The Miami Dolphins put together a strong, all-around performance Sunday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium, defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20–17 behind timely playmaking on both sides of the ball. Leaning on a productive rushing attack, capitalizing on turnovers and getting key contributions from young players, Miami controlled the flow and closed out the win.
Miami opened the game on offense with quarterback Quinn Ewers making his second consecutive NFL start. The Dolphins ran three plays before punting on their opening drive, though Ewers connected early with tight end Greg Dulcich — a preview of the role Dulcich would play throughout the afternoon.
Tampa Bay struck first on its next possession, marching 68 yards on a methodical 14-play drive. Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield capped the series with a five-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Chris Godwin, giving Tampa Bay a 7–0 lead midway through the first quarter.
The Dolphins answered almost immediately. Just 58 seconds later, on third-and-eight, Ewers found rookie wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. down the left sideline. Wease Jr. turned the catch into a 63-yard touchdown, tying the game at 7–7 late in the first quarter. The score marked Ewers’ first career touchdown pass and the first receiving touchdown of Wease Jr.’s NFL career.
Miami seized momentum in the second quarter by leaning on its ground game. Running backs De’Von Achane and Jaylen Wright ripped off several chunk gains, including a 32-yard run by Wright that moved the Dolphins deep into Buccaneers territory. Miami settled for a 29-yard field goal from kicker Riley Patterson, taking a 10–7 lead after a 10-play, 76-yard drive that consumed more than five minutes.
The Dolphins’ defense continued to generate opportunities. Rookie cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. recorded the first interception of his NFL career, leaping to snag a deep pass intended for Tampa Bay wide receiver Jalen McMillan and returning it to midfield. Miami made the takeaway count, driving 76 yards on nine plays. Ewers capped the march with an 11-yard touchdown strike to Dulcich on third-and-goal, pushing the Dolphins ahead 17–7 with under two minutes remaining in the half.
Tampa Bay threatened late before halftime, moving into long field-goal range, but defensive tackle Zeek Biggers blocked a 55-yard attempt by kicker Chase McLaughlin to preserve Miami’s 10-point lead at the break.
The Buccaneers opened the second half with a three-and-out and later trimmed the deficit to 17–10 with a 33-yard field goal following an eight-minute drive. Miami responded in the fourth quarter, with Patterson drilling a 31-yard field goal to make it 20–10 after an eight-play possession that kept Tampa Bay’s offense off the field.
Miami’s defense took over from there. Safety Ashtyn Davis intercepted Mayfield at the Dolphins’ 5-yard line midway through the fourth quarter, halting a promising Buccaneers drive. Moments later, edge rusher Bradley Chubb delivered another decisive play, recording his second sack of the game and forcing a fumble that linebacker Quinton Bell recovered. The Dolphins punted after the fumble recovery with 1:50 to go in the game. The Buccaneers 4-yd touchdown pass with 0:50 to go in the 4th quarter made it 20-17. The Dolphins recovered the onside kick to end the game.
Defensively, Miami dominated at the point of attack. Chubb totaled two sacks and two tackles for loss, while Davis posted seven tackles (five solo), two pass breakups and an interception. Marshall Jr. added his first career pick, Biggers’ blocked field goal proved pivotal, and cornerback Jack Jones led the team with 10 tackles (eight solo). The Dolphins held Tampa Bay to just 53 rushing yards and outgained the Buccaneers on the ground by nearly 100 yards.
The Dolphins will close the regular season on the road against division rival New England at Gillette Stadium. The finale will take place either Saturday, Jan. 3, or Sunday, Jan. 4, with the exact date, time and television network to be announced by the NFL following the Week 17 slate.
