FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Tom Brady actually threw an interception.

Don’t worry Patriots fans, your team finally has a decent defense and big-play special teams to step up when the NFL’s best offense falters.

On a day when Brady was picked off for the first time in six games and New England gained a season-low 321 yards, the once-suspect defense delivered. It had its second stingiest game of the year, allowing just 277 yards, in a 23-16 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

That clinched the ninth AFC East title in 10 years for the Patriots (9-3) and extended their winning streak to six games.

In their last three games, the Patriots have scored 11 touchdowns on offense, three on defense and two on special teams.

They’ve cut down on the long completions by opposing quarterbacks. They’ve improved over the last two games from allowing the fifth most yards in the NFL to seventh.

Their turnover differential has gotten much better with 17 takeaways and just three giveaways during their sixgame surge.

“(Sunday) was a great example of a team win,” offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said. “The defense really has made a lot of plays for us all season long, set us up with great field position with turnovers, and given us opportunities to get the ball in plus-field position a number of times.”

“We don’t go into any game thinking, ‘It’s going to be this way or it’s going to be that way. This is going to be a 50-49 game or it’s going to be a 3-2 game or that kind of thing,”’ Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “Ultimately, at the end, it comes down to being able to make the plays you need to make to win the game.”

They did that Sunday.