Everything to Know from Dolphins Upset Win vs. Buccaneers

The Miami Dolphins bounced back after an embarrassing performance last week against the Cincinnati Bengals, beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 20-17, to improve to 7-9 on the season.

Miami controlled the game for most of the day, playing opportunistic defense and running the ball well on offense. The Dolphins also got some excellent contributions by multiple rookies on both sides of the ball.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Drive-by-Drive Recap

Miami got the ball first and did nothing with it, going three-and-out after a holding call on Cedrick Wilson negated an explosive Malik Washington catch and run off a screen.

The Buccaneers got the ball next and went 68 yards in 14 plays to go up 7-0. Baker Mayfield found Chris Godwin in front of Ashtyn Davis in the middle of the end zone after Tampa had a good balance of runs and passes to get down the field.

The Dolphins answered right back with a touchdown on the following drive. On third and 8, Quinn Ewers threw his first-career touchdown to Theo Wease Jr., who was wide open after a coverage bust. Wease went 63 yards untouched for his first-career touchdown reception to tie the game 7-7.

Miami’s defense got a stop on the next drive, as Todd Bowles decided to punt despite having fourth and one at midfield. The Dolphins got the running game on the next drive, allowing them to drive into the red zone.

Jaylen Wright had a 32-yard run to set Miami up inside the five, but some questionable playcalls and execution errors forced the Dolphins to kick a field goal to go up 10-7.

Miami’s rookies continued to make plays, as Jason Marshall Jr. made an excellent juggling interception on the Bucs’ ensuing drive after he was beaten across the field by Jalen McMillan.

The Dolphins capitalized on the turnover, driving 76 yards on nine plays to go up 17-7 after Ewers found tight end Greg Dulcich in the end zone on third and goal.

Tampa got the ball back with about two minutes left and drove into field goal range, but rookie defensive tackle Zeek Biggers blocked the 55-yard field goal, the first of his career.

Miami took a 17-7 lead into the half and got off to a good start in the dreaded third quarter, forcing three-and-out on the Buccaneers' first drive. Mayfield had a wide-open receiver for a third-down conversion but skipped the throw.

The Dolphins’ offense went three-and-out, allowing the Buccaneers to get the ball back, and they actually moved the ball. Tampa Bay drove 50 yards on 13 plays and kicked a field goal to make the score 17-10. Miami’s defense made a stop in the low red zone to force a field goal.

Miami answered with a field goal of its own to make the score 20-10. The Dolphins got excellent field position after a great kickoff return by Malik Washington and drove 32 yards on eight plays for the field goal.

The Buccaneers drove into Dolphins’ territory on the next drive courtesy of a great sack escape by Mayfield, but he threw an interception on the next play. Davis made a great adjustment after spinning to a deep half post-snap, fooling Mayfield into a bad throw.

The Dolphins went three and out again on their following possession, but Miami’s defense came up big again. This time, Bradley Chubb got a strip sack after the Buccaneers got to about the Dolphins’ 30-yard line.

Miami bled some clock on its next possession, but ended up punting near midfield. The Buccaneers made things interesting with a one-minute touchdown drive to make it 20-17 after an explosive play to Godwin set the Bucs up.

However, Achane recovered the onside kick attempt, ending the game.

Offensive Recap

Miami’s offense had a lot of things going its way against the Bucs. Ewers looked comfortable in his second start, making the easy throws and hitting a couple of tougher ones in the middle of the field.

Tampa Bay wasn’t putting up much of a fight, but Ewers finished the game, completing 14-of-22 passes for 172 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. It’s pretty clear that Ewers’ willingness to take shots downfield is a significant upgrade for the offense.

It’s way too early to make any big claims about Ewers, but he looks like he belongs at the NFL, which is a win for a seventh-rounder.

The Dolphins’ running game was killing the Buccaneers all game, too. Miami’s offensive line got movement up front despite Aaron Brewer being replaced by Andrew Meyer, who made his first start.

De’Von Achane continued to prove why he’s a special back, as he recorded 83 yards on 18 carries, while adding 29 yards in the receiving game. Jaylen Wright got in on the fun as well, racking up 56 yards on five carries.

In the receiving game, Miami leaned heavily on tight end Greg Dulcich. He had five catches for 58 yards and one touchdown. Jaylen Waddle left the game early in the first half and missed a good chunk of action after being listed as questionable with a rib injury.

Of course, Miami also got a nice contribution from Theo Wease. He caught his first career touchdown in the first quarter on a 63-yard completion after the Buccaneers’ safety took an awful angle.

Defensive Recap

Miami’s defense had a good game against the Buccaneers. It only allowed 380 total yards with 346 coming through the air and 53 on the ground.

The Dolphins’ biggest issue in the game was the inability to get pressure with four rushers. Baker Mayfield had a ton of time in the pocket, allowing him to find some open receivers and create with his legs from time to time.

While that was a problem, Miami’s defense did an excellent job in situational football. The Buccaneers finished the game going six-of-13 on third downs, and Jason Marshall’s second-quarter interception took an explosive play off the board.

Ashtyn Davis also had a nice interception in the red zone that likely took some points off the board late in the fourth quarter.

Mayfield finished the game completing 33-of-44 passes for 346 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.

The real winning formula for Miami was its run defense. Tampa Bay’s leading rusher was Bucky Irving, who finished with 19 yards on nine carries, as the Bucs averaged just 3.3 yards per carry.

The Dolphins’ interior defensive line had a bunch of flash plays in this game, including great reps from Zach Sieler, Kenneth Grant, and Jordan Phillips.

This was a “do-your-job” game for the Dolphins’ defense. Tampa’s offense has shot itself in the foot quite a bit the last two months, and that continued in this game.

Miami did suffer some injuries on defense, though. Edge rusher Chop Robinson was ruled out with a concussion (his second of the season), and linebacker Jordyn Brooks also left the game in the second half.

More Miami Dolphins Coverage