Dolphins-Lions: The Five Biggest Plays

Breaking down the five plays that most decided the outcome in the Miami Dolphins' 31-27 victory against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field

Doug Reginek - USA Today Sports

The Miami Dolphins improved to 5-3 on the season with their 31-27 victory against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Sunday.

We rank the five biggest, most important, plays of the game:

1. Tua's 36-Yard Completion to Hill

It might be weird to point to a play in the first quarter when the Dolphins were down 14-0 but wasn't a touchdown as the biggest play, but this was about slowing the Detroit momentum. It was third-and-13 from the Miami 41 on the Dolphins' second drive when Tyreek Hill just ran by two defenders and adjusted to Tua Tagovailoa's pass to make the catch that keyed the team's first touchdown drive. An incompletion there and Detroit would have gotten the ball back leading by 14 and with all the momentum, and who knows how the game might have played out from there.

2. Tua's Scramble

Tua made plays throwing the ball all game in perhaps his  most consistent performance of the season — yes, even better than the Baltimore game — but it was his run on the game-winning drive that might have been his most important. This came with the Dolphins trailing 27-24 in the third quarter when Tua felt pressure from the outside, saw the big hole in front of him and then ran 18 yards for a first down at the Detroit 29, setting up his touchdown pass to Mike Gesicki.

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3. The Fourth-Down Stop

In a normal four-point game, this likely would have ranked higher, but does anybody really think Detroit would have stopped the Dolphins offense had the Lions left any time on the clock? This also was more about a weird decision and execution by the Lions than a great play by the Dolphins, with Jared Goff decided to throw deep on fourth-and-1 from the Miami 35 with just under 3 minutes left. Kader Kohou was in coverage deep against Josh Reynolds and there was some minor contact near the goal line as Reynolds tried to adjust to the ball, but he never really came that close to making the catch.

4. Tua's Second TD Pass to Waddle

Tua had a good number of really pretty throws, and his 29-yard pass to Waddle on third-and-6 in the second quarter was right up there. It was part of a great day for Tua on third down and he laid that one in there perfectly for Waddl after Waddle got behind the defense.

5. Tua's 42-Yard Pass to Hill

Again, this was about answering the Lions and not letting things get downhill. After Detroit scored a third touchdown to go up 21-7, the Dolphins came right back on first down after the touchback with another bomb to Hill, this one good for 42 yards. That play set up the 29-yard TD pass to Waddle and kept the Dolphins right on the Lions' heels — until they eventually caught up and passed them.

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