The Miami Dolphins went to Baltimore and, within seconds, were down 7-0 after a 103-yard opening kickoff return by the Ravens’ Devin Duvernay. To make matters worse, on the ensuing possession, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw the first of two opening-half interceptions.
Luckily for Miami, the Dolphins made a goal-line stand to hold the Ravens and stop the early bleeding. Lamar Jackson had a perfect passer rating in the first half on way to a 28-7 halftime lead for Baltimore, but this game was a tale of two halves.
Miami came out of the locker room clearly inspired, as they opened the third quarter with a 12-play drive that was capped with a back-of-the-endzone touchdown by athletic tight end Mike Gesicki.
The Dolphins’ defense responded with a stop, only to have Miami punt the ball back after a stalled drive. Disaster struck when Jackson took a third-and-2 run 79 yards for a nearly back-breaking score.
Tagovailoa mustn’t have gotten the end-of-game memo because his time was just about to start. Down 35-to-14, the Dolphins entered the fourth quarter on their last fin. What Tagovailoa did en route to a 42-38 victory was one for the ages in Dolphins’, and even NFL, lore.
Here are some of Week 2’s news and notes from an unforgettable game.
In the fourth quarter, Tagovailoa was 13-17 for 199 and four touchdowns with a quarterback rating of 154.2 for the frame. In that same quarter, Tagovailoa hit Tyreek Hill on all five targets for 142 yards and two touchdowns.
Hill and Jaylen Waddle did something today that Mark Clayton and Mark Duper never did. Hill and Waddle each had two touchdowns in the same game Sunday. Several times, one of the “Marks Brothers” had a pair or more, while the other had one in a game, but they never had multiple in the same contest.
Duper’s high reception game was nine, and he had four games with eight. Clayton’s high game was 10, and he had nine three times, and eight three times. They never caught eight-plus each in the same game. Hill and Waddle caught 11 each on Sunday.
To put into perspective what Hill and Waddle did today, per NFL Research, it’s the first time, in the Super Bowl era, that teammates have both had 170-plus receiving yards and two-plus receiving touchdowns in the same game.
Per the Elias Sports Bureau, Hill and Waddle’s game was the fourth time in NFL history a team has had two players with at least 170 receiving yards in the same game. It’s the first time it’s happened since 2012 when the New York Giants’ Victor Cruz (179) and Hakeem Nicks (199) did so.
Hill had touchdowns of 60 and 48 yards on Sunday. He now has 15 receptions of 50-plus yards in his career, which is the most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2016.
Waddle has five touchdowns in his last five games, and Sunday’s performance was the fourth time in his 18-game career that he’s totaled double-digit receptions.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, Tagovailoa is the second-youngest player since 1950 to throw for at least 450 yards and six touchdowns in a game behind only Patrick Mahomes.
Tagovailoa’s four passing touchdowns in the fourth quarter are the most in team history and most by an NFL quarterback in any quarter since Mahomes had four in the second quarter on Sept. 15, 2019, at Oakland.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last NFL quarterback to have at least four passing touchdowns in the fourth quarter was former Miami Dolphin, and then Houston Texans quarterback Sage Rosenfels, on Oct. 21, 2007, vs. Tennessee.
Tagovailoa’s 36 completions against the Ravens Sunday was a career-high and third-most in a game in Dolphins history. The other two games were 38 and 39 by Dan Marino.
The Ravens and Dolphins combined for 1,020 total net yards Sunday.
The Dolphins totaled 547 yards of offense, the fifth-highest mark in team history and most since Oct. 23, 1988, vs. the New York Jets.
Sunday’s game marks the 31st time in franchise history (including playoffs) that Miami has scored 40+ points and the first time since Oct. 11, 2020, at San Francisco, when Miami totaled 43 points.
According to NFL research, Tagovailoa is now 8-1 in games against a Super Bowl-winning head coach. The 88.9% winning percentage is the best in NFL history (minimum of six starts).
The Dolphins were 4-for-4 in red zone efficiency – 2-for-2 in goal-to-go situations and 7-for-11 on third downs. Baltimore was 2-for-3 in red zone efficiency and 1-for-2 in goal-to-go. They were 3-for-10 on third downs. Miami was 2-for-2 on fourth down, while Baltimore was 1-for-3.
As per Miami’s communication department, this is the Dolphins’ first 2-0 start since 2018 and 21st overall in franchise history. Miami trailed by 21 points at halftime, and the 21-point comeback is tied for the second-largest come-from-behind win in franchise history.
Raheem Mostert rushed 11 times for 51 yards – 4.6 per carry. He also caught his three targets for three catches and 28 yards.
Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard has a pass defended in six of his last seven road games, including one Sunday in the fourth quarter.
Elandon Roberts, Melvin Ingram, and Christian Wilkins all had a tackle for loss in the fourth quarter. Ingram also got his hands on a Jackson fourth-quarter pass.
