Dillon's hurting deeply, and in many ways

MIAMI -- Patriots running back Corey Dillon felt good after warmups yesterday and thought he was ready to go. But he appeared to injure his right calf on the first play of the game and didn't play again in the 23-16 win over Miami.

It was a difficult end to a stressful week for Dillon, whose father died last week.

Dillon, who sat out one game this season, said his status has been frustrating.

''I just have to get healthy," Dillon said. ''I'm just now getting halfway over the ankle, then for something else to come up and set me back is tough.

''It's been a tough week.

''I'm not able to do what I should be doing and I'm more frustrated with that than anything. It's going to take me to get 100 percent healthy, because right now I'm not."

Dillon said he left the team for a couple of days to attend his father's funeral. Back yesterday, he thought he could contribute. But he ran a delayed pass route on the game's first play -- a Tom Brady pass to Bethel Johnson -- and felt something in his lower right leg.

Trainers worked on his right calf for some time, before Dillon took a seat on the bench near the end of the first quarter.

The new injury is on the opposite side of the ankle injury Dillon has been dealing with since hurting it Oct. 9 in Atlanta.

''One injury just leads to another, now I might need to be airlifted everywhere I need to go," Dillon said. ''The extent of the injury I don't know. I can't tell at this time. I'll try my best get back.

''When I come back, I'm going to be 100 percent. I can't be 80, 'cause that leads to other stuff. So when I come back, I'm going to be ready. That's all I can look forward to."

Heath Evans replaced Dillon and rushed for a career-high 84 yards on 17 carries, the second-highest individual rushing total for the Patriots this season.

Brown plays some D

Last Thursday, Patriots coach Bill Belichick said receiver Troy Brown had not practiced with the defense because things hadn't gotten to the point where the team needed him to go both ways.

Apparently it has now.

Brown played several plays as a slot corner yesterday, almost all in long-yardage situations, coming in for the first time on the defense's third play from scrimmage with the Dolphins facing third-and-8.

''We used him in there a little bit in practice, and we thought he had a good week of practice, he made some nice plays on the ball," Belichick said.

''As we went through the preparations, we had other people in there as well, and we felt like by the end of the week, he was the best prepared."

Brown, who had three interceptions a year ago, wasn't credited with a tackle or pass breakup. ''Whatever it takes to win," he said.

Belichick said he is not sure whether more of Brown at corner is in the offing.

''I think it'll be week-to-week," he said. ''We'll do what we feel like is the best thing every week. I'm not sure what that will be."

Brady mentioned a possible Brown injury late in the game in his postgame remarks, but the nature of that injury could not be determined.

Seymour returns

Richard Seymour, playing for the first time in five games, said his left knee isn't completely healed, but he decided Friday that he was healthy enough to give it a go. ''I wasn't 100 percent, but I felt like I was at a point where I couldn't do any further damage to it," Seymour said. ''I wasn't as explosive as I needed to be, but I think at this point right now I can continue to build off this. It was good to get back out on the field and try to bring a physical presence." Seymour was credited with two tackles and he batted down a Gus Frerotte pass . . . Quarterback Tom Brady threw two interceptions, the first time he has thrown multiple picks in a game this season, and the first time he has done so since throwing four at Miami last December. ''They made pretty good plays on them," Brady said. ''The last one, I'm trying to go to a guy going one-on-one and laid it out there for Ben [Watson] and [Yeremiah Bell] undercut him and made a great play. The other one, I thought the guy had his back to the ball. I laid it up there for Troy and [Travares Tillman] spun around at the last minute and made a great play. I thought it was two excellent plays."

Mixing and matching

With rookie Ellis Hobbs getting his first ever start at cornerback and four-year veteran Michael Stone doing likewise at free safety, the Patriots now have used eight starting lineups in the secondary this season. Even more telling of their injury situation, they have started six players at free safety, including a new face each of the last five weeks . . . Brandon Gorin played virtually the entire game at right tackle in place of injured starter Tom Ashworth, who didn't make the trip. Even when healthy, Gorin has been used sparingly much of the season. He was inactive the first three games and did not play in the fourth. ''It felt good to be back out there to help the team and felt better to get a win," Gorin said. With Ashworth out, the Patriots activated Billy Yates off the practice squad, and he played for the first time this season. The Patriots lost center Dan Koppen to an arm injury late in the third quarter. He was replaced by Russ Hochstein. ''I'm proud of the offensive line for trying to stay physical," guard Stephen Neal said. ''It doesn't matter who we have, we're a unit. Koppen went down; Russ came in. We're all supposed to get the job done, whoever is in there. I guess I'm proud, not surprised." . . . Linebacker Chad Brown, moved to the bench when Tedy Bruschi returned to the lineup, had a special teams tackle, stopping Wes Welker on a kickoff return in the fourth quarter. It was Brown's first special teams tackle as a Patriot, and his third in the last 11 seasons.