Dolphins-Titans: The Five Biggest Plays

Breaking down the five plays that most decided the outcome in the Miami Dolphins' 31-12 loss against the Tennessee Titans at Hard Rock Stadium.

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard (20) runs with the football against the Miami Dolphins during the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins suffered their third consecutive loss Monday night, losing a 31-12 decision to the Tennessee Titans at Hard Rock Stadium.

We rank the five biggest, most important plays of the game.

1) THE TYREEK DROP/FUMBLE

If a team needed a good start, it was the Dolphins on Monday night, particularly on offense. Things were looking good after Emmanuel Ogbah's interception when Tyler Huntley completed a 14-yard pass to Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill, then gained 16 yards on a jet sweep to move the ball to the Tennessee 32. But then came the disaster on second-and-9 when Huntley threw a swing pass to Hill that was slightly ahead of him but should have been caught. The problem was that it was a backward pass, and Arden Key picked up the loose ball after Hill tried to retrieve it at half-speed. It was a drive killer, but perhaps worse, a momentum killer that took away the ability of the Dolphins to play this game with a lead, something that was needed with a third different starting quarterback in three games.

2) THE LONG POLLARD RUN

This might have been the back-breaking play for the Dolphins, coming with the score 9-6, and the Titans at midfield. The 41-yard run set up a touchdown that gave Tennessee a 10-point lead, which looked insurmountable on this night the way the Dolphins offense was struggling. Props to a well-executed play by the Titans, with the pulling guard neutralizing Chop Robinson coming off the right edge and linebackers Jordyn Brooks and Anthony Walker Jr. overrunning the play when Pollard cut inside.

3) THE STUFFED JET SWEEP

The Dolphins' short-yardage game was brutal on this night, and one other example came on the failed fourth-and-1 when Mike McDaniel called Tyreek Hill's number on another jet sweep. The problem with this attempt — with the Dolphins trailing 3-0 early in the second quarter — was that left tackle Patrick Paul failed to get to linebacker Kenneth Murray quickly enough. Murray's penetration pushed Hill farther wide, allowing safety Quandre Diggs time to get over and meet Hill before the sticks.

4) THE BAD PUNT

It's pretty brutal to think that the Dolphins had the ball on offense not once but twice after the two-minute warning in the first half — and still allowed Tennessee to get a field goal before halftime. But that's what happened after two three-and-outs, the last coming after Miami got the ball with 57 seconds left and the Titans down to one timeout. The Dolphins seemed indecisive about whether they wanted to try to mount a quick drive there or simply kill the clock and ended up paying the price. But it only happened because Jake Bailey, who otherwise has been good this season, shanked a punt for only 30 yards, giving Tennessee time to complete a 26-yard pass down the middle and run up to the line to spike the ball with 1 second left.

5) THE MISSED BOMB

It was over when Tennessee made it 16-6, and the door may get slammed when the Dolphins failed to grab their best opportunity for a big play. After that, Tyjae Spears made it a 10-point game. Tyreek Hill got behind L'Jarius Sneed on a third-and-17 play and had clear separation, but Tyler Huntley overshot him. The Dolphins wouldn't enter Tennessee territory until their deficit had grown to 16 points (22-6).