Dec. 29 (UPI) -- The Miami Dolphins sent Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots into the wild-card round with a stunning 27-24 upset win over New England on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Mike Gesicki with 24 seconds remaining to deny the Patriots of a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs.
New England (12-4) will have to play in the opening weekend of the postseason for the first time since 2009. Under head coach Bill Belichick, the Patriots have never reached the Super Bowl while playing in the wild-card round.
The Dolphins (5-11) raced out to a 10-0 lead in the second quarter after Jason Sanders' 27-yard field goal and former Patriots cornerback Eric Rowe's pick-6. Rowe stepped in front of Brady's pass to Julian Edelman and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown. It marked Brady's first career pick-6 against Miami.
New England equalized the score before halftime following a 25-yard kick by Nick Folk and Sony Michel's 4-yard touchdown run. Midway through the third quarter, Fitzpatrick scrambled for a 2-yard score to give the Dolphins a 17-10 lead.
Later in the third frame, Brady connected with linebacker and part-time fullback Elandon Roberts for a 38-yard touchdown. After a 32-yard field goal by Sanders, Brady gave the Patriots their first lead of the game with a 13-yard touchdown pass to running back James White with 3:53 left in the fourth quarter.
Trailing 24-20, Fitzpatrick directed the Dolphins' game-winning drive to deny the Patriots of an undefeated division record for the second consecutive season.
Brady completed 16-of-29 passes for 221 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Michel tallied 74 yards and one score on 18 carries.
Fitzpatrick was 28-of-41 passing with 320 yards and one passing touchdown. He added five carries for 15 yards and one score on the ground.
The Patriots, locked into the No. 3 seed in the AFC, will play either the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans or Oakland Raiders next weekend.
