Patriots Snuff Dolphins Strong Defensive Performance Helps New England Advance

The Patriots defense peaks for the playoffs. That’s not likely to change, even with Dan Marino and the Dolphins’ bumbling offense finally out of the way.

New England completed a rare three-game season sweep of Miami, stealing signals and passes and manhandling Marino again, and won 17-3 Sunday.

Next stop: a second-round game Saturday in Pittsburgh, the only team to beat the Patriots in their last six games. The Steelers are one of three teams held without a touchdown in New England’s last four playoff games, two of them on the Patriots’ roll to last season’s Super Bowl.

“Our defense has come together,” cornerback Jimmy Hitchcock said. “Their whole offensive line was confused. Dan Marino was confused.”

Marino also was constantly pressured - four sacks, nine hurries, six knockdowns, four deflections and, most importantly, two interceptions.

“I made two mistakes, two interceptions,” Marino said. “When that happens, we’re not good enough to overcome that.”

Chris Slade’s 22-yard return with an interception set up Drew Bledsoe’s 24-yard scoring pass to Troy Brown late in the first half. And Todd Collins’ 40-yard interception return for a touchdown early in the third quarter put the Patriots (11-6) ahead 14-0.

The Patriots called a defensive audible, allowing Collins to move into the left flat after he recognized Marino’s signals.

“He was looking right at me,” Collins said. “He threw it and that sort of surprised me, but I’ll take it.”

It was a sad reminder for Miami (9-8) and Marino of a 27-24 loss Nov. 23, also in Foxboro Stadium, in which he threw three interceptions, two returned for touchdowns by Hitchcock and Larry Whigham.

And on Monday night, in a 14-12 win in Miami that gave the Patriots their second consecutive AFC East title, Marino fumbled a snap, then threw an interception as he was being blitzed, ending Miami’s hopes in the final two minutes.

“Playing them three times (in six weeks), we kind of know those guys and their tendencies,” cornerback Ty Law said.

Only a 38-yard field goal by Olindo Mare 19 seconds into the fourth quarter kept the Dolphins, with a poor ground game and a passing attack to match, from their first playoff shutout, a stretch of 31 games. Miami gained a team-record playoff low of 162 yards and was held to 42 on the ground.

The Dolphins recovered an onside kick after Mare’s field goal made the score 17-3, but Marino fumbled the ball away on the next play.

“When you can’t run the football,” Miami coach Jimmy Johnson said, “you don’t have a football team.”

Johnson lost in his first playoff game with Miami after winning two Super Bowls at Dallas. Pete Carroll was a winner in his first playoff game as a head coach.

Marino’s future had been up in the air, but he is under contract and, after the game, Johnson said he wants Marino back. He completed only 17 of 43 passes for 141 yards.

Of Marino’s 13 interceptions this season, six came against New England.

The Patriots are the 11th team since 1950 to sweep three games against the same opponent in one season. And of the 10 times teams played each other in both the regular-season finale and their opening playoff game, the Patriots are the fourth to win both.

Patriots 17, Dolphins 3

Miami 0 0 0 3 - 3

New England 0 7 10 0 - 17

Second quarter

NE-Brown 24 pass from Bledsoe (Vinatieri kick), 10:27.

Third quarter

NE-Collins 40 interception return (Vinatieri kick), 14:05.

NE-FG Vinatieri 22, 1:58.

Fourth quarter

Mia-FG Mare 38, 14:51.

A-60,041.

Mia NE

First downs 10 15

Rushes-yards 17-42 31-108

Passing 120 120

Punt Returns 5-45 2-10

Kickoff Returns 3-77 1-17

Interceptions Ret. 0 2-62

Comp-Att-Int 17-43-2 16-32-0

Sacked-Yards Lost 4-21 3-19

Punts 7-37.4 7-36.7

Fumbles-Lost 2-1 2-0

Penalties-Yards 5-21 5-31

Time of Possession 26:09 33:51

Individual statistics

RUSHING-Miami, Parmalee 9-22, Abdul-Jabbar 5-16, McPhail 1-4, Marino 1-2, Pritchett 1-(minus 2). New England, Cullors 22-86, Grier 6-16, Bledsoe 2-4, Meggett 1-2.

PASSING-Miami, Marino 17-43-2-141. New England, Bledsoe 16-32-0-139.

RECEIVING-Miami, McPhail 5-28, Thomas 3-62, Parmalee 3-13, McDuffie 3-6, Perriman 1-13, Jordan 1-11, Drayton 1-8. New England, Glenn 4-57, Coates 4-25, Brown 2-32, Meggett 2-11, Jefferson 1-7, Purnell 1-4, Gash 1-3, Cullors 1-0.

MISSED FIELD GOALS-New England, Vinatieri 48 (WL), 47 (WR).