The Miami Dolphins gave everything they had and it paid off as the New England Patriots must play wildcard weekend for the first time since 2009 after losing 27-24.
Here are the winners and losers for the last but thrilling regular season game of the year.
Push: Mohamed Sanu
His drop was one of the worst in recent memory and to make matters worse, it lead to an interception from former Patriots Eric Rowe.
Whether it is his injured ankle or inability to grasp the system, the former Atlanta Falcon has not been worth the second-round draft pick given away.
However, Sanu more than made up for it later on in the game with some great receptions including one that set up the Patriots’ go ahead score late in the fourth quarter.
Not his best day.
Push: Tom Brady
In a first for this column, we have two players who were pushes for the day.
When you have all the time in the world in the pocket and a receiver (Sanu) open down the middle of the field, it is not ideal to throw a pick-six when a first-round bye is at stake.
There is something clearly wrong with Brady whether it be his elbow or seeing ghosts from previous outings.
With six minutes to go in the first half, Brady had a 36.4 quarterback rating and 42-yards passing. Not up to the standards of a player just voted to the NFL’s all-time team.
Brady bounced back with two touchdown passes in the second half exhibiting the normal accuracy you have come to expect.
A tale of two halves for Brady.
Winner: N’Keal Harry
Harry continues to show versatility and great hands as he continues to see extended involvement in the offense.
Brady clearly trusts Harry and so does Josh McDaniels with giving opportunities to run the football.
Expect more with a full offseason.
Winner: Elandon Roberts
He is not the best linebacker on this roster by any stretch. But dang it if he is not the most versatile, I do not know who is.
Roberts not only showcased how good of a blocker he was as fullback, but also his ability as a pass catcher with his first reception going for Brady’s first touchdown throw of the game.
He is one of the team’s most vocal leaders and is a prototypical Bill Belichick player who can do more than one thing.
Loser: Stephon Gilmore
When it comes to Stephon Gilmore standards, this was a very disappointing performance.
Devante Parker dominated against the All-Pro cornerback getting space and making catches with ease.
This included three catches on the Dolphins’ final drive pushing Parker out of bounds twice stopping the clock and saving them two timeouts.
six catches for 124 yards is too much, especially for the proclaimed best cornerback in the game against a 4-11 team.
Loser: J.C. Jackson
Another starting cornerback in the loser column. Jackson had his worst game since the beginning of the season.
One of the many that stood out was Ford’s catch over the middle on a crucial third down with the fourth quarter winding down.
Jackson was being manhandled by Isaiah Ford the entire game and accompanied with Gilmore, made for a disappointing day for the league’s proclaimed best duo.
