Dolphins-Patriots Week 8: The Five Biggest Plays

The Miami Dolphins moved to 6-2 on the season with their 31-17 victory against the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.

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

1. Jalen Ramsey's Interception

Sure, it makes for a great story to call Ramsey's pick the biggest play of the game, but it remains a fact. New England was threatening to cut into the Dolphins' 14-7 lead right before halftime, but instead Ramsey's pick and 49-yard return set up a field goal that made it 17-7 for the Dolphins. Props to Ramsey for peeling off his receiver and taking advantage of a really poor floater by Mac Jones down the left sideline intended for Kendrick Bourne that made for an easy interception.

2. Tua's Fourth-Down Scramble

The Dolphins took a lead they never would relinquish with Tua's 1-yard touchdown pass to Cedrick Wilson Jr. to make it 14-7 in the second quarter and it came at the end of a drive kept alive by not one but two fourth-down conversions. And the first one was not an obvious decision for head coach Mike McDaniel because it was fourth-and-4 from the New England 42. On that play, a Patriots linebacker went out with a Dolphins receiver out of the backfield and that left the middle of the field wide open for Tua, who had an easy 8-yard scramble for the first down.

3. Tua's Third-Down Completion to Tyreek

This was the key play on the drive that clinched the victory for the Dolphins, the third-and-9 from the Miami 41 when the Dolphins were nursing a 24-17 lead. This was a good quick throw by Tua and a nice catch by Hill as he went up to grab the ball and hung on while being pushed low from behind. That play set up Tua's 31-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle.

4. Christian Wilkins' Sack

While it did feel like the Dolphins were in control throughout the game, the Patriots had a great chance to gain big-time momentum at the start of the second half after the failed exchange between Tua and Raheem Mostert led to a fumble that New England recovered at the Miami 19-yard line. But Wilkins' sack on third down forced the Patriots to settle for a field goal goal to make the score 17-10 and the Dolphins responded with a touchdown drive to increase their lead to 14 points.

5. Tua's TD Pass to Tyreek

The Dolphins only trailed in this game after New England scored the first touchdown and they erased that deficit on the very next drive with a 75-yard touchdown drive that was capped with the patented Tua throw over the top to Tyreek Hill after Hill gets behind the defense. This score was good for 42 yards and tied the score 7-7.

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