MIAMI – Randy Moss was feeling disrespected.

One man -- that’s all the Dolphins were putting on him most of the time on Sunday.

Single coverage.

Yes, it was inviting to Moss. Although, from a Miami standpoint, it was inviting trouble.

But, more than that, Moss felt it was insulting.

Hadn’t he set an NFL record last year by catching 23 touchdown passes -- four of them against Miami, two in each game?

And yet the Dolphins felt they could put one guy on him and keep him in check?

“I think they disrespected me by playing single coverage,” Moss said. “I don’t know why [coach Tony Sparano] disrespected me like that.

“I am who I am and I love to do what I do. I think if I see single coverage, I can beat anybody in this league. I don’t really care who it is. Anytime I feel disrespected, I want to go out there and make it happen.”

What happened was that Moss made the Dolphins’ decision to seldom roll the free safety his way very costly.

He caught 8 passes -- 3 of them for touchdowns – while racking up 125 receiving yards as the Patriots avenged an embarrassing, 38-13 loss to Miami in Foxboro in December by demolishing the Dolphins, 48-28.

Moss put the Pats ahead at halftime, 17-14, with a 25-yard, TD catch with 2:14 left in the second quarter. He brought them from behind again in the third quarter, when he hauled in an 8-yard scoring toss. Then, midway through the fourth quarter, he scored again – this time on a perfectly thrown, 29-yard pass from Matt Cassel.

“I’m always amazed,” Cassel said, “by what Randy can do. He’s got amazing hands and body control. He’s able to control the defender with his body, and then go up and get the ball. He’s a special player.”

Yet the Dolphins did nothing special yesterday to try to contain him.

“Most of the time,” Moss said, “the safety is over the top, so it looks like single (coverage), but it’s really double. Today was single coverage. The safety stayed in the middle.”

In addition to his three TD receptions, Moss also made a spectacular, one-handed catch along the sidelines in the first quarter.

“He’s a great player,” Pats coach Bill Belichick said. “He’s been like that for a long time. We’ve seen him do it time and again.”

The guy Moss burned most of the time was cornerback Will Allen, an 8-year veteran.

“It was 1-on-1,” said Allen, “and he made more plays than me. I have to give respect where respect is due. He’s a Pro Bowl-type wideout. He made more plays than I did. I give my respect to him.”

 It’s something the Dolphins should have done going into the game, rather than after it.