It was almost coal in the stockings of the 68,000+ that showed up at Gillette Sunday. But the Patriots bounced back after being down 17 at the half to beat the fish & give their fans a first round bye.
We saw a first half with bad Tom Brady who bounced balls in the ground to his receivers. Maybe that shoulder injury was acting up or maybe it was worse than anyone let on.
Then there was the good Tom Brady in the 2nd half who led his offense to 27 points & a win over the Miami Dolphins. Abandoning the run for much of the half & using a no-huddle to wear down the defense, the Patriots looked like a completely different team. The D did get 2 huge turnovers as well - a fumble recovery by big Vince & an INT by Devon McCourty.
Much of the 1st half problems had to do with an injury-plagued O line that was without the services of Matt Light & Logan Mankins. Brady had little time to let his receivers run their routes & he was rushed & inaccurate as a result. However, as good teams do, the Pats coaches & players figured it out at halftime to overcome a 17-0 deficit.
The win assures the Patriots of a bye in the playoffs. Another win next Sunday assures the Pats of a #1 seed & playing at home the entire playoffs.
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