New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins

The New England Patriots won the Conference Championships game on 1986-01-12 against the Miami Dolphins 0-0. . . . For the other side Tony Eason went 10 of 12 for 71 yards with 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Craig James ran for 105 on 22 carries. The closing two-minute drill produced the kind of in-game adjustment the staff has been calling.[1][2]

The New England Patriots took the Conference Championships game over the Miami Dolphins on 1986-01-12. . . .

The afternoon's outcome maps to the kind of postseason game-script both staffs have been projecting since the regular season closed. The offensive line's pocket time on the dropbacks produced the kind of pass-protection the winning playbook called. The defensive unit's pressure produced the kind of takeaway that defined the closing two quarters. The Conference Championships's afternoon ends with the projected outcome.

The week of preparation produced the kind of game-plan continuity the wire copy has been writing into. The closing-drive coverage was the kind of stop the winning unit has been generating.

New England Patriots 0, Miami Dolphins 0. The Conference Championships's box score reads: . . . On the other side: Tony Eason went 10 of 12 for 71 yards with 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Craig James ran for 105 on 22 carries.

The New England Patriots's Conference Championships game against the Miami Dolphins on 1986-01-12 ended with the kind of game-script the wire copy has been writing into. The conference bracket continues to shape across the calendar's projected postseason pacing.

How it unfolded

. . . The Sunday's offensive output produced the kind of full-sixty pace both playbooks have been working through across the bye-week preparation. On the defensive side Tony Eason went 10 of 12 for 71 yards with 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, and Craig James ran for 105 on 22 carries.

The turning point

The in-game adjustment that, in postseason play, decided the closing two quarters. The winning front's pressure on the third-down dropbacks produced the kind of pass-rush volume the unit has been generating across the calendar's back half.

By the numbers

. The lead-back rotation: . Receiver room: .

Personnel watch

The rotation produced the kind of full-sixty effort both staffs have been projecting. The offensive line's pocket time was the kind that, in postseason play, anchors the bye-week preparation. The receiver room's distribution carried the offensive production.

What it means

The Conference Championships's outcome maps to the projected postseason pacing. The next-round bracket continues. The film room note is the in-game adjustment that decided the closing two quarters.