Dolphins Fall Short in Second Half in 31-12 Loss to Titans

What started out as a closely contested game got away from the Miami Dolphins in the second half, as they fell 31-12 to the Tennessee Titans on Monday night at Hard Rock Stadium.

Starting in his first game with the Dolphins after being signed off the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad on Sept. 17, quarterback Tyler Huntley completed 14-of-22 passes for 96 yards and ran for a team-high 40 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.

Linebacker Emmanuel Ogbah spearheaded a strong defensive start for Miami with a turnover. Dropping back into coverage on second-and-9 on Tennessee’s opening drive, Ogbah picked off quarterback Will Levis on a pass intended for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. This was Ogbah’s second career interception – his first being in Week 3 of the 2023 season.

Huntley hit wide receiver Jaylen Waddle on a pass up the middle of the field for a gain of 14 on the team’s first play from scrimmage after the takeaway, which was followed by a 16-yard run by wide receiver Tyreek Hill. This promising drive came to a halt on Tennessee’s 32-yard line, as Titans linebacker Arden Key recovered a Miami fumble.

Levis suffered a shoulder injury reaching for the marker on third-and-4 and was questionable to return. Quarterback Mason Rudolph entered the game on the next series and played the remainder of the game for Tennessee.

Tennessee scored first, as Rudolph guided the Titans 21 yards downfield to set up a 53-yard field goal by Nick Folk. After the Dolphins went three-and-out, Folk connected on a 52-yard field goal with 8:20 to go in the first half, giving the Titans a 6-0 lead.

Following the Folk field goal, Miami ventured on its best drive yet of the night going 10 plays for 44 yards. A 12-yard scramble by Huntley put the Dolphins in field goal range and a pair of passes to running back De’Von Achane and Waddle led to a 44-yard field goal by kicker Jason Sanders.

Both teams continued to trade punts throughout the second quarter until the final drive of the half. Starting at their own 44-yard line with 16 seconds left, Rudolph connected on a 29-yard pass up the middle of the field to wide receiver Tyler Boyd, setting up a 47-yard field goal by Folk to give Tennessee a 9-3 lead heading into halftime.

The second half started positively for the Dolphins. A batted down pass by linebacker Jaelan Phillips on third down led to an electric 27-yard punt return by wide receiver Braxton Berrios that started off Miami’s offense on the Tennessee 48-yard line. A 56-yard field goal by Sanders, one yard shy of his career long, brought the Dolphins within three with 9:02 left in the third quarter.

Miami’s momentum was short-lived, as the Titans responded with their most explosive possession of the game – a five play, 70-yard touchdown drive that was set up by a 41-yard run by running back Tony Pollard and capped off by a seven-yard run by running back Tyjae Spears.

Field goals of 51 and 29 yards by Folk extended Tennessee’s lead to 22-6 with 10:45 left in the fourth quarter.

Miami answered on the following offensive series, traveling 70 yards downfield on 11 plays, capping the drive with a one-yard Huntley touchdown run. An intercepted two-point conversion attempt left the Dolphins trailing by two possessions with less than four minutes remaining in the game.

After a failed onside kick attempt, Miami’s defense forced Tennessee to punt with 2:42 remaining. Starting the drive on their own eight-yard line, Huntley was flagged for intentional grounding while in the end zone, adding an extra two points to the Titans’ lead.

Tennessee extended its advantage on its last drive of the game, scoring a touchdown on a four-yard outside run by Pollard, who led all players with a game-high 88 yards on 22 carries.

The Dolphins will travel to Foxborough, Massachusetts for their next game against the New England Patriots. Sunday’s kickoff is set for 1 p.m. on FOX.