins, with the patriots only able to reply with a field goal. The following drive saw the fins working their way slowly down the field again until a large hit on their QB resulted in a fumble which was recovered by New England. The pats had great field position, but unfortunately threw an interception in the endzone. The game was followed by numerous 3 and outs by both teams, and a missed 56 field goal attempt by New England. Both defenses had numerous opportunities for interceptions, but the weather conditions probably aided in the passes merely being batted down.
 
The pats began committing to the run game, as conditions were not favoring the pass. Working there way down field they secured the win with a field goal to see out the game.
 
Final score Dolphins 10 – Patriots 13
 

It was a tightly contested game, and the fins could feel aggrieved to have dropped so many pick opportunities. Future games will surely be a great contest, and with a new owner taking over the Bills, the Patriots’ hold on the AFC East, could definitely be under threat.

Nice report Tricep - good, hard fought win in what sounds like a D battle!

Bad luck Harps. This division is shaping up nicely - don't be surprised if Miami start a 2nd half season charge.

Great writeup. I was kicking myself for some obvious mistakes during the game, but a nice close game.
Tannehill managed an entire game without throwing an Int, which is a miracle!

As for the rest of the season? I'll be happy with a second win!