In a game that saw the Jacksonville Jaguars hold a 14-0 lead only halfway through the second quarter, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the game was over before it really even started. But a resilient Miami Dolphins offense banded together and racked up two touchdowns of their own in response - a passing TD through Tyreek Hill and a rushing TD through De'Von Achane, before two field goals from Jason Sanders put the Fins ahead - with the last kick of the game putting Miami three points ahead and the score at 20-17.
Here's VAVEL USA's biggest takeaways from the dramatic showdown in the Sunshine State.
Tua Tagovailoa's performance this season will be crucial to the Dolphins' Superbowl aspirations
This might be an obvious statement at first, but the quarterback position at Miami has been one that has sparked a hot debate over the past season.
Tagovailoa's 2023 campaign on paper was fantastic - most passing yards in the league with 4,624, joint fifth most touchdowns and the fourth highest passer rating of QBs that played more than 16 games. But there were still concerns over just what his ceiling was and if he was the player that could take the Dolphins to the next step, with criticism over his arm strength being the main point levelled against him.
The former Alabama Crimson Tide man has silenced detractors for now. It wasn't a perfect game from him, with only 62% of his 37 passes finding his man, but 338 yards including an 80-yard pass that resulted in a touchdown from Tyreek Hill were enough to constitute a more-than-solid performance from Tagovailoa.
Tyreek Hill is a star no matter the occasion
Only a few hours after being controversially detained, handcuffed and pinned to the ground by three police officers only a stones throw from the Dolphins' Hard Rock Stadium, Hill, known affectionately by his nickname Cheetah, was celebrating a touchdown by performing a handcuff celebration.
Hill caught for 130 yards, 84 of those being after reception, to cap off an afternoon that saw him in the news more for his antics off the pitch than on it. But on a day where the 30-year-old wide receiver would have had many other things on his mind than his in-game performance, once again showed why he is considered one of the elite receivers in the game - and fittingly the only player in his position to hold a 99 rating in the NFL simulation game Madden.
"Gone, gone, gone. He got to go, man."
Tyreek Hill in an interview when asked about if the officer who initiated proceedings that led to his handcuffing shoudl lose his job.
The Dolphins defense looks as strong as last year
Christian Wilkins, Xavien Howard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Jerome Baker, Brandon Jones. Those are just five of the names that departed from the Dolphins defensive unit, and a further ten would join them, either after signing with another team or becoming an unsigned free agent.
This was a defense that in 2023, allowed the tenth least yards per game and the seventh least rushing yards in the whole of the NFL, and with such key departures, heavy reinforcement was needed. The signings of Jordan Poyer, Shaq Barrett and Teair Tart from the Bills, Buccaneers and Texans added some much needed experience, and the combination of experience with emerging talents such as Jevon Holland and Jaelan Philips helped the Dolphins restrict the Jaguars to a mere 267 yards in Sunday's game.
More of these types of performances will need to be shown to convince both Miami and NFL fans alike, but the new look Dolphins defense could end up being much better than expected.
