Dolphins Lose To Bucs 30-20 Despite Strong Second Half Comeback By Matt Moore
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MIAMI GARDENS (CBSMiami) – Penalties and turnovers cost the Miami Dolphins mightily in a must-win game at home.
The Dolphins committed 17 penalties and turned the ball over four times as they lost to the struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-20 at Hard Rock Stadium.
Matt Moore almost led Miami to another comeback win after entering the game at halftime with the Dolphins trailing 20-7.
On the final play of the first half Jay Cutler took a hit to the head and he did return to the game as he was being evaluated for a concussion.
Moore meanwhile brought Miami all the back to tie the game, hitting Kenny Stills for a 61-yard touchdown with exactly three minutes left to even the score at 20.
Unfortunately for the Dolphins, the defense couldn't come up with one more stop after being called upon time after time during the second half.
Tampa drove the ball down the field and Patrick Murray hit a 35-yard field goal with 4 seconds left to give the Bucs their fourth win of the season.
The Bucs then scored a touchdown on the final play of the game when the Dolphins tried to lateral the kickoff a few times but instead fumbled into their own end zone.
Photo Gallery: Bucs Defeat Reeling Dolphins
Moore finished the game 17-of-28 for 282 yards and a touchdown, good for a passer rating of 106.5.
Cutler meanwhile went 6-of-12 for 83 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. He had a passer rating of 60.8.
Miami's first drive went very well, with the offense driving all the way down inside the Bucs 10 yard line before Cutler's first interception. A pass intended for DeVante Parker saw the wideout fall down in the end zone just as the ball was arriving.
Cutler would throw two more interceptions during the first half, one of which went right off Parker's hands before popping in the air and into the hands of Bucs cornerback Robert McClain.
GAME NOTES
- Kenny Stills had a monster afternoon, reeling in seven catches for 180 yards and a touchdown.
- Kiko Alonso led all players with 10 tackles, including one for loss. No other Dolphins defender had more than six tackles.
- Jarvis Landry also had a solid game, with six receptions for 95 yards and his sixth touchdown of the year. All of his scores have come in the last seven weeks.
- The Dolphins 17 penalties came very close to tying the franchise record of 18, which they earned in 2005.
