NFL 2011 Week 16 - Brady Rallies Patriots Past Dolphins and First-Round Bye in AFC Playoffs

Brady Rallies Patriots Past Dolphins and First-Round Bye in AFC Playoffs
Kareem Shaker

Foxboro, MA

Tom Brady ran for two scores and passed for another - all in the second half - as the New England Patriots scored 27 straight points and rallied from 17 points down for a 27-24 victory over the visiting Miami Dolphins Saturday.

With the win, New England (12-3) clinched a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs and will clinch the No. 1 seed next week with a win against Buffalo.

Matt Moore threw for 294 yards and three touchdowns and Reggie Bush ran for 113 yards for Miami (6-10), which had won five of seven since starting with seven straight losses.

Brady was 27 of 46 for 304 yards.

However, in the first half he didn't look like the same player who threw for 517 yards - fifth most in NFL history - in a Week 2 win against the Dolphins. He was 8 for 19 for 86 yards and was sacked three times as the Dolphins dominated the action.

Moore and the Dolphins meanwhile did whatever they wanted against the Patriots' defense in the opening 30 minutes. Moore threw for 179 yards, including TDs to Brandon Marshall and Charles Clay, and Bush netted 81 yards on 16 carries to go over the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career. He finished with his fourth consecutive 100-yard game.

But Brady moved the Pats down the field for a field goal on the first possession of the second half, and turned a Moore fumble into a 1-yard TD pass to Deion Branch. Brady then plunged over from a yard out on New England's next possession to tie. After Moore threw an interception, Brady drove the Pats' 98 yards for a field goal and then scored on another 1-yard plunge for a 27-17 lead.