A 93-yard drive that meant more than the scoreboard
Washington beat Miami 20-7 overnight. The score tells you next to nothing about what actually mattered to the Dolphins.
Miami rolled out its starters on the opening drive and treated it like a regular-season game. The result: 93 yards chewed up and finished by a one-yard De’Von Achane run, his seventh carry of the series. Malik Willis, running the show, completed 4 of 5 passes for 43 yards in his only drive.
Signed after filling in as Green Bay’s backup, Willis arrives in Miami with a simple brief: replace Tua Tagovailoa. That’s a big ask for a franchise that has built its offence around the left-hander since 2020.
For Washington, who rested their regulars, the fight for the third running back job took centre stage. Kaytron Allen, a sixth-round pick out of Penn State, piled up 85 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. Robert Henry Jr., an undrafted rookie from UTSA, answered with 75 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown of his own.
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Tagovailoa stumbles on his Atlanta debut
While Willis was getting Miami going, the man he is replacing had a rough night. Tagovailoa managed just 22 passing yards on his Falcons debut, with a botched snap and two drives totalling 19 yards. Atlanta fell 27-7 to Denver.
The backdrop matters: Tagovailoa is battling Michael Penix Jr. for the starting job, with Penix still recovering from knee surgery. One outing like this does not settle anything, but it certainly does not help.
Denver, meanwhile, kept Bo Nix protected. Jarrett Stidham, who also stepped in during last season’s AFC Championship Game, threw for 131 yards and a touchdown. Courtland Sutton caught three passes for 60 yards, including a 40-yard grab to the one-yard line. Adam Prentice punched it in on the next play.
Klubnik takes advantage of Geno Smith’s late withdrawal
Thrown in at the last minute after Geno Smith was ruled out late with an ankle injury, rookie Cade Klubnik led the Jets to points on both of his drives. The fourth-round pick out of Clemson went 5 of 7 for 56 yards, helped by a 31-yard Braelon Allen run.
Tampa Bay, which sat all of its starters, turned the night around thanks to rookie cornerback Ayden Garnes. His interception of Bailey Zappe, returned 47 yards, pulled the Buccaneers level at 10-10 in the second quarter. Zappe threw two picks in all. Tampa won 24-16.
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