The Dolphins and Commanders took the field Friday night in Landover, Maryland, and the game quickly turned into a showcase for backups, rookies and roster battles after both teams trimmed the active lineup.
Washington entered the night without 26 players, including No. 5 QB Jayden Daniels, No.
17 WR Terry McLaurin, No. 78 T Laremy Tunsil, No.
18 WR Stefon Diggs and No. 94 DL Daron Payne.
Miami also held out several key names, with linebacker Jordyn Brooks unavailable. De'Von Achane, Patrick Paul, Aaron Brewer and Austin Jackson were also done for the day after seeing action.
The Dolphins opened with Malik Willis at quarterback, and he helped lead a touchdown drive on Miami’s first possession. But after one series, Miami went to Quinn Ewers.
That switch didn’t bring much momentum. Ewers’ first drive featured eight plays, a 27-yard completion to a wide-open Jalen Tolbert and 27 rushing yards on four carries, but the series died after a Tahj Washington false start. Miami then turned it over on downs on a failed fourth-down try.
Washington had its own quarterback shakeup early. With Jayden Daniels already on the sideline, Marcus Mariota started the game but exited after just five plays because of an injury. Sam Hartman took over and eventually helped the Commanders settle in.
Miami’s starters gave the Dolphins an early 7-0 lead, marching 93 yards in 14 plays and finishing it with a one-yard touchdown run by De'Von Achane. Later in the quarter, Dolphins receiver Caleb Douglas came up with a one-handed grab for 28 yards after a missed opportunity two plays earlier.
The Commanders answered when Robert Henry Jr. bounced to the right edge and sprinted in from 22 yards out on a first-and-10 play. Rookie kicker Drew Stevens added the extra point to make it 10-7.
Before halftime, Washington grabbed the lead after Hartman guided the offense from Miami’s 35-yard line to the 4. On third-and-goal, Dolphins linebacker David Ojabo and defensive end Max Llewellyn split a sack, forcing Jake Moody into a field goal that barely sneaked in off the upright.
Then the turnovers started to tilt the game. Three plays into the next quarter, Ewers tried to fit a throw into a spot where only Commanders safety Quan Martin could make a play. Martin did exactly that, intercepting the pass and giving Washington short field position.
Miami had already lost a possession late in the first quarter when Hartman went looking for Dyami Brown on third-and-10, but the throw sailed and cornerback Marco Wilson picked it off.
From there, Washington kept building. As the second quarter wound down, Kaytron Allen powered through the middle for a one-yard touchdown on third-and-goal, stretching the Commanders’ lead to 17-7.
By the end of the second quarter, Miami had lost control of the game. Washington had scored 17 straight points.
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