Cardinals at Dolphins final score and immediate reactions

The Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals have completed an ugly, sloppy, wet game in an off-and-on South Florida rain storm. The game featured turnover after turnover, but it also featured some big plays from Miami and a late comeback from the Cardinals.

The story of the game, of course, will be quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who had to leave the contest in the second half with a knee injury. He was hit in the front knee just after he delivered a pass, and he stayed down on the turf for several minutes. He eventually got up and walked off the field, but went to the locker room clearly limping.

Every week, during the Dolphins’ game, I keep a running tally of my thoughts and reactions to the game, providing for immediate reactions to everything that happens during the game. I break up those reactions into the first- and second-halves, followed by some overall thoughts from the game. You can find all of that below.

Final Score

Cardinals 23 - Dolphins 26

First Half

• Cardinals win the toss and will receive.
• This defense is going to be tested today. David Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald could both cause issues.
• Dolphins get the Cardinals to 3rd-and-2.
• Nope. 12 yard pass from Carson Palmer to Darren Fells. First down.
• PICK! Mike Hull! Making his first start and he gets the pick to set up the Dolphins with great field position.

• Ryan Tannehill steps up in the pocket and finds Jarvis Landry for 14 yards. Good presence and movement in the pocket and a strike to Landry.
• Jay Ajayi for 6 yards. Came into the game needing 92 yards for 1,000 on the year. Now 86.
• Make it 87. One yard loss.
• TOUCHDOWN!!!!! Tannehill to Kenny Stills off a double move and a perfect strike from Tannehill. 28 yards. MIA 7-0.
• That did not take long.
• Touchdown. Cardinals. J.J. Nelson runs 56 yards on a wide receiver end around. Cardinals miss the extra point. MIA 7-6.
• Tannehill to Ajayi for 15 yards. 5 yard pass, 10 yard run after the catch. Good play.
• Ajayi loses another 3 yards. Back to 90.
• Pick. Tannehill to Stills and Marcus Cooper steps in front and comes away with the catch. Under review for possible simultaneous possession, but hard to change it. Call stands.
• FUMBLE! Cameron Wake with the forced fumble on a David Johnson run. Spencer Paysinger with the recovery! Miami gets the ball right back.
• Ajayi for 9 yards.
• Ajayi for 7 yards
• False start on Dion Sims. Can’t have that.
• Ajayi -1 yards.
• Tannehill to a sliding Stills for 7. Rain coming down hard now.
• Tannehill and Ajayi nearly connect on what probably could have been a touchdown pass. Ajayi with the wheel route and Tannehill floats it out one step too far.
• Matt Darr with the 36 yard punt to have it downed at the Arizona 10.
• Johnson picks up 6 yards, then no gain.
• PICK! Palmer looking for Fitzgerald again and Bacarri Rambo steps in front for the interception. Jason Jones crushed Palmer right up the middle to force the ball to float.
• Kenyan Drake comes in for eight yards. Great power run, dropping his shoulder. Shoe-string from scoring.
• Fumble. Tannehill never got the ball on the snap. Ruled recovered by Cardinals. Replay shows it should be overturned. Ajayi clearly jumps on the ball.
• Nope. Call stands. Because, of course.
• The rain seems to have slowed, but this is clearly going to be a wet, sloppy game. That’s five turnovers already, and the first quarter is just ending.
• 1st-and-10 from the Arizona 1. This should be fun for the defense.
• Johnson picks up 2 yards.
• Incomplete pass and nearly another pick. . Now 3rd-and-8 from the 3. Watch the rush here.
• Palmer incomplete again. Cardinals punting from the endzone.
• Sack. Nope. Holding on the defense. Negates the sack.
• Ajayi for 13.
• Tannehill to Landry on the screen, picks up 13.
• Tannehill scrambles for 7.
• Ajayi -1.
• TOUCHDOWN!!! Tannehill to Dion Sims for 7 yards. MIA 14-6.
• Two penalties on Miami picks up a first down for the Cardinals.
• FUMBLE! Palmer fails to get the snap and Terrence Fede recovers!
• Ajayi -3.
• Couple of incomplete passes, one off the hands of Ajayi and one broken up at the last minute forces a punt.
• Kerwynn Williams with the 20 yard run out of the Wildcat.
• Palmer completes a pass! Palmer completes a pass! 9 yards to Jermaine Gresham.
• Johnson picks up 9.
• Johnson picks up 19.
• Johnson picks up 8.
• SACK! Cameron Wake gets to Palmer for a 9 yard loss and brings up fourth down.
• DOINK! Field goal attempt hits the upright and is no good!
• Dolphins could try to get points then get the ball back to start the second half.
• Ajayi for 4 yards.
• Wow. Tannehill tried for the bubble screen, but ball just slips out of his hands and it is a backwards pass. Ball bounces around and no one can recover. Eventually goes out of bounds for a 21-yard loss.
• Penalty on Tunsil for holding. Now 3rd-and-34.
• Ajayi for 7.
• Punt.
• Palmer with three straight incomplete passes.
• Field goal. Cardinals 56 yards. MIA 14-9.
• Damien Williams picks up 19 yards, but three flags on the play. Ja’Wuan James called for holding (accepted penalty), so no play.
• Branden Albert is not on the field. Sam Young playing left tackle.
• Damien Williams -1.
• Tannehill scrambles for 12.
• Tannehill to Damien Williams, who backs up after the catch and loses 2 yards.
• Punt.
• Cardinals kneel.
• Halftime.

