2024-10-28 02:50:03
The Arizona Cardinals defeated the Miami Dolphins 28-27 Sunday on Chad Ryland’s 34-yard field goal as time expired at Hard Rock Stadium.
It’s the Cardinals’ second straight win following a 17-15 win last Monday night over the Los Angeles Chargers and it’s the first time Arizona has won back-to-back games since 2021 — a span of 47 games.
It was also the third game-winning field goal by Ryland, who has replaced the injured Matt Prater. Ryland also won games at the 49ers and home against the Chargers.
On Sunday, the Cardinals had to overcome a costly holding penalty on left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. during their game-winning drive in Miami. Moments earlier, they converted on a clutch third down when Kyler Murray found Trey McBride for a 17-yard gain.
On second and 15 from their 32-yard line, the Cardinals got a key 18-yard completion from Murray to Marvin Harrison Jr., who high-pointed the ball down the middle for a first down. Running back James Conner followed that with an angry run of 17 yards, which put Arizona into Miami territory.
On third and 4 at the Dolphins’ 27 and the clock winding down, the Cardinals faced a pivotal play call. Should they run it again with Conner? Would they dare try a pass when they already were within field goal range for Ryland?
Instead, Murray took off on a scramble. The Dolphins appeared to have him contained, but he darted straight, avoiding a tackle, and his 7-yard gain allowed Arizona to run a few rushing attempts to set up Ryland’s game winner.
The win improved the Cardinals to 4-4 and kept them squarely in the hunt in the NFC West ahead of their game next Sunday when they host the Chicago Bears. The Dolphins dropped to 2-5 and play at the Bills on Sunday.
Murray was 26 of 36 for 303 yards and two touchdowns. Conner ran 20 times for 53 yards and a TD. McBride finished with nine receptions for 124 yards. Harrison caught six passes for 111 yards and a touchdown.
Look back at our updates from the game below.
The Cardinals still have a shot at winning back-to-back games for the first time since 2021.
That became evident following their 70-yard drive ending with a 2-yard rushing touchdown by James Conner. The key plays were two completions from Kyler Murray to rookie Marvin Harrison Jr., the first of which was a 16-yarder that initially was ruled incomlete.
On third and 4, Murray was under pressure and floated a pass high. Harrison raced underneath it, diving and keeping the ball from hitting the ground. Coach Jonathan Gannon challenged the incomplete call and the play was overturned, keeping the drive alive.
A 22-yard pass from Murray top Harrison was also big, as was a 16-yard pass to tight end Trey McBride. Harrison has five catches for 93 yards and a TD. McBride has seven grabs for 100 yards.
Score: Dolphins 27, Cardinals 25 (8:47 left in fourth quarter)
Miami used two big completions from Tua Tagovailoa to Jaylen Waddle of 20 and 15 yards to help set up its latest touchdown, a 6-yard run by Raheem Mostert.
The Dolphins ran a motion route and then rolled out a running play in the opposite direction with Mostert easily jogging into the end zone.
Miami has now rushed for 140 yards compared to Arizona’s 44.
Score: 27-18 (12:22 left in the fourth quarter)
The Cardinals followed up their safety by driving 75 yards for a touchdown on Kyler Murray’s 22-yard strike to Marvin Harrison Jr.
Harrison beat Jalen Ramsey on the play for his third catch for 55 yards.
Arizona went for the two-point conversion to try and tie the score, but James Conner was stuffed short of the goal line.
Murray is 16 of 25 for 192 yards and two touhdowns.
Score: Dolphins 20, Cardinals 18 (1:59 left in the third quarter)
A botched snap by the Dolphins has led to a safety for the Cardinals.
On second and 10 from his own 13-yard line, Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa was set up in the shotgun formation and called for the ball. The snap, however, was high and errant and sailed over his head.
Tua tried swatting it away so the Cardinals couldn’t recover for a touchdown. The ball ended up squirting out of the back of an end zone for the safety.
Score: Dolphins 20, Cardinals 12 (6:15 left in the third quarter)
It didn’t take the Dolphins long to respond to the Cardinals’ latest score.
De’Von Achane scooted for a huge 47-yard run as soon as Miami took over and that set up Tua Tagovailoa’s first touchdown pass — a 12-yard catch and run by Achane to make it 10-10, Miami.
Achane has already totaled 136 yards from scrimmage in this game with 86 yards on seven rushing attempts and 50 yards on six receptions.
Score: Dolphins 20, Cardinals 10 (8:31 left in third quarter)
The Cardinals opened the second half with a quick, five-play scoring drive capped by a 57-yard field goal by Chad Ryland. It’s his longest since joining the team following a knee injury to kicker Matt Prater.
The key play during the drive was a 37-yard completion from Kyler Murray to Trey McBride, who leaped over a defender during the play.
Score: Dolphins 13, Cardinals 10 (11:43 left in third quarter)
Dolphins star wide receiver began the season with a seven-catch, 130-yard performance and a touchdown back in Week 1, but he’s been relatively quiet since quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was out of the lineup.
Until Sunday.
With Tagovailoa back after suffering his fourth diagnosed concussion, Hill already had five receptions for 69 yards in the first half against the Cardinals.
In his five previous games, Hill totaled just 17 catches for 164 yards and no TDs. He was targeted just twice last week during the Dolphins’ 16-10 loss to the Colts.
The Dolphins extended their lead to 13-7 over the Cardinals with another field goal from Jason Sanders, this one from 25 yards with 15 seconds left in the first half.
Tua Tagovailoa converted twice on third down during the 13-play, 88-yard scoring drive, including a 31-yard pass play to Tyreek Hill. At that point in the game, Tagovailoa was 7 of 8 for 72 yards on third-down passing attempts.
