Patriots Blow First-Round Bye Opportunity With Loss to Dolphins

Tom Brady struggled, throwing the first pick-six against the Dolphins of his career

Mike Gesicki of the Miami Dolphins scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter during a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on December 29, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.  (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Mike Gesicki of the Miami Dolphins scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter during a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on December 29, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
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The New England Patriots have blown their shot at a first-round bye in the playoffs after their shocking 27-24 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday (Dec. 29).

The team’s defense allowed a season-high amount of yards to the Dolphins, while Tom Brady struggled for much of the day, throwing a pick-six to his former teammate Eric Rowe in the second quarter and giving Miami a 10-3 lead. The Patriots eventually tied the game back up, but they didn’t take a lead until late in the fourth quarter, scoring a touchdown with 3:53 remaining in the game and making it 24-20. However, the Dolphins were able to drive the ball down the field quickly, with Mike Geiscki scoring a five-yard touchdown to win the game with just 24 seconds remaining.

The Patriots needed a win or a tie (or a Kansas City Chiefs loss) to earn their first-round bye. The Chiefs defeated the Los Angeles Chargers, meaning New England will drop to the No. 3 seed. They’ll be playing on Wild Card Weekend for the first time since 2009. The Patriots finish the regular season 12-4, while the Dolphins wrap up their year 5-11.

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Bonnie Stiernberg

Bonnie Stiernberg

Bonnie Stiernberg is InsideHook’s Managing Editor. She was Music Editor at Paste Magazine for seven years, and she has written about music and pop culture for Rolling Stone, Glamour, Billboard, Vice and more.
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