The Miami Dolphins rallied late to bring the Chargers down to the wire, but a last-second field goal by Los Angeles kicker Cameron Dicker lifted the Chargers to a 29–27 victory Sunday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium.
Miami opened strong with wide receiver Malik Washington returning the opening kickoff 45 yards to set up good field position. But on the second play from scrimmage, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's pass deflected off wide receiver Jaylen Waddle's hands and into the arms of Chargers safety Tony Jefferson for an interception.
The Dolphins defense responded to the adversity. After Los Angeles moved inside the red zone, rookie defensive tackle Kenneth Grant recorded the first full sack of his career, forcing the Chargers to settle for a 35-yard field goal by Dicker.
Following a Dolphins punt on the ensuing drive, the Miami defense continued its early surge. Cornerback Rasul Douglas forced a fumble at midfield and linebacker Jordyn Brooks recovered the ball at the Chargers' 49-yard line with 4:22 remaining in the opening quarter. On the next play, running back De'Von Achane took the handoff, bounced to the right sideline and sprinted 49 yards untouched for a touchdown — his fifth rushing score of the season. Riley Patterson's extra point gave Miami a 7–3 lead.
The Chargers added a 31-yard Dicker field goal late in the first quarter to trim the margin to 7–6.
The second quarter featured a series of lead changes, beginning with the Chargers retaking the lead on a 29-yard field goal by Dicker to make it 9–7 at the 10:20 mark. Miami responded with an eight-play, 36-yard drive highlighted by completions to Washington and Waddle and capped by Patterson's 47-yard field goal to push the Dolphins back in front, 10–9, with 4:09 left in the half.
After the defense forced a punt, Tagovailoa led a crisp two-minute drill, connecting with Waddle for a 45-yard strike down the left sideline to the Chargers' 17-yard line with 46 seconds remaining. Patterson kicked a 27-yard field goal as time expired to extend Miami's lead to 13–9 going into halftime.
After the break, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert directed a 13-play, 72-yard drive capped off by a 5-yard touchdown to wide receiver Ladd McConkey with 7:26 left in the third quarter, putting the Bolts ahead 16–13. On Miami's next series, Chargers cornerback Benjamin St-Juste intercepted a pass at the Dolphins' 37 yard line. Four plays later, Herbert found running back Kimani Vidal for a short touchdown to extend the lead to 23–13 with 3:55 left in the quarter.
Early in the fourth, a 35-yard field goal by Dicker made it 26–13, but Miami punched back. Tagovailoa targeted five different Dolphins, before Achane finished a 9-play, 69-yard drive with a 4-yard scoring run with 8:01 remaining in the game, pulling Miami within 26–20.
After a defensive stop, Miami took over at its own 18-yard line with just over six minutes remaining and strung together one of its best drives of the year. Tagovailoa led a 13-play, 82-yard drive that showcased Miami's balance and resilience.
After key gains from Achane and Washington helped move the chains, Tagovailoa found fullback Alec Ingold for 22 yards and later connected with tight end Julian Hill twice to push inside the red zone. With :52 left in the game, Tagovailoa rolled right and hit tight end Darren Waller in the back corner of the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown. Patterson's extra point gave Miami a 27–26 lead.
The Chargers had one final answer. Herbert connected with McConkey after taking pressure from Dolphins defenders for a 42-yard gain. The big play advanced the Chargers to the Miami 17 with 34 seconds remaining in the contest. Following a few rushes to drain the clock, Dicker drilled a 33-yard field goal with :09 remaining for the decisive score, 29-27.
Tagovailoa finished 21-of-32 for 205 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Achane totaled 150 scrimmage yards (128 rushing, 22 receiving) with two touchdowns, and Waddle led Miami receivers with six catches for 95 yards. Waller added two receptions for 12 yards and the go-ahead score inside the final minute.
Defensively, linebacker K.J. Britt paced Miami with 13 tackles (6 solo), while linebacker Jordyn Brooks added 9 stops and recovered a fumble. Safety Ashtyn Davis forced a fumble, and cornerback Douglas recorded 7 tackles, a forced fumble and added a quarterback hit. Linebacker Jaelan Phillips also contributed a quarterback hit, continuing his impact in the pass rush.
For the Chargers, Herbert went 28-of-38 for 264 yards and two touchdowns. McConkey finished with seven receptions for 100 yards and a score, and Vidal added 124 rushing yards and a receiving touchdown.
Miami travels to Cleveland next Sunday, Oct. 19, to face the Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET, with coverage on CBS.
