Pats blow shot at bye as Miami stuns New England

Ryan Fitzpatrick tossed a 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mike Gesicki with just 24 seconds left in the game as the Miami Dolphins upset the host New England Patriots 27-24 on Sunday afternoon at Foxborough, Mass. The Patriots (12-4), who started the season 8-0, could have clinched a first-round playoff bye with the win. Instead, their loss combined with Kansas City's win over the Los Angeles Chargers dropped the Pats to the No. 3 seed -- and means New England must play in the wild-card round while the Chiefs get the bye.

This will mark the first time since 2009 the Patriots did not get a first-round bye in the playoffs. That season, New England won the AFC East but lost in the wild-card round to Baltimore. Since Tom Brady became New England's starting quarterback, the Patriots have had to play in the wild-card round three times. They are 1-2 in wild-card games and are 3-3 and failed to reach the Super Bowl in those three postseasons. Miami (5-11), which started this season 0-7, won in New England for the first time since 2008. The Dolphins entered this game as 16-point underdogs.

Brady, who passed for 221 yards and two touchdowns with one interception, is 15-2 at home against Miami. Fitzpatrick completed 28-of-41 passes for 320 yards and one touchdown, with no interceptions.

Dolphins receiver DeVante Parker had a big game with eight catches for 137 yards. But one of Miami's biggest moments came in the second quarter when former Patriots cornerback Eric Rowe scored on a 35-yard interception return. It was Rowe's first interception of the season and the first pick-six Brady has ever thrown against Miami.

Miami, beaten 43-0 at home by the Patriots on Sept. 15, got off to a great start on Sunday, taking a 10-0 lead on Jason Sanders' 27-yard field goal and Rowe's pick-six. Rowe stepped in front of Julian Edelman to make his play. But New England went into halftime tied 10-10 on Nick Folk's 25-yard field goal and Sony Michel's 4-yard scoring run.

The teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter. Fitzpatrick scrambled for a 2-yard score, and linebacker Elandon Roberts -- who moonlights as a fullback -- caught a 38-yard TD pass from Brady, breaking a tackle along the way. It was Roberts' first career catch. Miami took a 20-17 lead on Sanders' 32-yard field goal with 8:29 left in the fourth.

New England took its first lead of the game, 24-20, on an eight-play, 60-yard drive that ended with a third-and-goal screen pass to James White that became a 13-yard touchdown. Fitzpatrick then rallied Miami, engineering a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, with the flip to Gesicki at the end.

Brady tried to force overtime with a potential field-goal drive, but the Patriots could only gain 12 yards on five plays. --Field Level Media