There's Something About Miami

OK, we knew the Pats would lose a game sometime, but like this? And to Miami? Miami?!?!!? The Dolphins had one win last year!

Worst of all, Dolphins LB Joey Porter has bragging rights! Ugh! He claims it wasn't a guarantee, but come on, he said it would be nice to get our first win. That's pretty much calling it.

Surprisingly he didn't throw the win in our face, saying his statements were more about the Patriots not being the same team without Tom Brady. While I buy Porter's post-game statements, I feel inside he's gloating about the whupping laid on the Pats.

Maybe we shouldn't be that surprised. Think back to when QB Drew Bledsoe was knocked out of the starting lineup in 2001. QB Tom Brady came in, won his first game, then was spanked by the Dolphins. In that regard, QB Matt Cassel's career is mirroring Brady's first two starts.

In that 2001 game, the Brady passed for 69 yards in a 30-10 loss that seemed worse than the final score indicated. The defense did a no-show as well, allowing 209 rushing yards.

Quite a parallel to Sunday's spanking as Cassel was a little more productive than Brady, but the offense was stagnant. The defense's performance was a carbon copy of 2001 as well, as they surrendered 216 yards.

These aren't isolated incidents. It doesn't matter how good or bad the teams are, Miami gives the Patriots trouble. Since 2001, they split the season series five times. It doesn't matter how good the Pats are, they almost always lose one game to the Dolphins:

Season  Final Score  Season W-L
2001       30-10           11-5
2002       26-13             9-7
2004       29-28           14-2
2005       28-26           10-6
2006       21-0             12-4

I don't think it's a case of Miami having New England's number. But for reasons only explained in the cosmos, the Dolphins bring the worst out of the Patriots. This is the team New England lost to 18 times in a row on the road between 1968 until the 1985 AFC Championship. The Dolphins are to the Patriots as the Yankees are to the Red Sox. That's just how it is between rivals.

Teams prefer going into a bye week with the momentum of a win. Maybe this loss will be a blessing in disguise. What better way to get the team to focus and work harder for the tough part of schedule?

Losses leave a bad taste in the mouth. With two weeks sucking on this loss, the Patriots should be really hungry for a sweet win when they return to action.