The New England Patriots came into Sunday’s game as overwhelming favorites against the Miami Dolphins. Now, Gillette Stadium and the entire Patriots’ fan base is silent after Miami Dolphins cornerback Eric Rowe recorded a pick-six off Tom Brady.
Rowe, who played in New England for three seasons, read Brady’s eyes perfectly. He jumped the pass intended for Julian Edelman then celebrated as he strolled for 35 yards into the end zone for the touchdown.
New England needed a win on Sunday against the Dolphins (4-11) to lock up a first-round bye in the playoffs. Instead, Rowe burned his former team with a sweet taste of revenge on the pick-six to give the Dolphins a two-score lead.
The Patriots offense remains a major area of concern with the playoffs just around the corner. If Brady, who hadn’t thrown a pick-six in over 1,000 pass attempts against Miami, can’t make things work against this defense, it’s an alarming issue as they prepare to face far better defenses.