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What Stood Out in Dolphins Thrilling Opening Day Comeback Win

dolphins week 1

Week 1 is officially in the books for the Miami Dolphins. They kicked things off against their in-state conference rival Jacksonville Jaguars in a game that was truly a tale of two halves for Miami. A contest that was close throughout saw the Dolphins take a 20-17 lead as time expired. Clutch performances across the board made the difference in a nail-biting matchup.

What Stood Out in Dolphins Thrilling Opening Day Comeback Win

Fins Duo Make their Presence Felt

Tyreek Hill is currently viewed as the best player in the game by his peers and on Sunday he certainly played like it. Hill finished the game with seven catches for 130 yards, three of which were third-down conversions, and a touchdown. The touchdown was an 80-yard catch and run down the sideline to help dig Miami out of a 17-7 hole, cutting the Jaguars lead to just three.

It was a huge play in the game that saw Miami finally find life on offense and kickstarted their comeback. His speedy running mate, Jaylen Waddle also showed up big, catching five passes, for 109 yards for a 21.8 yard-per-catch average. Waddle made multiple tough grabs and had a huge 63-yard catch and run. Miami relies heavily on their top two pass catchers and on a day the offense started sluggishly and struggled to move the ball at times, the two came up big when Miami needed it most.

Safety Swings Momentum with a Punch

Jevon Holland was one of the players to watch in a Week 1 lookahead and he showed up clutch when the Dolphins needed him most. As big as Hill’s 80-yard touchdown was, it wouldn’t have been possible without what stands out as the play of the game when Holland forced a fumble against Jacksonville running back Travis Etienne, Jr.

It stopped what was a 94-yard drive (14 of which were penalty yards) in which the Jaguars seemed poised to potentially put the game out of reach late in the third. Miami responded with the aforementioned quick-strike touchdown pass to Hill. But Holland’s play was the epitome of a game-changer. He finished with three tackles and one pass defensed, but his play was critical in helping Miami seize momentum and flip the script.

Etienne already had the first down on the play that he fumbled and looked like he was headed for a touchdown. The Jaguars would’ve almost certainly added at least another field goal, even if the defense held them out of the end-zone, if not for the forced fumble. It’s not an overstatement to say that the Dolphins more than likely won’t win without Holland’s perfect timing. His play, in part, also helped hold Jaguars tight end Evan Engram to just one catch for five yards.

200 Million Dollar Man Showed Great Poise

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa made headlines in the offseason when he inked a brand new long-term extension with Miami. On Sunday, he made plays down the stretch to help mount the comeback for the Dolphins. The first-half offense was often sluggish and uninspiring. The timing seemed off as Tagovailoa and his receivers failed to link up on multiple throws that have become routine for the group. Drops were a big issue as well. Halftime was apparently all they needed to get on track though.

In the second half, Tagovailoa threw for 207 yards and a touchdown, as well as leading the game-winning drive that saw longtime kicker Jason Sanders, hit the game-winning 52-yard field goal. He was on fire in the final 30 minutes, posting a 140.97 passer rating with zero turnover-worthy plays. The lefty completed 23/37 passes for 338 yards, one touchdown, and a 100.7 QB rating overall. His great second half helped propel his Dolphins to victory.

Dolphins 2nd Half Defense

The Jaguars scored 17 first-half points and that’s where it would stop. Miami came out of the half with a renewed intensity and a grittiness that changed the narrative of the game. Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence had 125 yards passing in the first half, he finished with 162 on the day. The Dolphins had two huge second-half sacks to go along with Holland’s forced fumble. Miami’s defense held the Jaguars to just 2-10 on third down, 0-1 on fourth down, and 267 total yards overall. It was the kind of gut-check performance many had doubted the Dolphins had in them.

Miami’s strong second half is the reason their season starts in the win column. Miami doesn’t have long to enjoy their opening-day victory though. They now turn their attention to a Thursday night, Primetime showdown against division rival Buffalo on September 12.

Main Image: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Phil Van Pelt

Phil Van Pelt

Phil Van Pelt currently calls the Treasure state (Montana) home, but is originally from South Florida. He's always remained loyal to his hometown squads and is a diehard Miami Hurricanes, Dolphins, Heat, Marlins, Florida Panthers and Inter Miami fan.

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