The Patriots rallied for 10 straight points to tie the Dolphins before halftime, but things are moving back in the other direction after the break.
Miami forced a punt on the Patriots’ opening possession and the Dolphins drove right down the field on their ensuing drive to move back in front of New England. The touchdown came when Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick capped an 83-yard drive with a two-yard scoring run.
It’s the fourth rushing touchdown of the season for Fitzpatrick, who is also 14-of-20 for 178 yards through the air to this point in the game. The Dolphins also used wide receiver Albert Wilson as a thrower on the scoring drive and his pass to running back Patrick Laird netted the team 20 yards.
The Patriots may need to pull out some inventive maneuvers of their own as they try to erase the 17-10 deficit and book themselves a bye in the AFC playoffs.