His final third-down pass of the half, a fade route to Hill in the end zone, was broken up by the Cardinals’ Starling Thomas V, which forced the field goal attempt. Tua is 19 of 25 for 162 yards thus far.
Kyler Murray is 8 of 14 for 79 yards and a touchdown for the Cardinals, who have been outgained 214-111.
Prior to Sanders’ second field goal, the Cardinals had the football for five minutes, and 26 seconds during an 11-play drive. Facing a third and 7 from the Dolphins’ 42, Murray spotted receiver Michael Wilson briefly open for a potential first down.
The pass was on target and on time, but Miami cornerback Kendall Fuller made a brilliant play on the ball by leaping to swipe it away before Wilson could haul it in to keep the chains moving.
Punter Blake Gillikin pinned the Dolphins at their own 5-yard line with the help of a hustling Greg Dortch, who raced down the field and flipped the ball back into play as he leaped into the end zone.
Score: Dolphins 13, Cardinals 7 (halftime)
Kyler Murray completed all five of his passes for 58 yards during Arizona’s second possession of the game, including a 6-yard strike to Michael Wilson in the end zone for a touchdown.
Murray relied on his scrambling ability to not only keep the drive along but find Wilson after a false start penalty put Arizona in a third-and-goal situation from the Miami 1-yard line. Twice, Murray avoided pressure and a potential sack by using his legs and speed to make something happen.
Big plays included a 25-yard completion to rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. to start the drive and later, a 12-yard completion to tight end Trey McBride on a crossing route.
Score: Dolphins 10, Cardinals 7 (11 minutes left in the second quarter)
Following a quick three-and-out by the Cardinals on their opening possession, the Dolphins took over and scored once again, this time going 40 yards on 12 plays during an eight-minute drive as kicker Jason Sanders drilled a 53-yard field goal.
The drive included another problem for Miami as Tua Tagovailoa had to abort a snap during the drive after he muffed the exchange from center. He recovered the loose ball, but that’s three times it’s squirted out for the Dolphins thus far.
Score: Dolphins 10, Cardinals 0 (1:16 left in the first quarter)
Tua Tagovailoa engineered a 10-play, 64-yard drive on the Dolphins’ opening possession of the game, which was capped by running back Raheem Mostert’s 1-yard touchdown run.
Tagovailoa, returning to the lineup for the first time since his latest concussion in Week 2, completed 5 of 6 passes for 47 yards during the drive.
The Dolphins withstood two fumbles during the possession, one by Tagovailoa when the ball was stripped from him by Arizona’s Khyiris Tonga, and another near the goal line by receiver Tyreek Hill, who had the ball knocked out by th Cardinals’ Victor Dimukeje.
Both times, however, the Dolphins recovered.
Score: Dolphins 7, Cardinals 0 (10:15 left in the first quarter)
It’s been 47 games since the 2021 season that the Cardinals have stacked together back-to-back wins and, following Monday night’s 17-15 last-second victory over the visiting Los Angeles Chargers, Arizona has a chance in Miami to finally snap the skid.
If it happens, the Cardinals will have to do it without seven players on defense who were starters, including three of the most recent casualties in outside linebacker Dennis Gardeck, who is now lost for the rest of the season following his second torn ACL, cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, out after reaggravating a neck injury, and nose tackle Ray Lopez, who is sidelined with an ankle issue.
Star wide receiver Tyreek Hill is listed as active for Miami.
Today’s game also features the return of Dolphins’ starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who has been out since suffering his fourth diagnosed concussion in Week 2 against the Bills.
“We always wish health on everybody, whether you’re a teammate or an opponent,” Cardinals rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. told The Republic. “I’m just glad he’s OK and I’m glad he’s not giving up. I know there was talk about maybe him retiring from football and things like that, but I’m happy for him and I’m glad he will be back. I’m looking forward to seeing him on Sunday.”
Watch Cardinals vs Dolphins on FUBO (free trial)
The Cardinals at Dolphins game is on Sunday, Oct. 27 at 10 a.m. MST, 1 p.m. ET.
NFL Week 8 schedule:Television channels, how to watch games on TV, streaming this week
The Dolphins vs Cardinals game can be seen on FOX.
Who wins NFL Week 8 game?Arizona Cardinals vs Miami Dolphins picks, predictions, odds
Streaming options for the Cardinals-Dolphins game include FUBO, which offers a free trial, and other streaming services that carry FOX Sports.
NFL Week 8 picks:Score prediction for Cardinals vs Dolphins, other NFL games today
Jason Benetti (play-by-play) and Mark Schlereth (analyst) are scheduled to be the announcers for the Cardinals at Dolphins Week 8 NFL game.
NFL Week 8 announcers:Television broadcasters, announcing crews for NFL Week 8 schedule
The Dolphins are a 3.5-point favorite over the Cardinals in NFL Week 8 odds for the game, courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook.
Miami is -165 on the moneyline, while Arizona is +140.
The over/under (point total) is set at 48 points.
NFL Week 8 odds:What point spreads, moneylines, over/unders say about NFL games this week
NFL power rankings Week 8: Where are Cardinals, Dolphins now?
NFL Week 8 predictions: What win probabilities say about Cardinals-Dolphins, other games
NFL playoff picture Week 8: Where Dolphins, Cardinals stand
Cardinals notes: Dennis Gardeck out for year, Jonathan Gannon defends Marvin Harrison Jr.
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Arizona Cardinals standout James Conner delivers passionate speech, then crushes Chargers
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Arizona Cardinals’ wide receivers go AWOL again despite a big 17-15 win
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