Dolphins Capitalize On Jags Mistakes, Come Away With 27-13 Win
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JACKSONVILLE (CBSMiami/AP) — It wasn't the prettiest game, but a win is a win.
The Miami Dolphins got some help in winning consecutive games for the first time this season.
Rookie Blake Bortles had two interceptions returned for touchdowns, costly mistakes that Miami used to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-13 on Sunday.
Louis Delmas for 81 yards and Brent Grimes for 22 scored on the turnovers for the Dolphins (4-3).
Ryan Tannehill's 3-yard touchdown pass to Rishard Matthews made it 24-6 late in the third quarter and gave the Dolphins a comfortable cushion in a game they could have easily trailed by double digits.
The Jaguars (1-7) dominated the first half, but trailed 10-3 at the break because of a slew of miscues. Bortles was the culprit, continuing a trend that started when he took over the starting job last month.
Bortles had three turnovers Sunday, giving him six in the last two weeks and 13 in six games. Four of those have been interceptions returned for touchdowns.
Coming off a 27-14 win at Chicago, Miami looked flat early while playing its second straight game on the road. The Dolphins opened with three straight three-and-out possessions and gave up huge yardage to Jacksonville. But they led 7-0 after Delmas' return in the second quarter, and 17-3 following Grimes' in the third.
Bortles became the first quarterback since New York's Geno Smith last year to have two picks returned for TDs in the same game. Smith did it against Cincinnati, also in Week 8.
At one point late in the second half, the Jaguars had outgained Miami 199-4. It didn't last.
Tannehill did just enough to get the Dolphins going and turn a close game into a lopsided affair. Tannehill completed 16 of 29 passes for 196 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. Mike Wallace had two receptions for 59 yards.
Lamar Miller ran 14 times for 78 yards.
Jacksonville was without two starting defenders, linebacker Paul Posluszny and cornerback Alan Ball, but played well enough to win for the fourth consecutive week. The Jaguars gave up 326 yards.
But much like the previous losses, coach Gus Bradley's offense did little good and too much bad. Bortles was 18 of 34 for 221 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions. He threw a 48-yard strike to Allen Robinson with 2:19 remaining.
Robinson caught five passes for 82 yards and a score.
Denard Robinson ran 18 times for 108 yards, the first Jacksonville player to top the century mark since Maurice Jones-Drew in 2011. Most of Robinson's yardage came early, when Jacksonville was in control.
The Jaguars could have been up big early, but errors kept it close. Josh Scobee also had a field goal blocked and had a 46-yarder negated by a holding penalty.
Jacksonville advanced inside Miami's 40-yard line in each of its first five possessions, but came away with three points.
The biggest swing of the half came after Bortles found Cecil Shorts III for an 18-yard gain to the 5. Shorts fumbled, and teammate Allen Hurns recovered at the 1. But the play was nullified by an illegal shift.
Bortles was picked off on the next play. Delmas read Bortles, slid away from his receiver and stepped in front of a pass intended for tight end Nic Jacobs. Delmas went untouched the other way for a 7-0 lead.
Bortles had another head-scratching moment later in the second quarter. He scrambled up the middle and probably should have slid. Instead, linebacker Jelani Jenkins got a clean shot and forced a fumble that Delmas recovered.
The Dolphins turned that into a field goal and a 10-3 lead.
The backbreaker for Jacksonville was Grimes' interception return early in the third period.
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