Kicker Jason Sanders nailed a 52-yard field goal as time expired to secure the Miami Dolphins a 20-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Sunday afternoon's season opener at Hard Rock Stadium.
The come-from-behind victory was ignited by a third quarter forced fumble by Jevón Holland, as he stripped Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. just shy of the goal line. The ball was recovered by cornerback Kader Kohou in the end zone and Miami proceeded to score the game's last 13 points to earn the victory.
The turnover set the Dolphins up on their own 20-yard line with 2:19 remaining in the third quarter. On the first play of the drive, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa connected across the middle of the field with wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who outran a pair of Jaguars defenders on his way for the 80-yard score – the longest reception of Hill's career.
With the Dolphins' defense continuing its second-half shutout, Miami tied the game with 4:26 left in the fourth quarter with a 37-yard field goal by Sanders after a 12-play, 73-yard drive. The defense forced another Jaguars' three-and-out – Jacksonville's fourth of the game – which set up Miami's offense at its own 35-yard line. The Dolphins then traveled 31 yards downfield on seven plays to set up the Sanders game-winning field goal.
Tagovailoa completed 23-of-37 passes for 338 yards and one touchdown, along with a lone carry for 11 yards, while Hill finished with seven receptions for 130 yards and one touchdown. Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle was Miami's second-leading wideout, as he recorded five catches for 109 yards, including a catch-and-run of 63 yards.
The Dolphins' leading rusher was running back Jeff Wilson Jr., who ran for 26 yards on his five fourth quarter carries. Running back De'Von Achane tallied a team-high 10 carries and ran for 24 yards and a score. Achane was most active as a pass catcher, as his seven receptions and 76 receiving yards were both career highs.
The Jaguars struck first on offense, as Etienne's one-yard rush up the middle capped off a six-play, 96-yard drive with 4:31 left in the first half. The Dolphins were effective in slowing down Jacksonville's star back, as Etienne rushed for just 44 yards on 12 carries, which is less than the 59.3 yards per game he averaged last season.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence manned Jacksonville's second touchdown drive. He completed a 30-yard pass to wide receiver Christian Kirk followed by a nine-yard completion to Brian Thomas Jr. to set the Jaguars up inside the red zone. On third-and-11 from the Dolphins' 14-yard line, Lawrence found Thomas in the back left corner of the end zone to extend the Jaguars' first half lead to 14 with 5:31 remaining in the second quarter.
Miami responded on the following drive, which was sparked by a trio of third down conversions. A pair of key receptions by Waddle and Hill extended the drive, setting the Dolphins up in the red zone ahead of the two-minute warning. Achane punched in a one-yard touchdown to convert on third-and-goal with 1:04 to go in the first half.
The Jaguars, starting with the ball on their own 23-yard line with 57 seconds remaining, went on a six-play, 43-yard drive that ended on a 53-yard field goal by rookie kicker Cam Little as time expired, extending Jacksonville's lead to 17-7 at halftime.
Miami's defense, playing its first game under Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver, held the Jaguars to 267 total yards and Lawrence to just 12 completions on 21 attempts for 162 yards and was sacked three times. Dolphins defensive tackle Calais Campbell sacked Lawrence on the first play of Jacksonville's opening possession, while linebackers Emmanuel Ogbah and Jaelan Phillips brought him down on consecutive plays in the third quarter.
Miami allowed Jacksonville to convert only two of its 10 third-down attempts and held wide receiver Christian Kirk to one catch for 30 yards and tight end Evan Engram to one catch for five yards. Both players each received four targets.
The Dolphins will continue their two-game homestand to open the season with a divisional matchup against the Buffalo Bills (1-0) on Thursday Night Football. Kickoff is set 8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video.
