National Football League
New England 27, Miami 17
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, October 27, 2013
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Temperature: 53°
Head Official: Walt Anderson
Attendance: 68756

Patriots 27, Dolphins 17: Brandon Bolden and Stevan Ridley rushed for short-yardage touchdowns as host New England used a dominant defensive effort in the second half to erase a 14-point deficit and defeat Miami for the seventh straight time.

Tom Brady (13-of-22, 116 yards) moved past Hall-of-Famer Fran Tarkenton and into fourth place on the all-time list with his 343rd career touchdown pass - a 14-yarder to rookie Aaron Dobson. Defensive back Devin McCourty alertly tapped Ryan Tannehill's intended pass to teammate Marquice Cole for the first of two second-half interceptions, helping the Patriots (6-2) prevent a second straight loss to an AFC East rival.

Tannehill tossed two touchdown passes and Brandon Gibson collected his third score in two games with a 4-yard catch in the first quarter before exiting with a left knee injury. Daniel Thomas had a 5-yard touchdown reception for the reeling Dolphins (3-4), who have dropped four in a row.

Brady was intercepted on his first pass and threw for just 25 yards in the first half as New England was booed off the field after finding itself trailing 17-3 at intermission. The two-time NFL MVP rebounded by connecting with Dobson on the left side of the end zone and - after defensive lineman Rob Ninkovich recovered Tannehill's fifth fumble of the season on the ensuing drive - Bolden went around the left end to score from 2 yards out and forge a 17-17 tie.

After Stephen Gostkowski kicked his second field goal to give the Patriots the lead, Miami defensive end Olivier Vernon was whistled for batting a ball forward following Brady's fumble, resulting in a 10-yard penalty. Ridley scored on a 3-yard run four plays later as New England seized a 27-17 lead midway through the fourth quarter.

GAME NOTEBOOK: After tossing a career-high three touchdowns in a 23-21 loss to Buffalo last week, Tannehill rolled to his right before finding Gibson in the end zone to cap an 11-play drive in the first quarter. Tannehill tossed a short underneath pass to Thomas to give Miami a 14-0 lead early in the second. ... Miami rushed for 103 yards in the first half, matching its season high for a game. It finished with 156. ... New England RT Sebastian Vollmer suffered a leg injury and was carted off the field in the second quarter. He did not return.
Top Game Performances
Rushing
Miami   New England
Lamar Miller Player Stevan Ridley
18 Attempts 14
89 Yards 79
4.9 Avg Yards 5.6
0 Touchdowns 1
18 Long 23
Receiving
Miami   New England
Mike Wallace Player Aaron Dobson
3 Receptions 4
41 Yards 60
13.7 Avg Yards 15.0
0 Touchdowns 1
25 Long 26
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
Miami 301 156 145 2 1 1 3.0 0
New England 252 152 100 3 2 2 6.0 1
Upcoming Games
  • New England will play their next game at home against Pittsburgh. The Patriots have a W/L % of .667 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.
  • Miami will play their next game at home against Cincinnati. The Dolphins have a W/L % of .750 after a win and .000 after a loss.