Dolphins Overcome Turnover-Filled First Half To Upset Patriots
By Abraham Gutierrez
Coming in as five-point underdogs, the Miami Dolphins had other ideas when they faced the New England Patriots in Week 1 of the 2014 NFL season. Playing in front of a sold-out crowd at Sun Life Stadium, the home team come away with an improbable 33-20 win, despite not playing their best football.
However, it was certainly the tale of two halves for the Fins defense, as the resistance surrendered 20 points through two error-filled quarters. Trailing 20-10 at the break, Joe Philbin’s locker room speech appears to have a lingering effect, as Miami’s “D” pitched a shutout versus the Pats in the final two stanzas.
Offense: Grade B-
Miami’s offense tallied 360 total yards compared to New England’s 315, while registering three more first downs than its hated rivals (23-20). The Fins also won the always-crucial time of possession battle (30:27 to 29:33), and were also more efficient on third down, 54 percent (7-for13) to 29 percent (5-for-17).
From a yards-per-play perspective, the Dolphins also very efficient to start the 2014 NFL campaign. The Floridians averaged 5.1 yards-per-play in 71 attempts, while the Patriots were limited to 3.9 yards in 80 plays.
In the end, it came down to the ground game, which much to Bill Belichick’s discontent, Miami exposed New England’s defense in grand fashion. The Dolphins racked up 191 yards in 38 carries for a whopping 5.1 yards per rush.
Making his much-anticipated Fins debut, running back Knowshon Moreno made his presence felt, racking up 134 yards in 34 attempts and a score. Hometown favorite (second-sting half-back) Lamar Miller helped put pressure on the Patriots defense, rushing for 59 yards on 11 attempts, but didn’t help his cause by fumbling the rock.
Quarterback: Grade A-
Even though it’s very early in the season, one of the most surprising stats came at the signal-caller position, where third-year quarterback Ryan Tannehill put his skills to the test against three-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady. In spite of timely drops and unfortunate mishaps, the Fins starter completed 18 of 32 pass attempts for 178 yards, two touchdowns and a pick for a quarterback rating of 79.9.
Across the sidelines, the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player connected on 29 for 56 attempt for 249 yards, a touchdown and no picks for a QBR of 69.7. The Pats registered more passing yards (226 vs. 169) that the Dolphins, as Miami
Defense: Grade B-
Much like the title suggests, the opener was a tale of two halves, especially for Miami’s defense. In fact, the way the “D” played in the first half, one wouldn’t be surprised if Kevin Coyle was in the process of updating his resume at the half, and therefore a “C” grade would have been in order.
Nevertheless, led by Cameron Wake, the Dolphins’ defense came out of the locker room and played an inspired rest of the ballgame. With their backs against the wall, Miami came up big when it mattered most, keeping the Pats offense off the scoreboard, which is always a win and an “A” Grade.
Special Teams: A
From a special teams standpoint, New England punted the ball five times and Miami only twice. The Pats averaged 48.2 yards per kicks, and the Fins kicked it at a click of an even 50 yards. As far as field goals are concerned, Patriots kicker Ryan Allen punted the ball five times for 48.2 yards and twice inside the 20-yard line. Meanwhile, Brandon Fields punted twice for an average of an outstanding average of 50 yards.
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Abe Gutierrez is a criminal justice admin whose love for sports led him to become a writer and editor. His expertise make him a valued addition to Examiner.com and its partners. His work can be found on Examiner.com. .
