By Doug Haller, Mike Jones and Alex Andrejev
Despite Tua Tagovailoa igniting a reinvigorated Miami Dolphins offense in his return Sunday, the Cardinals emerged victorious after Chad Ryland hit a 34-yard field goal as time expired to lift Arizona to a 28-27 win.
The victory means the Cardinals (4-4) posted back-to-back wins for the first time since the 2021 season.
Miami held the lead until Arizona’s game-clinching kick, bringing it to within two points after a James Conner touchdown in the fourth quarter. But the Dolphins appeared in control through most of the contest as Tagovailoa saw his first game action since suffering a concussion in Week 2.
The Cardinals finished with 389 total yards to the Dolphins’ 377, though Miami outpaced Arizona on the ground (150 rushing yards versus 82), relying on De’Von Achane and Raheem Mostert.
Despite the loss, the 2-5 Dolphins can take solace in the fact that their offensive weapons, including star wide receiver Tyreek Hill, appeared unlocked after a largely sluggish offensive performance in their prior four games without their franchise quarterback. The Cardinals, for their part, finally saw Marvin Harrison Jr.’s expected explosiveness.
Harrison Jr. returns to form
In Arizona, a major question has emerged throughout the season: What’s wrong with Harrison Jr.? Last week, even he admitted his rookie season has not gone the way he envisioned. (He declined to disclose exactly what he had envisioned.)
Aside from one major outburst — which occurred in a Week 2 win against the Los Angeles Rams — the talented receiver has not provided the expected explosiveness to Arizona’s offense. At least not consistently.
That changed in Sunday’s win at Miami. Harrison made key second-half catches. He made a diving grab near the sideline for a first down. He grabbed a high pass over the middle, a big play on Arizona’s final drive. Harrison finished with six catches for 111 yards. With Arizona suddenly at 4-4 in an up-for-grabs NFC West (with a less-than-daunting, second-half schedule), this has become the biggest development of the Cardinals’ season.
Through seven games, Arizona ran the ball well behind powerful running back Conner. As always, quarterback Kyler Murray made plays with his legs.
The missing piece was the vertical passing game. Outside of tight end Trey McBride, the Cardinals lacked a big-play threat.
After Harrison’s performance against the Dolphins, maybe that’s about to change. — Doug Haller, Arizona writer
Tua shows no signs of rust in return
Late-game defensive breakdowns paved the way for a fourth-quarter Cardinals comeback and spoiled Tagovailoa’s quest for a victorious return to action Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium. The quarterback — sidelined ever since sustaining a concussion in the second quarter of Miami’s Week 2 loss to Buffalo – displayed minimal rust as he completed 28 of 38 passes for 234 yards and one touchdown.
He even scrambled 13 yards for a first down, whipping the fans into a frenzy as he slid to avoid a tackle and then sprang to his feet, pointed downfield and flexed. His team led the entire game until the final seconds when counterpart Murray directed a game-winning scoring drive. But, Tagovailoa escaping unscathed was a much-needed positive development for the quarterback and his family. — Mike Jones, NFL writer
Hope for a Dolphins rebound?
The Dolphins fell to 2-5, but on offense, they looked like a drastically different team than they have the last four weeks without their quarterback. An offense that averaged 10 points a game without Tagovailoa scored a season-high 27 points, moved the ball with relative ease and dominated time of possession. We saw all kinds of creativity from coach and offensive architect Mike McDaniel, and the Arizona defense was kept off balance for much of the game.
With Tagovailoa back under center, the Dolphins’ passing attack, which relies heavily on timing and precision, regained its effectiveness. And that in turn created openings in the rushing attack. Achane rushed for a season-high 97 yards on 10 carries. And as a team, the Dolphins rushed for 150 yards. Miami also converted an impressive 11 of 15 third downs.
If only they could’ve gotten a stop or two from their defense, or not had that third-quarter safety. One player doesn’t make a team, but Tua is a difference-maker for the Dolphins, who will try to rebound in Week 9, where they will visit AFC East-leading Buffalo. — Jones
Miami’s defensive concern
The Dolphins’ defense has played well this season, ranking among the stingiest in the league in yards allowed (285.2 per game) and points per game (21.5). However, it offered little resistance in the second half on Sunday.
Arizona erased a 10-point deficit and outscored their hosts 18-14 in the second half. Harrison was virtually unstoppable, catching six or seven passes for 111 yards and a touchdown, and McBride had eight catches for 107 yards. If the Dolphins are to have a chance to turn things around with Tua back, they’ll obviously need more from their defense. — Jones
Required reading
- NFL playoff projections 2024: The Athletic’s model predicts the field
- NFL Week 8 scores and live updates: News, inactives, predictions, odds, schedule, channels
- How Tua Tagovailoa cleared the NFL concussion protocol to return to the Dolphins
- Tua Tagovailoa is returning from another concussion — it brings up an uncomfortable feeling
(Photo: Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)
