Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's 57-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jonnu Smith in the fourth quarter put the finishing touch on an efficient offensive performance, giving Miami their second straight victory. The Dolphins scored on six of their seven possessions and did not punt or turn the ball over on their way to a commanding 34-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium.
Tagovailoa completed 28-of-36 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns for a season-high passer rating of 127.8. Tight end Jonnu Smith led Miami with a career-high 101 receiving yards on six catches and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill had a team-high seven receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown, while wide receiver Jaylen Waddle added two receptions for 37 yards.
Running back De'Von Achane continued to make an impact as both a ball carrier and as a pass catcher. He ran for 73 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries and added four receptions for 32 yards.
Tagovailoa got Miami going on the game's opening drive, connecting with Achane for a gain of 17 yards and Hill for a gain of 16 to set the offense up in the red zone. On fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line, Tagovailoa completed a touchdown pass to Smith to end the 14-play, 70-yard drive on a high note, giving the Dolphins an early 7-0 lead with 6:47 left in the first.
Miami initially forced a three-and-out on the Raiders' opening offensive possession, but a penalty on the ensuing punt continued the drive. Quarterback Gardner Minshew led the Raiders all the way down to the Dolphins' 9-yard line, but they were forced to settle for a 27-yard field goal by kicker Daniel Carlson.
The Dolphins had more success on offense on their next drive. A run for nine yards by Achane and an eight-yard completion to wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. led Miami into Las Vegas territory, where a strike on the run from Tagovailoa to Waddle for a gain of 24 yards created another trip to the red zone. Kicker Jason Sanders ended the drive with a 31-yard field goal to extend Miami's lead to 10-3 with 6:46 remaining in the second quarter.
On the shoulders of rookie tight end Brock Bowers, who had four first-half catches for 50 yards, the Raiders marched down into Miami territory once again, finishing it off with a Carlson field goal. His 27-yarder cut Miami's advantage to 10-6 at halftime.
After Las Vegas punted the ball away on their first possession of the second half, Miami strung together one of its longest drives of the season, going 97 yards on 14 plays. A 30-yard run by Achane pushed the ball inside the 10-yard line before an eight-yard touchdown throw to Hill widened Miami's lead to 17-6 at the 4:21 mark of the third quarter.
Bowers continued his high-level play into the second half, as his 23-yard catch, run and touchdown, followed by a failed two-point conversion attempt, cut Miami's lead to five. Bowers finished with a game-high 13 catches for 126 yards.
Tagovailoa orchestrated the Dolphins' subsequent response, spreading the ball out to wide receiver Malik Washington, Smith and tight end Julian Hill to set up a goal-to-go situation. Achane took a second-down, two-yard carry to the end zone for his first touchdown of the game, giving Miami a two-possession advantage.
The Raiders failed to let up, scoring a touchdown on their next drive on a 10-yard swing pass and run from Minshew to running back Ameer Abdullah to bring Las Vegas within five, 24-19, with 4:23 to go in the fourth quarter.
That would be the Raiders' last points of the game, as Tagovailoa's long touchdown to Smith further extended their lead. An interception by cornerback Jalen Ramsey on the ensuing possession set up a 46-yard field goal by Sanders which sealed the Dolphins' convincing 15-point win.
Defensive tackles Zach Sieler and Calais Campbell, as well as linebacker Emmanuel Ogbah, each recorded a sack. Linebacker Jordyn Brooks had a team-high 12 tackles, while Ramsey tallied two pass deflections.
Miami will remain at home for a divisional duel with the New England Patriots (3-8) on Sunday, Nov. 24 at 1 p.m. on CBS.
