The Phinsider Vault - The Wildcat Beatdown in Foxboro

2008 - Week 3 - Dolphins 38, Patriots 13

The Miami Dolphins were 1-20 in their previous 21 regular season games.

The New England Patriots were 21-0 in their previous 21 regular season games.

We all know what happened next...

Turtle's Tidbits :

• While this is definitely ranked as a top 5 game in my lifetime, I have to admit this was easily the most FUN game I've ever watched in my life.

• Sometimes after blowout victories I often feel bad for the opponent (San Diego in 2014, Houston in 2015)... I didn't feel bad here. In fact, I wish we scored more.

• The Patriots 25-point home loss was the worst they suffered in Gillette in the last 7 years prior to this game. Can you say they seemed a bit deflated after this victory?

• The stat above the video still blows my mind. In the 21 games before this game was played, the Patriots had won 20 more games than Miami. That's easily the most lopsided streak two oppositions have ever faced in NFL history. I've looked everywhere for the line on this game and can't seem to find it so if you know how much New England was favored by please let me know in the comments below.

• All Dolphins fans love Ronnie Brown. It's just a fact. This game is the number one reason why. FIVE Touchdowns. It was Ronnie Brown vs. New England. Ronnie Brown won.

• Despite the wildcat beatdown, Miami's defense stepped up too, perhaps motivated by Ronnie Brown's epic performance. They held the Pats to 216 total yards, despite giving up an average of 276 passing yards alone in the two previous weeks.

• Watch our guards pull on the wildcat formation plays and watch Ronnie hit the hole right behind them. It's a thing of beauty. I believe our starting guards were Justin Smiley and another D. Thomas; this year it was Donald though, not Dallas. Both blocked extremely well this game and so did tight end David Martin. Was this the last time we had good blocking from guards and tight ends?

• Ellis Hobbs got trucked so hard by Ronnie Brown in the endzone that he retired the next day. Just go with it, no need to look it up.

• You know Anthony Fasano owned the football punch celebration before Travis Kelce got famous for it. Maybe he taught him that when they were teammates in Kansas City? If not, I'd be on the phone with my lawyer, Anthony!

• Random fact: our starting fullback this season was a guy named Boomer Grigsby. He was eventually replaced by Patrick Cobbs, who played a more hybrid pass-catching role similar to Charles Clay. I just wanted to point this out because I had no idea this was a real person, but he's got the most perfect fullback name I've ever heard and needed to share this information with somebody. You're welcome.

• This win didn't only decimate New England, it inspired Miami the rest of the season. After starting 0-2, Miami finished the 2008 season 11-3 and capped off their first AFC East Title since 2000.