The Dolphins looked out of sync for much of Sunday’s matchup with the Jaguars, as Jacksonville’s defense kept the offensive unit off balance.
But Miami was able to score 13 unanswered points in the second half to give the club a 20-17 victory.
On a day that began with receiver Tyreek Hill being detained after a traffic violation while on the way to Hard Rock Stadium, it was also Hill who had one of the game-changing plays in the third quarter.
The Jaguars were on their way to a 24-7 lead late in the third quarter but Jevon Holland had other plans. The safety punched the ball out of Travis Etienne’s arm when he was on the way to the goal line, with cornerback Kader Kohou recovering the loose ball in the end zone for a touchback.
On the next play, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa connected with Hill 28 yards down the field and the receiver used his speed to do the rest for an 80-yard touchdown.
While that made the score 17-14, the Dolphins firmly had the game’s energy on their side for the rest of the contest.
While kicker Jason Sanders sent one 42-yard field goal attempt wide left, Jacksonville could not sustain a drive to get in position to score. That led to a 37-yard field goal to tie it with 4:22 left.
Sanders was then able to hit a 52-yard field goal as time expired in the fourth quarter to give the club the Week 1 victory.
Tagovailoa finished 22-of-37 for 338 yards with a touchdown. Hill had seven catches for 130 yards with his touchdown. Jaylen Waddle caught all five of his targets for 109 yards.
On the other side, Trevor Lawrence finished 12-of-21 for 162 yards with a touchdown. Tank Bigsby led the club with 73 yards rushing, averaging 6.1 yards per rush. Gabe Davis was the leading receiver with three catches for 62 yards.
The Dolphins have a quick turnaround, as they’ll host the Bills for Thursday Night Football in Week 2.
The Jaguars will host the Browns in Week 2.
