Before quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw three fourth-quarter interceptions and the Green Bay Packers ending their 26-20 win Sunday over the Miami Dolphins with 16 unanswered factors, the Dolphins have been in prime place. They led, 20-10, with an opportunity so as to add to it earlier than halftime, driving round midfield.
On the primary play following the primary half’s two-minute warning, working again Raheem Mostert ran between the tackles and misplaced a fumble that was compelled and recovered by Green Bay’s Jarran Reed.
Instead of Miami extending its lead, the Packers’ Mason Crosby related on a 46-yard discipline purpose with two seconds left earlier than intermission, and Green Bay was already getting the ball to start out the second half.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers led an 11-play, 78-yard drive that took 7:07 off the clock to start out the second half, and working again A.J. Dillon scored a 1-yard speeding landing.
The Dolphins’ 10-point lead was instantly erased. Miami kicker Jason Sanders missed a discipline purpose that would’ve given the lead again to the Dolphins. Green Bay added a pair of quick discipline targets from Crosby and intercepted Tagovailoa thrice within the last interval.
“Can’t turn the ball over, and I got to do my part to not contribute to that,” mentioned Mostert, who completed with 45 yards on eight carries. “I’m going to go back to the drawing board. I’m going to revamp what I got going on.”
Miami, after hitting large performs within the first half, together with a season-long 84-yard landing from Tagovailoa to Jaylen Waddle and a 52-yard move to Tyreek Hill that arrange a 1-yard Jeff Wilson landing, couldn’t maintain drives within the second half.
“They didn’t do anything new or different,” Tagovailoa mentioned of Green Bay. “They were playing the same defense, the same way that they played in the first half. Offensively, we just didn’t capitalize on our opportunities, and we were killing ourselves with a lot of the penalties that happened off of explosive plays.”
Added coach Mike McDaniel: “It was really the self-inflicted wounds for this game that really cost us.”
The Dolphins (8-7) additionally dedicated eight penalties for 62 yards Sunday.
Waddle dedicated an unlawful formation violation that negated a fourth-quarter 15-yard catch that may’ve set Miami up on the Packers 10-yard line proper earlier than Tagovailoa’s second interception.
Earlier, left sort out Terron Armstead dedicated a holding penalty, and heart Connor Williams was additionally referred to as for a maintain throughout a two-play sequence the place he snapped the ball excessive to Tagovailoa on the following play.
Dolphins entered wholesome
The Dolphins bought working Wilson to return to the backfield for Sunday’s loss.
Wilson missed final week’s loss on the Buffalo Bills with the hip harm he suffered within the Dec. 11 loss in Los Angeles to the Chargers. He entered Sunday questionable after being restricted in apply this previous week.
With Wilson again, Mostert nonetheless began Sunday coming off his 136-yard output final week at Buffalo. Mostert saved that up early with runs of 14 and 17 yards earlier than Wilson bought into the motion. Wilson scored a 1-yard landing within the second quarter.
Mostert averaged 5.6 yards per carry, amassing 45 on his eight makes an attempt, however did have the expensive fumble. Wilson went for 37 and the quick landing on his 9 carries.
Armstead (toe/pectoral/knee), outdoors linebackers Bradley Chubb (knee) and Jaelan Phillips (toe) and security Eric Rowe (hamstring) — who all additionally entered questionable — have been energetic Sunday and began. Chubb injured his hand and later returned with a membership round it.
Running again Myles Gaskin, who was questionable with an sickness, was inactive. Tackle Eric Fisher and vast receiver River Cracraft, each who entered uncertain with calf accidents, have been additionally out. Miami elevated veteran sort out Kendall Lamm and undrafted rookie vast receiver Braylon Sanders from the apply squad. Lamm didn’t play.
Healthy Dolphins inactives are quarterback Skylar Thompson, vast receiver Erik Ezukanma, tight finish Tanner Conner and cornerback Noah Igbinoghene. Teddy Bridgewater was obtainable to be Tagovailoa’s backup quarterback after lacking the previous 5 video games with a knee harm, however he didn’t play.
Fullback Alec Ingold sustained a thumb harm Sunday.
Second-coldest residence recreation
The Dolphins hosted their second-coldest residence recreation in franchise historical past Sunday with a kickoff temperature of 46.
The coldest was 40 levels at kickoff on Dec. 24, 1989 versus the Kansas City Chiefs.
Sunday’s “feels like” temperature in Miami Gardens was 40 levels.
No flex
The Dolphins’ Week 17 recreation on the New England Patriots (7-8) is not going to be flexed right into a Sunday evening matchup.
The NFL introduced a transfer to insert the Pittsburgh Steelers recreation towards the Ravens in Baltimore into the NBC prime-time slot, shifting the all-Los Angeles pairing of the Rams and Chargers to 4:25 p.m. Dolphins-Patriots will stay a 1 p.m. kickoff.
It was an intriguing choice, on condition that the Steelers, who saved playoff hopes alive in Week 16, might be eradicated earlier than the Sunday evening kickoff.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com