The New England Patriots closed out their regular-season slate in Week 18 with another dominant victory. In their rematch with the Miami Dolphins, the Patriots cruised to a 38-10 win, giving them a 14-3 record heading into the postseason.
While Miami kept things close in the first half, New England eventually managed to pull away, and it did not let off the gas pedal as it ran up the score. As the Patriots’ lead increased, so too did the team’s trash talk towards the Dolphins.
Throughout this game, New England completely shut down Miami’s rushing attack, as it picked up just 63 yards on 25 attempts. Late in the game, defensive tackle Cory Durden made sure to let running back Ollie Gordon know of his struggles in NSFW fashion.
After struggling to slow down opposing rushing attacks over the past couple of weeks, the Patriots’ defensive front put together a great performance that it can build off of heading into the postseason. Granted, it came against the Dolphins’ backups (De’Von Achane did not play in this one), but still, it was a lot better than what we have seen in recent weeks.
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In his first season with the Pats, Durden has emerged from seemingly out of nowhere to play a key role on the defensive line. He’s suited up for all 17 games (four starts), racking up 30 tackles, five of which went for a loss, and one quarterback hit.
With Milton Williams back from injured reserve, Durden’s snaps will likely decrease in the postseason, but he will be called upon to help slow down opposing rushing attacks when he’s on the field. The Patriots will be back in action on Sunday night for their first postseason matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Featured image via David Butler II/Imagn Images
