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- Mar 19, 2019
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Fitzmagic may have saved the Dolphins’ playoff hopes . . . while dashing those of the Raiders and the Ravens.
Ryan Fitzpatrick replaced Tua Tagovailoa in the fourth quarter. In three drives, the veteran quarterback directed the Dolphins to as points as Tagovailoa did in eight — not counting a kneel down — as the Dolphins came from behind for an improbable win.
Miami beat the Raiders 26-25 on a 44-yard Jason Sanders field goal with one second remaining.
The Dolphins remained in the driver’s seat for the final wild-card berth in the AFC, moving to 10-5. The Raiders fell to 7-8 and are eliminated from postseason contention.
The teams combined for 22 points in the fourth quarter in a wild affair that saw three lead chances in the final 2:55.
The Raiders thought they had it won when they burned down the clock to 23 seconds before calling a timeout to kick a 22-yard Daniel Carlson field goal with 19 seconds left. Carlson missed an extra point in the fourth quarter that proved the difference.
The Raiders didn’t try to score the touchdown, instead running down the time and settling for the go-ahead field goal. It came back to bite them.
On the first snap following the touchback on the kickoff, Fitzpatrick threw a deep pass to Mack Hollins, who dropped a potential touchdown pass earlier in the fourth quarter. It was a 34-yard completion with another 15 yards tacked on with Arden Key grabbing and yanking Fitzpatrick’s facemask as the quarterback threw the ball.
It set up the winning field goal.
Fitzpatrick directed the Dolphins to a game-tying field goal with 4:01 left on his first drive, but Nelson Agholor caught an 85-yard touchdown pass from Derek Carr only 24 seconds later. Carlson then missed the extra point.
Myles Gaskin got the lead back for the Dolphins with a 59-yard touchdown with 2:55 remaining after Sanders made the PAT.
Agholor followed by drawing a 49-yard pass interference penalty on Byron Jones. The penalty set up the Raiders for what Carr thought was going to be his 24th game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime.
But Fitzmagic struck again.
He went 9-of-13 for 182 yards and a touchdown. Tagovailoa went 17-of-22 for 94 yards and a touchdown.
Carr was 21-of-34 for 336 yards and a touchdown. Agholor caught five passes for 155 yards and a touchdown, and tight end Darren Waller added five catches for 112 yards.