DOLPHINS 22, PATRIOTS 21

Dolphins 22, Patriots 21 MIAMI - The soul-searching began immediately following Tom Brady's final interception. Eyes down, heads low, and spirits even lower, the Patriots sought answers to the same questions. The solutions that never materialized. A 22-21 defeat at the hands of the Dolphins in front of 70,102 at Land Shark Stadium meant the Patriots have lost three of their last four. It's a reality they haven't faced since 2002. ``A lot of us need to look in the mirror and figure things out on our own,'' said receiver Wes Welker, who had 167 yards receiving. ``We need to make sure we're coming to play on a weekly basis, not just once in a while.'' Another second-half letdown, a slew of issues inside the 20-yard line, one more road defeat. Suddenly, the Patriots (7-5) lead the AFC East by just one game over the Dolphins and Jets. ``I have to coach better,'' coach Bill Belichick said, ``and we have to play better.'' The Patriots had a 14-0 lead after a 58-yard touchdown pass to Randy Moss and a 6-yard scoring run by Kevin Faulk. The lead was 21-10 in the third quarter after an 81-yard TD pass to Sam Aiken. Yet two punts and the first of two Brady interceptions in the fourth quarter allowed the Dolphins a big possession down two points with 3:44 left. ``We had a chance to control the game and we didn't,'' tight end Chris Baker said. ``We let them hang around.'' Thanks to a key 13-yard catch by Greg Camarillo on fourth-and-6 from the Pats 41 with two minutes left, the Dolphins took the lead with a 41-yard field goal from Dan Carpenter. Brady's comeback bid was aborted when linebacker Channing Crowder picked him off with 42 seconds left. ``That was a thing to see,'' Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said. Brady finished 19-of-29 for 352 yards with two touchdowns, despite an injury to the ring finger on his right hand. Yet his focus was on the team's soul, not his ailment. Sometimes, he said, the team battles. ``And other times, I don't think we fight very hard,'' Brady said. ``We have to find a way to close these games out.'' The comparisons to 2007 are long over. Too many imperfections to talk about perfection. The beleaguered secondary watched as Davone Bess (career-high 117 yards), Anthony Fasano (67) and Camarillo (61) ran wild. This wasn't the Saints or the Colts, when big plays came quickly. Yesterday, the production came in chunks at the expense of cornerbacks Darius Butler, Jonathan Wilhite and Leigh Bodden. Members of the secondary expressed confidence, but as safety Brandon Meriweather said, ``If I knew (the problem), we would've fixed it a long time ago.'' There were chances to put it away. Up seven in the second quarter, facing a fourth-and-1 from the Miami 6, Belichick went for a first down. Sammy Morris was stopped short. No points. ``I thought we could make it,'' Belichick said. It worked for the Dolphins, as Lousaka Polite gained 2 yards on fourth-and-1 in the third quarter, down 21-13. It paid off in large fashion, as Brian Hartline outjumped Bodden in the end zone. With the missed two-point conversion try, the Pats still had their lead, 21-19. Not for long. The Patriots couldn't put it away in the fourth quarter on second-and-goal from the 5. Brady's pass into the end zone to Moss was picked off by Vontae Davis, keeping Miami alive. Just another miss for a team that scored once in three chances inside the 20. ``That probably tells the story,'' Brady said. Brady's offense took over with 3:44 left in the fourth quarter, but went three-and-out. The door opened for Chad Henne (29-of-52, 335 yards), who hit Camarillo on fourth-and-6, setting up Carpenter's field goal. ``Back to the drawing board,'' linebacker Jerod Mayo said. - irapoport@bostonherald.com