Patriots Stay Hot on a Snowy Day

The New England Patriots shrugged off the snow, then watched their hardy fans fling it in celebration of the team’s AFC East title.

“You couldn’t miss that. That was pretty cool,” quarterback Tom Brady said. “Hopefully, there’s more excitement down the road.”

The Patriots beat the Miami Dolphins, 12-0, Sunday, but didn’t take control until Tedy Bruschi returned an interception five yards for a touchdown that made it 10-0 with 8 minutes 55 seconds left. It was the fourth touchdown of his career.

“It seems like every time he catches it he ends up in the end zone,” Patriot Coach Bill Belichick said. “I should put him on offense.”

Bruschi ran into the end zone and dropped to his knees as teammates swarmed around him.

Then, many of the 45,738 fans who braved the cold clutched fistfuls of powdery snow and flung them into the wind, giving the stadium a festive, frosty air.

The Patriots (11-2) won their ninth consecutive game and tied Kansas City for the NFL’s best record. Two of those wins were against division rival Miami (8-5), which would give them an edge in a tiebreaker.

A Nor’easter had dumped at least 28 inches of snow on the Foxboro area from late Friday night until it ended midway through the second quarter. The field had been protected, and there was only a light coating of snow for most of the game. But it was soft and muddy.

“It didn’t matter,” Miami defensive end Adewale Ogunleye said. “Snow, mud, blood, who cares? It doesn’t affect blocking and tackling. They just did it better.”

The shutout was New England’s second in four weeks, both 12-0, and the first suffered by Miami in 32 games.

With Ricky Williams leading their running game, the Dolphins were expected to benefit more from the sloppy field. Instead, they struggled to move the ball, getting out-gained 228 yards to 134. Williams finished with 68 yards in 25 carries.

The Patriots won their fourth consecutive home game without giving up a defensive touchdown, outscoring those opponents, 53-9.