There's No Defending the Cassel

QB Passes for 415 Yards As Patriots Get Payback In Key AFC East Battle: Patriots 48, Dolphins 28

MIAMI, Nov. 23 -- The New England Patriots might still have a ways to go to get their aura back, and chasing their lost invincibility will remain a quest for another season. But during the offensive shootout that erupted during Sunday's 48-28 victory over the Miami Dolphins, the AFC's reigning champions achieved a number of significant objectives.

They got revenge, for one, paying back Miami for a painful pounding in Foxborough, Mass., in September.

They also got the victory, of course, which has been a far more challenging proposition this season than previously. And, perhaps most importantly, they got an admirably veteran performance from a young quarterback, Matt Cassel, who managed to make a little history Sunday as he continued his high-speed mastery of the art of running an offense.

"We evened it up with Miami this year," New England Coach Bill Belichick said. "They got us pretty good up there, so we feel pretty good about evening the score down here."

As the Patriots climbed to 7-4, the Dolphins fell to 6-5, tripping as they tried to make a giant leap in esteem around the league. Considered plucky and inventive overachievers after four straight victories, they wanted to confirm themselves as an emerging power. But two months and two days after surprising the Patriots with a 38-13 thrashing, then winning five of their next seven games, the Dolphins looked a bit like they did all of last season in going 1-15: Overmatched.

"It's an embarrassing loss on a big stage with a big opportunity," Miami defensive end Vonnie Holliday said. "We're a team that's certainly building and changing a culture, and what we did today was the exact opposite of what we want to do."

And that was largely because of Cassel, who in his 10th start looked about as cool and composed as injured starter Tom Brady ever has as the Patriots continued their quest to regain the consistency they took for granted under Brady. Cassel dissected the Dolphins' defense thoroughly, strategically and even democratically. He completed 30 of 43 passes to six receivers for 415 yards and three touchdowns.

That gave Cassel two straight 400-yard performances, something not even Brady has achieved. In fact, the only others to do so represent an impressive crowd: Dan Fouts (1982), Dan Marino (1984), Phil Simms (1985) and Billy Volek (2004).

"I think Matt's getting in a comfort zone," said Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss, who caught all three of Cassel's touchdowns. "I think at the same time he's getting in his, we're getting in ours. He's played some hellafied ball."

So, too, did Moss, who moved into third place on the all-time receiving touchdowns list with 132, behind just Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens. He also made an inconceivable one-handed catch near the sideline and grabbed two of his eight catches (for a total of 125 yards) while being held or otherwise interfered with.

Moss, who after the game put on a brown pinstripe suit and shiny bronze tie along with diamond earrings, dark sunglasses and a black do-rag, explained his performance simply: single coverage. The Dolphins thought they could stop him, he said, with one defender in man-to-man coverage.

"I don't know why Coach [Tony Sparano] disrespected me like that," Moss said. "Any time I feel disrespected, I want to go out and make that happen. I think they disrespected me today."