Tagovailoa threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle with 14 seconds left to complete the massive comeback — and tie the Dolphins franchise record with six touchdown passes in a game. The Dolphins rallied behind their big three playmakers — Tagovailoa, Waddle and Tyreek Hill — as Miami’s top two receivers caught three touchdown passes in the final quarter to help Miami pull off the upset. The win marks the longest comeback in franchise history entering the fourth quarter. Hill caught a 48-yard touchdown and also caught a 60-yard touchdown from Tagovailoa over a 2:28 span to tie the game with 5:19 left. He finished with 11 catches for 190 yards and two touchdowns while Waddle had 11 catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns. Tagovailoa finished 36 of 50 for 469 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions (both in the first half) and a 124.1 passer rating. The Ravens built a 35-14 lead after three quarters behind the play of Lamar Jackson, who finished 21 of 29 for 318 yards and three touchdowns and rushed nine times for 119 yards and a score. Jackson is the first player to have a 75-yard passing touchdown and a 75-yard rushing touchdown in the same game. He also had his 11th 100-yard game as a quarterback, breaking Michael Vick’s record for most in NFL history. The Dolphins never had a lead until they scored the winning TD. This was the NFL game of the year, one that you can watch a crazy live blog recap of below!
Why the Dolphins won
The Dolphins looked dead in the water until Tua Tagovailoa and the vertical passing game arrived in the fourth quarter. Tagovailoa threw four touchdown passes in the fourth and 189 yards to lead Miami’s comeback. The Dolphins outscored the Ravens 28-3 in the final frame. Tagovailoa is just the second quarterback to throw four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter on the road, joining Joe Montana in 1989.
Why the Ravens lost
Even though the Ravens secondary had two turnovers, they couldn’t make the play to stop the deep ball — or the Dolphins’ drive. Marcus Williams missed a chance on Tagovailoa in the second half to slow the momentum, but Tagovailoa was able to find Hill deep against a rebuilt Ravens secondary with Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey back. Baltimore’s offense stagnated after Jackson’s 79-yard drive, managing just 89 yards on 18 carries for just three points. The Ravens finished with just 33 yards rushing, which doesn’t help when Baltimore is trying to close out plays. Jackson can’t do it all, though he almost did on Sunday.
Turning point
Tagovailoa threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Hill to cut Miami’s deficit to 35-28 with 7:47 left — the first big play on Hill that got the Dolphins’ vertical passing game going. The Dolphins quarterback took advantage of Baltimore’s gassed defense and dropped the pass to Hill. Hill outran defenders and had to slow down just to collect the ball for the score. That set the tone for Miami’s next possession, when Tagovailoa found Hill for a 60-yard touchdown to tie the game at 35-35 with 5:19 left. The deep pass brought Miami back into the game and kept the Ravens defense on their heels for the rest of the contest.
The game of the game
Tagovailoa’s pass to Waddle with 14 seconds left gave the Dolphins a 42-38 lead and capped the thrilling comeback. Miami wasn’t playing for overtime as Tagovailoa raced to his left, stayed in the pocket and dropped the winner on a Waddle jumper for the lead. The Dolphins never led in this game except for 14 seconds. Tagovailoa tied the franchise record for touchdown passes in a game with six, matching Bob Griese and Dan Marino. This was the game that may have silenced the doubters of Tagovailoa being a franchise quarterback.
The excerpt
“It’s a collection of everybody working together. The offensive line gave me time in the backfield. The receivers got open and I was able to get them the ball as they were able to get yards after the catch. We just have to keep playing no matter what the scoreboard.” — Tua Tagovailoa to CBS on his six-touchdown performance.
Next
The Dolphins (2-0) host the Buffalo Bills (1-0) next Sunday in an AFC East battle. The Ravens (1-1) travel to Foxborough to face the New England Patriots (1-1) next Sunday.
