The Miami Dolphins earned their first road victory of the season Sunday afternoon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, defeating the Atlanta Falcons 34–10 behind a balanced offensive effort and a stingy defensive performance. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa led the way with four touchdown passes, while running back De'Von Achane totaled 91 scrimmage yards and a score.
After both teams traded punts to open the game, Miami's offense found its rhythm on its second possession. Tagovailoa completed a 17-yard pass to wide receiver Malik Washington, then mixed in runs by Achane and running back Ollie Gordon II to move deep into Falcons territory. Tagovailoa capped the 13-play, 79-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Achane with 2:38 remaining in the first quarter. Kicker Riley Patterson's extra point gave the Dolphins a 7–0 lead.
Atlanta answered early in the second quarter with a 45-yard field goal by kicker Parker Romo, but Miami's defense forced a three-and-out on the next Falcons possession. After Atlanta punted from their own 8-yard line, the Dolphins capitalized on the short field with a 34-yard Patterson field goal to extend the lead to 10–3.
With less than five minutes remaining in the half, Tagovailoa orchestrated one of Miami's best drives of the season — a 10-play, 82-yard march highlighted by completions to Washington, wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. Rolling left, Tagovailoa found Washington open in the front corner of the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown with 11 seconds remaining in the half. Patterson's PAT made it 17–3 at halftime.
Miami's defense opened the second half with another timely play. At 10:31 in the third quarter, linebacker Tyrel Dodson recovered a fumble after Falcons running back Bijan Robinson lost control of the ball inside the red zone. The Dolphins capitalized on the turnover, as Tagovailoa connected with Waddle on a slant route over the middle. Waddle cut upfield and sprinted into the end zone for a 43-yard touchdown with 4:26 remaining in the quarter, extending Miami's lead to 24–3.
Early in the fourth quarter, Miami kept its momentum. Achane picked up key yards on the ground before Tagovailoa dumped a short pass to Gordon, who weaved up the left sideline for a 20-yard touchdown — the first touchdown reception of his career – giving Miami a 31–3 advantage.
On Atlanta's next drive, the Falcons faced a 4th-and-7 from their own 39-yard line. Quarterback Kirk Cousins completed a short pass to tight end Kyle Pitts for two yards, but safety Ifeatu Melifonwu made the stop short of the marker to force a turnover on downs.
Miami converted the field position into a 36-yard Patterson field goal, stretching the advantage to 34–3. Atlanta added a late 6-yard touchdown run from running back Tyler Allgeier, but the Dolphins closed out the 34–10 win comfortably.
Tagovailoa finished 20-of-26 for 205 yards and four touchdowns, while Achane tallied 18 carries for 67 yards and caught five passes for 24 yards and a touchdown. Waddle paced all receivers with five catches for 99 yards and a score, while Washington added four receptions for 36 yards and a touchdown. Additionally, Gordon recorded 10 carries for 46 rushing yards and the 20-yard receiving score.
On defense, linebacker Jordyn Brooks led the way with 10 tackles (seven solo), 1.0 sack and three tackles for loss. Dodson added four tackles (three solo) with a fumble recovery, and defensive tackle Zach Sieler chipped two tackles (one solo) and a tackle for loss. Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu recorded five tackles (four solo) and helped limit Atlanta's passing game, while cornerback Jack Jones tallied four tackles (three solo). The Dolphins' defense held Robinson to just 25 yards rushing, his fewest since Week 1 and limited the Falcons to just 45 total yards on the ground.
The Dolphins (2–6) return home on Thursday, October 30, to face the Baltimore Ravens at Hard Rock Stadium. Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video.
