By: Dan Podheiser, YawkeyTalkies Assistant Editor
The Patriots proved all the doubters wrong on Monday Night Football, defeating the Miami Dolphins 41-14 on the road.
After the first half, the Patriots looked like their usually potent offense would be held to a season-low in points.
But thanks to some timely plays on special teams and defense (I know, right!), the Pats exploded in the second half and ended up dominating their division rivals.
Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of how the Patriots fared on Monday night.
Quarterbacks
He may have thrown for a season-low (by far) 153 yards against the Dolphins, but the fact is, Tom Brady didn’t need to be a gunslinger against the Dolphins. What he needed to do was be accurate and consistent, and that’s exactly what he did. Brady completed 19 of his 24 pass attempts for a mere 6.4 yards per play, and ended up with a QB rating of 107.1. Even during the first half, when the offensive line gave him virtually no protection, Brady remained poised and did not throw the game away. That’s the beauty of Tom Brady. He can beat you in a single game with his arm, but he wins championships with his head.
Grade: A
Runningbacks
Well, what’dya know? [...]

Congrats Brady on WIN 1oo. Could he have done it bigger than this?
Let’s recap. 103-yard kick-off return, a blocked punt, a BLOCKED field goal and return, and an interception return.
Belichick SMILED.
Special Teams to Brady: Happy 100.

By: Scott Jackson, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
After Sunday’s game versus the Dolphins, the Pat’s first half is officially over. After throttling the Dolphins, the team moved to 6-2, good for first in the AFC East and third overall in the AFC. Now it’s time to grade game eight.

Quarterbacks:
Tom Brady completed 25 passes for 332 yards, including a 71 yard bomb to Randy Moss. The duo might’ve hooked up for another score, but rookie corner Vontae Davis came up with a beautiful interception. Though his performance wasn’t as impressive as his last two before last week’s bye, Brady looks to be back. In the first half of this season he threw for over 2300 yards and nailed 16 touchdown passes with only five interceptions. Just double those numbers, and you’ll see that Tom is on pace to be truely terrific again.
My Grade: A-
Running backs:
Laurence Maroney averaged a respectable 4.1 yards per carry, and ran for a touchdown. Kevin Faulk caught four passes for 35 yards out of the backfield. Both of those numbers are highly respectable for a team that doesn’t emphasize the run. Unfortunately though, the grade is weighed down by BenJarvus Green-Ellis’ drop in the endzone.
My Grade: B-
Recievers & Tight [...]