Miami had one of its best defensive performances of the season on Sunday afternoon, holding Houston's offense to just 181 total yards, but the Dolphins were unable to come out victorious, falling 20-12 to the Texans.
Rookie linebacker Chop Robinson and defensive tackle Zach Sieler led the charge, combining for three sacks (1.5 each), six quarterback hits and four tackles.
The Dolphins punted on their opening possession, which led to the Texans scoring on their first drive. A 44-yard field goal by kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn gave Houston an early 3-0 lead with 7:09 left in the first quarter.
Sieler sparked the next defensive drive. On first-and-10 from the Texans' 38-yard line, Sieler thundered into Houston's backfield, forcing quarterback C.J. Stroud to throw it away. Two plays later on third-and-3, Sieler made his presence felt once again, bringing down Stroud for his first sack of the game and forcing the Texans to punt.
Miami tied the game following the defensive stop. Tagovailoa, with a 10-yard pass over the middle to tight end Jonnu Smith and nine-yard and 13-yard completions to running back De'Von Achane, led the Dolphins on a lengthy, 12-play, 45-yard drive that took up 7:40 of game time. Kicker Jason Sanders sent a 55-yard field goal down the middle of the uprights to tie the game, 3-3, with 11:35 left in the second quarter.
After a three-and-out, the Texans got the ball back after Tagovailoa was strip-sacked by defensive end Will Anderson Jr., which was recovered by defensive tackle Tim Settle Jr. at the Miami 28-yard line.
Houston took advantage of the takeaway, as Stroud connected with wide receiver Nico Collins on a six-yard touchdown pass. Miami answered with points of its own on the next possession, as a 10-play, 52-yard drive led to a 36-yard field goal by Sanders to cut Houston's lead to four with 1:57 left in the second quarter.
Both teams traded turnovers on their next drives. Miami obtained possession of the ball after a mishandled snap was recovered by linebacker Jordyn Brooks, but Houston regained possession after safety Calen Bullock intercepted Tagovailoa and returned to the Dolphins' five-yard line. Fairbairn converted a 23-yard chip shot to widen Houston's lead to 13-6 at halftime.
The Texans further extended their lead on the opening possession of the second half after putting together a nine-play, 70-yard touchdown drive that was capped by a six-yard touchdown pass from Stroud to Collins.
Down by two scores, Tagovailoa orchestrated Miami's strongest drive of the game. He made several pivotal throws, including a 21-yard pass on 3rd-and-16 to wide receiver Tyreek Hill and a seven-yard strike to the back-right corner of the end zone on fourth-and-two to Smith. This brought the Dolphins within eight with 4:30 left in the third quarter.
After the Dolphins defense forced a three-and-out with 3:03 remaining in the third quarter, Miami's scoring hopes were halted by a cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. interception. The Dolphins defense refused to let up, forcing the Texans to punt on their next two possessions, but it would not be enough as a Stingley Jr. interception finalized the 20-12 contest.
Tagovailoa completed 29-of-40 passes (72.5 pct.) for 196 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. This was his eighth consecutive game with a completion percentage of 70.0 or better.
Smith continued to be a vital part of Miami's offense, catching nine passes for 48 yards (5.3 avg.) and a touchdown. Rookie wide receiver Malik Washington had his most productive game as a pro, catching a career-high five passes for 52 yards (10.2). Achane added seven receptions for 35 yards (5.0 avg.) and 12 carries for 41 yards (3.4 avg.).
Miami will head home to face the San Francisco 49ers (6-8) on Sunday, Dec. 22. Kickoff is set for 4:25 p.m. on CBS.
