Since the Dolphins debuted their “Wildcat” offense last year against the Patriots in Foxborough, it seemed natural that with a whole year gone by, that the Dolphins would use yesterday’s game in Gillette as an opportunity to introduce a new aspect of the formation that hadn’t been seen before. They did, using rookie QB Pat White in a new formation dubbed the “Pistol.” After White and the Dolphins were successful on the first play in that formation, the Patriots made adjustments, and were able to come away with an important 27-17 win over Miami, which gives the Dolphins their first AFC East loss on the season.
Adam Kilgore has the Patriots and Randy Moss looking good in the victory over the Dolphins and their elaborate offensive schemes. Ian R. Rapoport has the Patriots taking firm control of the AFC East with the division win. Shalise Manza Young says that the Patriots weren’t quite as crisp as they would like on both sides of the ball, but managed a key win anyway. Scott Coen has Brady and Moss leading the way for the Patriots. Jennifer Toland says that yesterday was a truer test of where the Patriots stand at this point. Mark Farinella says that all things considered, this wasn’t a bad day for the Patriots. Tim Whelan Jr. has the Patriots stretching their division lead with the win. Glen Farley says that the division now has a typical AFC East look to it.
Albert R. Breer details the in-game adjustments that the Patriots made to shut down the “Pistol.” Mike Reiss notes that those adjustments were the key to the game for the Patriots. Ron Borges says that there was no panic on the part of the Patriots defense over the new formation yesterday. Farinella says that the Patriots had some tricks of their own to try against the Dolphins formations yesterday. Tim Weisberg says that this Patriots team is finding their identity.
Karen Guregian has Randy Moss terrorizing the young Miami secondary yesterday. Jim Donaldson says that the Dolphins still haven’t learned their previous lessons on Moss. Rich Garven says that with Moss and Wes Welker, the Patriots need for a true #3 receiver are diminished. Farinella says that the clock is ticking on Moss and his opportunity to win a Super Bowl. Chris Forsberg has Moss’ big play keeping the Dolphins at an arm’s length away.
Chris Warner on Patriots Daily says that the Dolphins always give the Patriots a tough time, and yesterday was no exception. Christopher Price knocks out the 10 Things We Learned Yesterday. Andy Vogt feels that this was a good start to a stretch of games where consistency will be key. Kirk Minihane says that you can now book a playoff spot for the Patriots.
Hector Longo says that the Patriots are a one-dimensional team that could still be an AFC beast. Robert Lee is still little worried about the Patriots offense inside the red zone, and so is Tom E. Curran who says that the Patriots inability to grind their way to scores in the red zone against stout defenses is going to cost them. Forsberg has Tom Brady lamenting the missed chances in the red zone.
Michael Vega has the Patriots offensive line keeping Joey Porter silent on the afternoon. Steve Buckley has Porter disappearing during and after the game, where he was nowhere to be found in the Miami locker room. Walker has Adalius Thomas making an impact on the field with his play yesterday. Guregian has Thomas happy to play his part in the win. Duggan has Jerod Mayo standing out on defense with a team-high 12 tackles, while making plays all over the field.
Dan Duggan has Stephen Gostkowski’s booming kicks the key to stopping Ted Ginn Jr. Dan Ventura has Brady’s latest 300-yard game setting a new Patriots record.
Joe Sullivan has rookie cornerback Vontae Davis talking about his first matchup with Moss. Curran says that the Dolphins playoffs hopes got squished yesterday.
Bill Burt is already looking forward to next Sunday night in Indy.
Longo’s Two-minute drill has Jerod Mayo atop his list of “no-show’s” yesterday. Borges gives us his Best & Worst on the afternoon. Ventura says that the stiff-arm from Moss on Davis was the play of the game. Lee’s analysis has the Patriots doing just enough to get the win. The Patriot-Ledger has their version of Who was hot, who was not as well. The Metro has a version as well.
Dan Shaughnessy calls Randy Moss “rude, ridiculous, self-important, and difficult” (Maybe Dan is projecting?) but says no one cares because he makes plays on the field. He adds that no one can criticize Moss because “Belichick and his minions are ever-ready to defend Randy with froth and fury.” Just go away, Dan. Please.
