MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Jason Sanders nailed a 52-yard field goal as time expired, and the Miami Dolphins rallied past the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-17 on Sunday to win their fourth straight season opener.
Fresh off a big offseason payday, Tua Tagovailoa threw for 336 yards and a touchdown and led Miami on an 8-play, 31-yard drive over the final 2:09.
Tyreek Hill started the comeback with 80-yard touchdown catch that sparked Miami’s sluggish offense in the third quarter and got the Dolphins within 17-14. After the score, Hill placed his hands behind his back as if to simulate being handcuffed, hours after he was placed facedown and handcuffed on a street by Miami-Dade Police officers after being stopped for a traffic violation near Hard Rock Stadium.
Hill finished with seven catches for 130 yards. Devon Achane seven catches for 75 yards and ran for 25 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.
Sanders tied the game with a 36-yard field goal with 4:22 left, and the Dolphins’ defense stepped up from there, sacking Trevor Lawrence on consecutive plays to set up Tagovailoa for the winning drive.
Lawrence, who also signed a big contract extension in the offseason, completed 12 of 21 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. Tank Bigsby had 73 yards on 12 carries.
Rookie receiver Brian Thomas Jr. had a 14-yard touchdown catch and drew a pass-interference call on cornerback Jalen Ramsey — who had been listed as questionable with a hamstring injury — on Jacksonville’s first touchdown drive. The play set up Jacksonville at the 1-yard line and Travis Etienne ran it in from there.
Etienne had the ball punched from his grasp by Dolphins safety Jevon Holland just before crossing the goal line in the third. Miami scored one play later when Tagovailoa found a streaking Hill, who outran two Jaguars defenders into the end zone.
After the Dolphins got a fourth-down stop on Jacksonville’s next drive, Sanders missed a 42-yard field goal that would have tied it.
Achane had a 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, but besides that, the opening half of the season was mostly a dud for the Dolphins, who were expected to be as good or better offensively after bringing back most of the weapons from a unit that led the NFL in total yards in 2023.
Miami turned the ball over on downs twice and punted four times before Hill’s touchdown.
Jaylen Waddle had five receptions for 108 yards, including a 63-yard catch that set up Miami at the Jacksonville 26 while trailing by 10. Miami went backwards for three straight plays, though, and Tagovailoa took a third-down sack that knocked the Dolphins out of field goal range.
Injuries
Jaguars: CB Tyson Campbell left with a hamstring injury in the fourth.
Dolphins: Waddle was evaluated for a concussion after taking a hard hit in the first half but returned a couple of plays later. … LB David Long left in the third quarter with a hand injury but returned.
Up next
Jaguars: Host Cleveland next Sunday.
Dolphins: Host Buffalo on Thursday.
