The Miami Dolphins turned to Joey Harrington with Daunte Culpepper sidelined. The New England Patriots capitalized on the backup quarterback's rustiness.

Asante Samuel intercepted two passes by Harrington that led to two touchdowns, and New England overcame a mediocre performance by Tom Brady and beat Miami 20-10 on Sunday.

The Patriots (4-1) matched their season total with three takeaways and dealt another blow to the Dolphins (1-4), whose acquisition of Culpepper in the off-season was hailed as a major upgrade but were undone my numerous mistakes.

Culpepper missed the game with a bruised shoulder, a cumulative result of the 21 sacks he endured in the first four games.

Harrington, Detroit's starter in his other four NFL seasons, took his first snaps this season and was sacked just once. He completed 26 of 41 passes for 232 yards, but the two interceptions were too much to overcome.

The Dolphins cut a 13-point deficit to 13-10, but Samuel's second interception dampened the comeback hopes.

On a third-and-5 at the Patriots 17, Harrington's hard pass down the middle went off Wes Welker's hands and into the hands of Samuel, who returned the ball two yards to the 24.

After an incompletion and a two-yard run by Laurence Maroney, Brady underthrew the ball to Doug Gabriel on the right side of the end zone. But Will Allen was called for defensive pass interference, putting the ball at the 1. Brady threw a one-yard touchdown pass to Heath Evans on the next play with 9:47 to go.

Brady completed 16 of 29 passes for 140 yards as the Patriots were outgained 283 yards to 213.

The first turnover, a recovery by Tedy Bruschi of Ronnie Brown's fumble on Miami's third play from scrimmage, led to Stephen Gostkowski's 35-yard field goal.

Miami's Olindo Mare had his 40-yard field-goal attempt blocked by Mike Wright before Gostkowski made it 6-0 with a 31-yard field goal on New England's second possession.

The Dolphins' third series didn't go any better. Harrington's pass on the fourth play was intercepted by Samuel, who returned it 26 yards to the Miami 10. Two plays later, Brady threw a 10-yard scoring pass down the middle to Troy Brown for a 13-0 lead midway through the second quarter.

Then Harrington outplayed Brady for the rest of the second and all of the third quarter, helping cut the lead to 13-10 on Brown's two-yard run and Mare's 40-yard field goal.

But Mare missed a 50-yarder with six minutes left.

Another play in the kicking game cost the Dolphins field position, if not points. With a fourth-and-5 at the Miami 36, punter Donnie Jones dropped the snap and fell on it before being tackled by Wright, giving the Patriots the ball at their 46. But New England punted the ball back.