Patriots back on track with win over Dolphins

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots emphatically answered their doubters Sunday, marching to a 38-7 NFL victory over the previously unbeaten Miami Dolphins.

The five-time Super Bowl champion Patriots emerged from their early season doldrums to avoid losing three straight games for the first time since the 2002 season.

New England scored three touchdowns in the second quarter and led 38-0 before the Dolphins put a touchdown on the board late in the fourth, improving to 2-2 as they avoided falling three games behind AFC East division leaders Miami.

The Dolphins were denied their first 4-0 start since Hall of Fame coach Don Shula’s final season in 1995.

Brady threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns and the Patriots demonstrated the consistency they lacked in defeats to Jacksonville and Detroit.

The only downside for the Patriots was the departure of tight end Rob Gronkowski with a right ankle injury in the third quarter.

“Today is a big one to build on,” said Brady, who was nevertheless already focusing on a looming Thursday clash with Indianapolis.

“It’s a short week and we’ve got to get ready an try to go beat the Colts,” he said.

The Dolphins next take on the Cincinnati Bengals, who shook off an ugly leg injury to tight end Tyler Eifert to edge the Falcons 37-36 in Atlanta.

The Bengals built a 28-24 halftime lead before losing Eifert, who was in obvious pain after he was brought down after a third-quarter catch with his right ankle twisting badly.

Cincinnati’s Tyler Eifert is taken from the field after suffering a lower leg injury in the Bengals’ NFL Week 4 victory over the Atlanta Falcons

He was carted off the field with the leg in an air cast.

The Bengals fell behind 36-31 before Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton authored a last-gasp touchdown drive, connecting with A.J. Green on a 13-yard scoring pass to seal the victory.

“There’s no quit in our guys,” Dalton said. “Even with the setbcks we didn’t flinch, we just kept going.”

Amid reports he was heading for likely season-ending surgery Eifert, who caught a 15-yard TD pass, tweeted his disappointment and resolve.

“This was the hardest I’ve worked to put myself in a position to help this team succeed and having this happen crushes me,” he wrote. “If I’ve learned anything from before, it’s not a time for self pity and negativity.”

That was just one of a bevy of close games on Sunday.

The Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans and Oakland Raiders all won in overtime, while the Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Chargers notched narrow victories.

The Titans converted three fourth downs in overtime to beat the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles 26-23.

The Texans snapped a nine-game losing streak as they edged the Indianapolis Colts 37-34.

Houston’s Ka’imi Fairbairn watches the ball after kicking the winning field goal in the Texans’ NFL Week 4 victory over the Indianapolis Colts

Houston’s Ka’imi Fairbairn nailed a 37-yard field goal as overtime expired to seal the Texans’ first win since last November.

Houston had regained the ball with 24 seconds remaining when the Colts threw an incomplete pass on fourth down and four in an aggressive bid for the victory.

The defeat spoiled a landmark day for Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri, who surpassed Morten Andersen for most career field goals in NFL history. Vinatieri passed Andersen with his 566th career field goal in the first half and his 567th had given Indianapolis a 34-31 lead in overtime.

The Raiders rallied past the Browns for a 45-42 win. Derek Carr threw four touchdown passes and a two-point conversion with 30 seconds left in regulation and Matt McGrane converted a 29-yard field goal in overtime.

Seattle’s Sebastian Janikowski kicks the game-winning field goal in the Seahawks’ NFL Week 4 victory over the Arizona Cardinals

Sebastian Janikowski’s 52-yard field goal as time expired lifted the Seahawks to a 20-17 win over Arizona. Coach Pete Carroll called it a “bittersweet” victory after Seattle saw safety Earl Thomas carted off with a broken left leg in the third quarter — Thomas making a defiant gesture toward the Cardinals bench as he was driven away.

In Dallas, Brett Maher booted a 38-yard field goal as time expired to seal the Cowboys’ 26-24 victory over Detroit.

The Chargers rallied from an early deficit to edge the San Francisco 49ers 29-27.