New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots picked up a thrilling 33-27 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Week 2 for their first win of the season. Easily the biggest play of the game came in the fourth quarter thanks to veteran running back Antonio Gibson.
With a 23-20 lead, the Patriots punted the ball away to the Dolphins, only for Malik Washington to take it 74 yards the other way for a touchdown. That gave Miami a 27-23 lead, and seemingly took the air out of New England’s sideline.
On the ensuing play, Gibson shifted the tide of the game in the Pats’ favor, as he ripped off a 90-yard kickoff return touchdown that gave his team a 30-27 lead, which they would not relinquish throughout the remainder of the game.
Without Gibson’s crucial score, there’s a decent chance the Patriots would have lost this game. Immediately after he returned to the sideline, rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson playfully said that Gibson hit a top speed of 18.5 mph on his return. Gibson quickly replied, saying that he thought he hit 20 mph.
“I got 20 (mph),” Gibson said. “I was moving. My head might have moved more than my legs.”
Sure enough, Gibson was correct, as his max speed on his return was 20.19 mph. That breakaway speed is a big reason why Gibson is returning kicks, as he left the Dolphins’ kickoff coverage unit in the dust as he raced to the endzone.
With a 1-1 record, the Patriots are turning the page to Week 3 now, where they will face a tough matchup against the new-look Pittsburgh Steelers. Kickoff for this game is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
