Ramsey’s late INT has Miami hold on
MIAMI GARDENS — It wasn’t the dominant effort onlookers would hope for from the Miami Dolphins coming off their bye week as two-touchdown favorites.
But it could go down as the early Jalen Ramsey Game for this team.
Three turnovers didn’t allow the Dolphins to run away from the upstart Raiders, rejuvenated since interim coach Antonio Pierce took over for the fired Josh McDaniels, while nearly doubling them in total yardage for most of Sunday afternoon.
While keeping the Raiders in it, the Dolphins held on late for a 20-13 win at Hard Rock Stadium, with the star cornerback Ramsey’s acrobatic interception in the end zone — one of two for him Sunday — sealing it.
“To call it a bad game,” coach Mike McDaniel replied to a reporter after the game who used the phrase in a question, “I guess hats off to us for raising your standard.”
Ultimately, it’s still difficult to win in the NFL, and the Dolphins did. Miami (7-3) rebounded from the Nov. 5 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Germany before the bye and is now 5-0 at home, winning 17 of its last 19 in the friendly confines of Miami Gardens. Las Vegas (5-6) lost for the first time under Pierce after defeating the New York Giants and Jets in previous weeks.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa went 28 of 38 for 324 yards but turned the ball over twice with an interception and a fumble lost.
“Can’t turn the ball over the way I did,” Tagovailoa said. “We can be a better team, we can be a better offense for our team when I stop turning the ball over and doing things like that.”
His top target, Tyreek Hill, had his sixth 100-yard receiving game of the season and 13th as a Dolphin as he finished with 10 receptions for 146 yards and a touchdown, despite missing time Sunday getting a hand injury checked out.
Hill’s 1,222 receiving yards this season keep him on track for his 2,000-yard goal and are the most by a pass-catcher through 10 games in the Super Bowl era.
“I’m just trying to help this team win,” Hill said. “That’s my mindset. Two-thousand yards is just something just to get the fans and Twitter going crazy, but obviously the main goal for me is to win games.”
Running back De’Von Achane, in his first game back off injured reserve, hurt the same knee early in Sunday’s action and didn’t return. Raheem Mostert shouldered the backfield workload for 22 carries and 86 yards. Miami had 422 yards of offense to Las Vegas’ 296.
While Miami was moving the ball, the offense had the three turnovers — two from Tagovailoa and another fumble lost by tight end Julian Hill — and was 3 of 11 on third down, 0 for 1 on fourth and mustered just 20 points.
“Definitely felt like some rust,” left tackle Terron Armstead said, “some midseason rust after the bye just trying to back acclimated into the swing and the rhythm.”
McDaniel pushed back on the idea of rust: “I was happy with the overall operation. There were times that we were changing the play based on unanticipated defensive personnel changes. … There was a couple times that we were late in the play clock, but I thought overall the operation was solid.”
The Raiders, on their final possession, had a pass to the end zone that Ramsey intercepted in acrobatic fashion, although appearing hurt after coming away with the turnover. Ramsey, who also made an earlier interception, now has three in three games with Miami to lead the team.
Ramsey had his game while still feeling like he needs time to get his normal form off his preseason knee injury.
“Definitely still has room to grow,” he said, while adding he was fine after lying in the end zone after the final interception. “I get fatigued a little bit, in the second half a little bit. Just my body overall, I do feel great. I feel extremely great.”
Twice driving into Dolphins territory earlier in the fourth quarter, Las Vegas had fourth-down chances go awry. The second was a Jaelan Phillips interception as quarterback Aidan O’Connell tried to get the ball out while in Christian Wilkins’ grasp. Phillips added 1 1/2 sacks.
Ramsey already made one game-changing play in the third quarter. He dove in front of a pass intended for Las Vegas’ Tre Tucker for an interception that not many can make. It’s a pass breakup at best for most defensive backs.
“I feel like I’ve been extremely blessed by God, with my body, my long arms, my abilities,” Ramsey said. “PBU is cool. I always want to get a pick no matter what. It’s just different techniques at the time, if I feel like I’m in phase or out of phase, but in that particular instance I felt like I was in good enough shape where I could dive and try to go get that, and yeah, that’s just what happened.”
Added McDaniel of Ramsey: “I’m really hoping they throw at him, honestly. I mean, both interceptions were out of control in difficulty level.”
Leading, 14-13, when it happened, Miami turned it into a 41-yard field goal from Jason Sanders. It came after Sanders missed earlier in the third from 50 and followed a Tagovailoa interception to start the second half.
At the end of the first half, tight end Julian Hill had a fumble in Dolphins territory that allowed Las Vegas to go into the half down by just one, 14-13, after a Daniel Carlson 47-yard field goal.
Late in the third quarter, Sanders, known for struggling on 50-plus-yard field goals, redeemed himself from distance, converting on a 51-yard attempt to put Miami ahead, 20-13, entering the final period. It came as coach Mike McDaniel opted against going for it on fourth-and-1.
With the Dolphins trailing, 10-7, deep into the first half, the Dolphins turned it into a 14-10 lead at a moment when neither Achane nor Hill were on the field. It was backup tailback Salvon Ahmed who caught an 11-yard touchdown on an in-breaking route after starting to the outside out of the backfield. Waddle had three catches for 36 yards on the drive.
It was a response to a Raiders touchdown earlier, to Davante Adams for 46 yards over the top of the two Dolphins safeties late in the first quarter. Miami also missed an opportunity score in the middle of the second period. The offense got down to the Raiders’ 3-yard line, but the fourth-and-1 call was a screen to Hill that went for a loss of 4 yards. Hill injured his hand on the play but later returned.
The star receiver in pursuit of the NFL’s first 2,000-yard receiving season escaped the Raiders secondary in the first quarter for a 38-yard touchdown. It gave Miami an early 7-3 lead.
The Dolphins nearly started Sunday with a defensive score. Outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel punched the ball loose on tight end Michael Mayer, and safety Jevon Holland picked it up to run with it the other way, but officials reviewed the play and called it an incomplete pass.
Miami then turned it over on another reviewed fumble. Tagovailoa scrambled for a first down on third-and-4, and while he was initially ruled down on a dive forward, Las Vegas successfully challenged to overturn the call to a fumble. It was Raiders interim coach Antonio Pierce’s first challenge, and his team turned it into 3 points on a 34-yard field goal by Carlson.
The Dolphins now have a short week before a Friday game at the New York Jets.
