Dolphins suffer crushing last-second loss to Cardinals in Tua’s return to play
By David Furones, South Florida Sun-Sentinel,
2 days ago
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa scrambles against the Arizona Cardinals Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel/TNS
MIAMI GARDENS — Even as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returned, the Miami Dolphins found a new devastating way to lose.
The normally reliable defense was torn up by Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray and his top two targets, and the Dolphins surrendered a last-second field goal to fall, 28-27, on Sunday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium .
With Cardinals kicker Chad Ryland converting on his 34-yard kick as time expired, it sent Miami down for a loss for the fifth time in its past six games. Now 2-5, each defeat is putting the Dolphins against the ropes for their playoff hopes in 2024.
“Pardon my French, but no opponent that we play the rest of the year will give a s—,” coach Mike McDaniel said of the team’s need to find resolve in a hurry. “I’m disappointed, and it’s frustrating. … As tough as it is, you have to immediately take your energy to your next game, while learning lessons from this game.”
It looks even more grim for the Dolphins when it’s considered that the next game comes on the road against the Buffalo Bills, an AFC East rival which has gotten the best of Miami in 12 of the past 13 meetings.
“We got to beat them. They’re good. It’s the same thing over and over. We got to beat them,” said a still-hopeful Tagovailoa, who was out of the lineup for the previous four games due to a concussion suffered against the Bills on Sept. 12. “There’s always time, brother.”
Added veteran defensive tackle Calais Campbell, a touted leader on the team: “As long as there’s life left, we’re going to fight.”
Tagovailoa, playing for the first time in 45 days, was 28 of 38 for 234 yards and a touchdown.
“It feels good (to be back), but a tough loss (Sunday) against a really good team,” Tagovailoa said. “So that diminishes, not just what I’ve done, but a lot of what other guys have done individually, as well.”
While not throwing an interception, his costly turnover of a mishandled snap sent momentum in the Cardinals’ favor while the Dolphins held a 10-point lead in the second half.
He completed six of his passes, for 72 yards, to star wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Running back De’Von Achane had 97 rushing yards, plus 50 receiving and a touchdown through the air.
Murray, often escaping pass rushers and extending plays, was 26 of 36 for 307 yards and two touchdowns. He picked up a rushing first down that allowed the Cardinals to run out the clock before Ryland’s winning kick.
“He’s up there in the best in the business making guys miss and we had a lot of opportunities on him,” said Campbell, who had five tackles, a forced fumble and a pass deflection. “A lot of guys, unblocked, getting to him and he just makes a guy miss.”
Arizona tight end Trey McBride and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. both surpassed 100 receiving yards, with Harrison adding a touchdown to his 111 yards and McBride going for 124 yards on nine receptions.
Dolphins cornerback Cam Smith, who was in the lineup in his first game off IR from a hamstring injury with Kader Kohou out, said there were breakdowns and miscommunications in the secondary, including on himself.
Much of the good for Tagovailoa occurred on near consecutive plays in the third quarter. Before his first touchdown pass back from this latest concussion, Tagovailoa scrambled left for a 13-yard gain to get inside the Cardinals 10-yard line.
But more important than the yardage gained for Tagovailoa was how he finished the play. Tagovailoa slid, learning from his previous mistake of ramming his head into a defender, which led to the concussion against Buffalo Week 2.
“I thought that was super cool,” Tagovailoa said of the crowd reaction. “I think anyone would think that’s awesome.”
Two plays later, Tagovailoa flung a screen out wide to the left to Achane, and the blocking in front of him allowed him to waltz into the end zone.
The momentum was building for the Dolphins, with a 20-10 lead, but it was erased quickly when Tagovailoa mishandled a quick snap from center Aaron Brewer, which appeared to be on target. Tagovailoa batted the ball through the back of the end zone for a safety.
“I got to catch the ball. That’s it,” Tagovailoa said of the play that begun to swing momentum in Arizona’s favor.
On the Cardinals’ ensuing possession, Murray made an impressive 22-yard touchdown throw to Harrison, who beat cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the sideline in the end zone. Arizona tried to run running back James Conner for the 2-point conversion, but linebacker Jordyn Brooks brought down the airborne Conner for the stop. The Miami lead was 20-18 at the end of the third period.
After Arizona failed to tie the game, the Dolphins extended their lead back to two scores when running back Raheem Mostert cruised into the end zone after kicking an inside run outside to the right for the 12-yard touchdown, his second. Miami went up, 27-18, early in the fourth quarter.
But it wasn’t over yet. The Cardinals drove 70 yards to get back within two, 27-25, in the middle of the period with Harrison and McBride picking up chunk plays and Conner punching it in from 2 yards away. It made it so the Cardinals just needed a field goal on their final drive after getting a defensive stop.
The Dolphins scored a touchdown on their first series with Tagovailoa back in the driver’s seat of the offense. Mostert punched the ball into the end zone from 1 yard out to cap the 10-play 64-yard drive.
Miami worked its way down the field despite fumbling twice on the possession. Tagovailoa had the ball stripped on a sack by defensive end Dante Stills, who beat left guard Robert Jones, but right tackle Austin Jackson recovered. Tight end Julian Hill also took a flip pass from Tagovailoa down to the 1-yard line before he had the ball punched out for a Jones recovery. The series started with favorable field position because of Dee Eskridge’s electric opening kick return in place of the injured Braxton Berrios.
The Dolphins defense immediately forced the Cardinals into a three-and-out, with Ramsey and Campbell batting Murray passes back at him at or behind the line of scrimmage. Ramsey came in on a nickel blitz.
Miami followed the stop up by driving 40 yards in 12 plays, despite another fumble on a mishandled snap between Tagovailoa and Brewer, to take a 10-0 lead on a 53-yard Jason Sanders field goal.
Early in the second quarter, the Cardinals answered back, 10-7, with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Murray to wide receiver Michael Wilson, who was left alone in the back of the end zone on the third-and-goal play. Murray bought time, escaping the blitzing Ramsey as Wilson shook his defender with the threat of Murray running in for a touchdown.
Cardinals tight end Elijah Higgins, a 2023 sixth-round pick of Miami, nearly scored on the team that drafted him, taken down at the 1-yard line moments before Arizona scored.
The two teams exchanged field goals between the end of the first half and start of the second as Sanders’ chip shot from 25 yards made it 13-7 at halftime and Chad Ryland’s booming 57-yarder early in the quarter got the 3 points back for Arizona before Tagovailoa threw his first touchdown back later in the third.
The Dolphins, after their first home game in nearly a month, are back on the road for their next two, visiting Buffalo next Sunday before a Monday night game at the Los Angeles Rams.
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Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) runs for s first down against the Arizona Cardinals Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
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