The Miami Dolphins defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-14 with the help of a fumble recovery at the goal line in the second quarter.
The Miami Dolphins impressed defensively as they beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-14. The team finished with five sacks, including one from outside linebacker Dion Jordan. The team also recovered two fumbles.
On offense, quarterback Ryan Tannehill lost a fumble but performed solidly otherwise with 110 yards on 9-for-14 passing. Backup Matt Moore looked great as he threw a touchdown pass just before time expired in the first half, and he completed 13-of-19 of his passes for 158 yards.
Meanwhile, the running game struggled as the team had only 46 total rushing yards on 26 carries. Lamar Miller had a forgettable performance with three yards on three carries.
In the passing game, wide receiver Rishard Matthews continued to shine with three receptions and 43 yards and a touchdown.
For the Buccaneers, quarterback Josh McCown looked better than he did in his preseason debut. McCown threw for 46 yards and a touchdown on 5-for-7 passing. Mike Kafka also threw a touchdown pass shortly before the fourth quarter expired.
The running game looked balanced as it’s expected to be in the regular season. Jeff Demps led the team in rushing with 31 yards on eight carries as Doug Martin added another 24 yards on six carries.
Rookie wide receiver Mike Evans made an impact with 52 receiving yards on two receptions. However, he lost a fumble at the one-yard line after initially appearing to score a touchdown in the second quarter. It was ruled that cornerback Brent Grimes had knocked the ball out of his hands just before he crossed the goal line.
Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy continued to look like an elite player as he had a sack and a tackle for loss.
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