No fourth-quarter heroics by the offense, or end-zone interception in the game’s closing minute was needed to beat the New England Patriots on Sunday.
The Dolphins beat the Patriots the good, old fashion way, dominating the line of scrimmage in the 22-12 victory that eliminated New England from the postseason and guaranteed that Bill Belichick’s team wouldn’t produce a winning season for the first time since 2000.
Rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa didn’t light it up, but without five of the team’s top offensive players against New England, nobody expected him to, either. His 20 of 26 completions, which turned into 145 yards, were good enough, especially since he rushed for two touchdowns.