FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Step One is out of the way for the New England Patriots.
Again.
“I know we have big goals every year for our team. This is the one that’s the first one to get and it’s great to be able to do it against a team that we lost to earlier in the year,” New England quarterback Tom Brady said after the Patriots clinched their sixth straight AFC East title by shaking off a flat first half to cruise to a 41-13 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
“We had a great opportunity to go out there and play a lot better than we did the last time (the season opener against Miami), so … it was great to win,” Brady added. “It’s a great feeling. That’s why we play and I’ve been very fortunate to be a part of an organization where that’s really what matters most.”
Cornerback Kyle Arrington romped 62 yards and somersaulted into the end zone with a blocked field goal early in the game, and the Patriots scored a franchise-record 24 points in the third quarter to wrap up their 11th division crown in the last 12 years.
In avenging the 33-20 opening loss to Miami, the Patriots (11-3 with nine wins in the last 10 games) can guarantee home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with wins in their final two games. They are 7-0 at home this season.
The win kept the Dolphins (7-7) from becoming the first division opponent to sweep a season series from the Patriots since 2000 while also moving New England to 24-1 at home in December since 2003.
The Patriots have won 17 straight home games against teams in their division, the second-longest such streak in the NFL since 1970.
Kicker Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 35-yard field goal in the third quarter to become the Patriots’ all-time scoring leader, passing Adam Vinatieri. He kicked another field goal in the fourth quarter.
Brady, clinching his NFL-record 12th division title, overcame a shaky first half with two second-half touchdown passes as the Patriots ran up a 27-0 second-half rout.
“I just didn’t think we played the way we needed to play,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said of the first half. “It was a good second half.”
Said Miami linebacker Kelvin Shepard: “It’s the Patriots. You know they are led by one of the best in Tom, and you know it is going to be a 60-minute game when you play them. That is what we knew at the half.”
Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill hit wide receiver Mike Wallace with a 50-yard bomb on the first play of the day. But linebacker Jamie Collins then blocked a 41-yard field goal by Caleb Sturgis and Arrington, who would leave in the second quarter with a hamstring injury, scooped it up and returned it for a touchdown.
Tight end Rob Gronkowski, who caught one of the touchdown passes, had three catches for 96 yards, clearing the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the second time in his career. Julian Edelman caught seven passes for 88 yards and a touchdown and fellow wide receiver Brandon LaFell had six catches for 66 yards.
Running backs Shane Vereen and LeGarrette Blount scored rushing touchdowns for the Patriots, while Tannehill threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Wallace, and Sturgis hit two field goals for the Dolphins, who were plagued by mistakes all day as their almost-gone playoff hopes dwindled further.
Brady, who had a 41.5 passer rating while hitting 8 of 15 first-half passes, finished 21 of 35 for 287 yards, an interception and a 93.4 rating. He also had a 17-yard scramble that led to a touchdown, taking a heavy hit rather than sliding.
Tannehill, sacked four times, was 29 of 47 for 346 yards and two picks — the second on a deflection after officials clearly missed what should have been cornerback Brandon Browner’s third interference penalty of the day. He was later flagged for an unnecessary roughness penalty.
Safety Duron Harmon returned an interception 60 yards in the first half, leading to New England’s second touchdown.
Miami wide receiver Jarvis Landry, leading NFL rookies in catches coming in, caught eight passes for 99 yards. He also had a 32-yard punt return.
NOTES: Patriots coach Bill Belichick moved into a tie with Curly Lambeau for fourth place on the all-time overall wins list, with 229, and also became the all-time leader in division titles with his 12th.