Sports Final: Were Dolphins Trying To Take Out Tom Brady?
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Patriots marched to their seventh straight win on Sunday with a 35-17 victory over the Dolphins, but Tom Brady took his share of licks from the Miami defense.
Though it was an 11-point game early in the fourth quarter, the Matt Moore-led Dolphins didn't really have a shot at winning Sunday's game. And with Brady moving the ball with relative ease for much of the contest, tossing four touchdown passes, the Miami D decided to focus on making life miserable for the quarterback. At least they succeeded at something on Sunday, as Brady threw his first interception since Week 6 after taking a gigantic hit.
They only sacked Brady once, but logged eight official hits and sent him to the ground numerous other times throughout the game. It's always worrisome when Brady spends most of the afternoon on his back, and it's even more a concern with the Pats heading down to Miami for another matchup with the Dolphins in two weeks.
Were the Dolphins trying to injure Brady? WBZ-TV's Steve Burton, ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss and former Patriots tight end Christian Fauria broke it down on Sunday night's Sports Final on WBZ-TV.
"You don't want to cheap shot him, but yes, their best player, you want to rough him up," said Fauria. "We always talk about making Brady feel uncomfortable. The only way you make him feel uncomfortable is if he's fearing for his life."
Reiss noted that there weren't many dirty hits on Sunday, aside from a punch corner Bobby McCain threw at Danny Amendola while the two were on the ground and a high hit on Brady by Ndamukong Suh. But Fauria said the Dolphins certainly lived up to their reputation.
"They fit the personality of a team that is floundering, a team that is frustrating and led by Ndamukong Suh, who by his own right, is a jerk," he said. "It shouldn't surprise you that they live on the edge and when things aren't going their way, which they aren't right now, you get what you got [on Sunday] -- late hits, pushing the envelope and hitting guys on the ground. It's completely uncalled for.
"They're wired that way," he continued. "I don't remember it being as bad last year, maybe because they made the playoffs and everyone was happy. But it seems like a team that is, 'since we can't win, we're going to be jerks.'"
Watch the full discussion in the video above, and tune in to Sports Final every Sunday night at 11:35 p.m. on WBZ-TV!