Titans Surprise Dolphins on Monday Night Football

Odds are if you were going to pick a winner for this game it would have been the Miami Dolphins. While the Dolphins have been playing some incredible football and are without a doubt one of the best teams in the league this year, the Titans proved that you should have bet on them last night as they proved they were the better team in this game last night by getting the win on the road. With this win the Titans improve to 5-8 on the season and stay last in their AFC South division. On the other hand, with this loss, the Dolphins fall to 9-4 and while they are still at the top of their AFC East division, they are no longer at the top of the AFC. They are going to have to play some better football if they hope to beat out the Baltimore Ravens for the majestic number-one seed, home-field advantage, and a bye week in the playoffs. The Titans will hope to win again next week as they head back to Tennessee to take on their divisional rival Houston Texans. The Dolphins will hope to rebound from this loss and get a win as they will stay in Miami to take on their divisional rival New York Jets. Let’s take a lot at how Miami got this win. 

The Dolphins' opening drive in this game would not go as planned as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa fumbled the ball. The fumble was forced by Tennessee defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson and recovered by Titans defensive end TK McLendon Jr. Unfortunately for the Titans they would not be able to turn this great play by their defense into points on the offensive end as quarterback Will Levis threw an interception, a pass intended for Titans running back Tyjae Spears, into the hands of Miami defensive tackle Zach Sieler. Sieler returned the ball for a five-yard pick-six to make the score of the game 7-0, after kicker Jason Sanders made the extra point. The Titans would score the next points in the game as running back Derrick Henry ran into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown shortly after the halfway mark of the second quarter. This touchdown score plus the extra point made by kicker Nick Folk would tie the game up 7-7. The Dolphins offense would set up a field goal for Sanders on their next drive from 44 yards out, but Titans defensive end Denico Autry blocked the field goal. The Titans would be the last to score in the first half as Folk knocked down a 28-yard field goal to put them up 10-7 heading into the locker room. 

The Dolphins would tie the game up on their first drive as their offense was able to set up a 20-yard field goal attempt for Sanders which was good. A few drives later both teams would make field goals as Folk made a 23-yarder and Sanders made a 31-yarder to tie the game up at 13 a piece. The Dolphins would score the first touchdown of the half a few drives later as running back Raheem Mostert ran in the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown to put Miami up a touchdown. Titans’ quarterback Will Levis would fumble on the Titans' next drive and the ball was recovered by Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb. The Dolphins were able to turn this defense into offense as Mostert ran into the endzone for a 5-yard touchdown, his second touchdown of the night. When the Titans got the ball back they would score eight points as Levis connected with wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins for a 3-yard touchdown and wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine for a successful two-point conversion to make the score of the game 27-21. With nearly two minutes left in this one, the Titans would get the last laugh as Henry ran into the endzone for a 3-yard touchdown, his second of the night, to make the final score of the game 28-27. With this touchdown, the Dolphins surmounted a comeback and win that no one saw coming. 

Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis completed twenty-three of his thirty-eight passes in the game, finishing having passed for 327 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Running back Derrick Henry had seventeen carries for 34 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins had seven receptions for 124 yards and one touchdown and running back Tyjae Spears had six catches for 89 yards. Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa went twenty-three for thirty-three on his passes in the game, throwing for 240 passing yards. Running back Raheem Mostert had twenty-one carries for 96 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receivers Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill had six receptions for 79 yards and four catches for 61 yards, respectively.