Walker’s notebook has Tom Brady recording the 27th 300-yard passing game of his career, passing Drew Bledsoe for 1st place on the all-time Patriots list. Rapoport’s notebook has the Patriots moving Vince Wilfork to defensive end at times yesterday. Young’s Patriots journal has Joey Porter ending a mouthy week with a silent game. Toland’s notebook has more on the silent Porter. Farinella’s notebook has the Patriots keeping Ted Ginn Jr. in check as well. Vogt’s notebook has more on the Patriots keeping Ginn in check. Farley’s notebook also look at Gostkowski’s kicks as key to holding down Ginn. Weisberg’s notebook has Gostkowski moving up the Patriots scoring chart.
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Toland:
“Sure, the Patriots had piled up almost 100 points in their last two blowout wins over the woeful Titans and Bucs, but yesterday’s AFC East showdown against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium was a truer test of where New England is at the midway point of the season.”
I really don’t this premise has any validity. It’s typical cliched sportswriter nonsense. At some point, Toland et al. might have to get real jobs. What are they going to do?
Good teams blow out bad teams. The Pats are a good team, the Dolphins are pretty good, but not a playoff team and the Pats beat them yesterday. We didn’t learn anything new that we didn’t already know after the blowout victories.
Got to love Hector Longo. He doesn’t let reality get in the way of a horribly written story. But I’m not exactly revealing a secret here.
Hector points out that Mayo “only” had seven solo tackles. If Mayo averaged “only” seven solo takles per game over the Patriots’ eight games, he would be tied for second in the league in solo tackles (Curtis Lofton leads league). What a baffoon.
I’m convinced that Shank Shaughnessy doesn’t know the difference between a foot stool and a football, yet the Globe continues to let him write articles about the Patriots so that he can feed his need for criticizing the empire that Bob Kraft–whom Dan loathes–built; and so he can tell all of those knuckle-dragging football fans out there that they’re worshipping a false idol in Belichick. Fans of Dan’s favorite sport, baseball, are so much more cultured and intelligent, you see.
There should be an ordinance passed that limits Shaughnessy to writing about only the two sports he has any knowledge of: baseball and basketball.
Dan Shaughnessy tells it like he sees it…and not like ownership wants for him to see it. I respect that immensely.
Kudos to Dan, and to Michael Felger as well. They stand out like absolute beacons, and I find their commentaries to be refreshingly accurate.
Are you being sarcastic?
Because if you’re not, you do realize that Mr. “Speaking Truth to Power” took advantage of his employer’s 17% ownership stake in the Red Sox to help get his daughter an internship with Tom Werner’s production company out in Hollywood a couple of years ago, right?
Shame on Shaughnessy for helping out his daughter by reaching out to Red Sox management. What nerve!!
It skewed his judgment so much that he was the first and only reporter in town to point out that bumbling owner John Henry was solely to blame for the club’s losing Teixeira to the Yankees.
Again, shame on Shaughnessy!!
You weren’t being sarcastic? My bad. “Refreshingly accurate?” Dude, read a book or two and get exposure to some real writing.
Considering the fact that Texeira pretty much said that the Yankees were his choice all along, I’d say Dandy Dan swung and missed on that one.
Mitch, you can’t be serious about the daughter/internship thing.
Even if you truly like Shaughnessy you can’t possibly think that his actions in that case were professionally appropriate and not a conflict of interest.
Very funny Mitch. Sarcasm isn’t typically appreciated/ understood in this area.
I thought his post might have been sarcastic but I wasn’t 100% sure; that’s why I felt it necessary to bring up Shank’s incredible hypocrisy in getting his daughter an internship with Werner’s production company.
But seriously, when is Dandy Dan going to bury the hatchet with Bob Kraft and the Pats’ organization? The Parcells affair was almost 13 years ago now!!!
After reading Shaughnessy piece it just seems like Moss would not give him the time of day so he decided to go with the hatchet piece. It seems to me the only ones who take Shaughnessy seriously are the media. The reading audience have no reason to care about what he says.
What a joke Shank is. Moss wouldn’t sit there all day and scratch those fat reporter’s bellies, so he’s “rude and self important.”