A whipsaw hit sent Tom Brady’s legs one direction and his upper body the other, leaving him facedown in the turf.
Brady rose, slowly, but the hits kept coming from the host Miami Dolphins, who beat New England, 20-10, on Sunday and prevented the Patriots from clinching the No. 1 seed in the A.F.C. playoffs.
With the Patriots eager to protect Brady’s health, he threw a season-low 21 passes, and even so, he was lucky to make it through the game in one piece. He was sacked twice and endured at least half a dozen knockdowns, including three on one series.