NFL highlights on Nov. 5: Dolphins loss shows still room for growth

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Miami Dolphins 21-14 at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, on Sunday.

The Chiefs had a perfect start, as their quarterback (QB) Patrick Mahomes ran a seven-play drive for 75 yards and one touchdown in less than three minutes for his side to sit on a seven-point early lead. All six of his passes reached six different targets, including a 25-yard connection with tight end Noah Gray.

The Chiefs and the Dolphins were among the top 10 in total points this season, but instead of putting up a scoring festival, the teams only exchanged seven punts in the following 15 minutes of the game. None of these drives lasted longer than five minutes. The Dolphins even finished a fruitless drive in 51 seconds at the beginning of the second quarter.

The Chiefs obviously did their homework on containing the Dolphins’ QB Tua Tagovailoa, who didn’t respond well to quick pressure. After making them beat the air four straight times, the Chiefs struck again and made a combination blow. First, Mahomes ran a 13-play drive for 95 yards and one touchdown.

Then cornerback Trent McDuffie punched the ball out of the Dolphins’ wide receiver Tyreek Hill’s control. Safety Mike Edwards recovered the fumble and then passed it to safety Bryan Cook, who rushed 59 yards into the end zone to score a touchdown, extending the Chiefs’ lead to 21 points.

Fortunately for the Dolphins, their rally came early in the third quarter. Tagovailoa ran an eight-play, 80-yard drive in five minutes and 10 seconds and passed to wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. from 31 yards to score a touchdown.

Then, in the next possession, the Dolphins’ linebacker Bradley Chubb sacked Mahomes at the Chiefs’ 20 yards. Though Tagvailoa was forced to play on a 3rd and 20 in the next drive, their opponents’ defensive tackle, Chris Jones, was given a foul for unnecessary roughness. The Dolphins benefited from it and received a first down at the Chiefs’ 13 yards. Running back Raheem Mostert didn’t waste the space created by his teammates, running into the end zone to cut their deficit to only seven points (21-14).

The Dolphins had the chance to tie the score or even gain the lead in their final drive. They reached the Chiefs’ 31 yards after four plays on 3rd and 10. Nonetheless, when Wilson Jr. threw off cornerback Jaylen Watson and waited for the ball in the open, Tagovailoa threw a strangely soft pass that didn’t even get close to Watson. The Dolphins’ next play was even more ridiculous because their QB fumbled, and the ball was recovered by the Chiefs, who kneeled the rest of the game out to pocket the win.

The Dolphins still lead the American Football Conference East with a 6-3 record despite Sunday’s loss. However, the three opponents they lost to, the Chiefs, the Buffalo Bills and the Philadelphia Eagles, either are or used to be Super Bowl champion candidates. Judging by the three games, the Dolphins do not belong to that category yet.

Other games on Sunday (away teams come first):

Minnesota Vikings 31-28 Atlanta Falcons

Seattle Seahawks 3-37 Baltimore Ravens

Arizona Cardinals 0-27 Cleveland Browns

Los Angeles Rams 3-20 Green Bay Packers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 37-39 Houston Texans

Washington Commanders 20-17 New England Patriots

Chicago Bears 17-24 New Orleans Saints

Indianapolis Colts 27-13 Carolina Panthers

New York Giants 6-30 Las Vegas Raiders

Dallas Cowboys 23-28 Philadelphia Eagles

Buffalo Bills 18-24 Cincinnati Bengals