Van Noy details Week 1 slight that motivated Dolphins vs. Pats

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The New England Patriots' season-opening win over the Miami Dolphins feels like years ago.

But the Dolphins apparently didn't forget it.

The Patriots won that Week 1 matchup 21-11 at Gillette Stadium. Cam Newton tallied two rushing touchdowns in the first game of the post-Tom Brady era, while New England's defense clamped down on Ryan Fitzpatrick and Co.

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The Patriots were feeling pretty good after that victory -- and Dolphins linebacker Kyle Van Noy and his teammates took notice.

"They kind of schemed us up the first time," Van Noy told The MMQB's Albert Breer on Sunday after Miami exacted revenge with a 22-12 win that eliminated his former team from playoff contention. "I’m going to keep it real, they thought everything was good … if that makes sense.

"They were all laughing and joking. We remembered that, and we’re in a different situation than they were. They were basically already eliminated. We just needed to basically finish it, and we did that today.

"I think the honeymoon’s over. We got the job done."

Another sign that Week 1 didn't sit well with the Dolphins? A postgame scuffle broke out between the teams after that game, with Newton -- who claimed a Miami player tried to snatch his chain -- at the center.

While the Patriots put that game in their rearview mirror, Van Noy apparently circled this Sunday on his calendar.

"I think it's been 99 days," Van Noy said when Breer asked about the Dolphins being upset with how the Patriots reacted to that Week 1 win.

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The AFC East rivals have gone in drastically different directions since September: New England lost four of its next five games and stands at 6-8, while Miami is currently a playoff team at 9-5.

Van Noy has never been shy about speaking his mind and finding an edge wherever he can, so it's no surprise he took pleasure in Sunday's revenge game.

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