Second Half.

• Dolphins get the ball to start the second half.
• Branden Albert back on the field to start the second half.
• Ajayi 2 yards.
• Tannehill 1 yard.
• Tannehill to Landry for a short completion - but it’s Landry. Two broken tackles and a cut back later, it’s a 71-yard gain. I love Jarvis Landry.
• Touchdown....nope. Ajayi in for the score, but a holding penalty on Steen pulls it back.
• Tannehill to Drake for 3.
• Tannehill to Stills for 7.
• TOUCHDOWN! Tannehill to Damien Williams for 3. MIA 21-9.
• Landry called for taunting after the score. Dolphins will kickoff from the 20.
• Dolphins defense does their thing and forces a 3-and-out. Great stuff on second down from Ndamukong Suh and Bobby McCain to get the 7-yard loss on a Johnson run.
• Anthony Steen tries to sail a snap deep, Tannehill somehow reels it in and runs the broken play back to the line of scrimmage.
• Tannehill to DeVante Parker for 3 yards.
• Tannehill to Stills for 14 yards and a first down.
• Ajayi for 2 yards.
• Ajayi for 4 yards.
• Tannehill to Sims for 2 yards.
• Punt. 51 yards to the Arizona 8. Matt Darr is a machine.
• Spencer Paysinger called for holding. Gives Arizona five yards.
• SACK! Andre Branch with the strip sack. Cardinals recover.
• Delay of game. Cardinals give back the yards.
• Johnson for 6 yards.
• Punt. Landry fumbles. Ran into Kenyan Drake and lost the ball. Arizona recovers.
• And the defense holds again. Taunting backs up the Cardinals, then a holding penalty on Ulrick John forces Arizona into a 2nd-and-33. Two incompletes and the Cardinals punt again.
• Tannehill to Parker for 11 yards.
• Tannehill is down. Was hit in the knee just after he released the pass. Gets up and walks off the field after a few minutes, but it does not look good. Matt Moore coming in.
• Ajayi 5 yards.
• Ajayi 1 yard.
• Ajayi 3 yards.
• 4th-and-1. False start on Steen.
• Punt.
• Palmer to Michael Floyd for 15.
• Palmer scrambles for 6.
• Palmer to Fitzgerald for 8 yards. Dolphins defense needs to tighten up here.
• Palmer to Gresham for 8 yards.
• Penalties coming up again for the Dolphins. Negate a Cameron Wake sack.
• Pass interference on Byron Maxwell. Probably had to do it because he was slipping on a double move from Fitzgerald.
• Palmer to Gresham for 14.
• Touchdown. Palmer to Brittan Golden for 9.
• Two points, Miami! Blocked the extra point attempt. Walt Aikens returns it all the way to score for Miami. MIA 23-15.
• Dolphins go three-and-out.
• This game is going to be on the defense.
• Johnson for 4.
• Palmer to Gresham for 9.
• Palmer to Johnson for 12.
• Kerwynn Williams on Wildcat run for 11.
• Johnson for 6
• Touchdown. Palmer to J.J. Nelson for 8 yards. Two point conversion Palmer to Johnson. Tie 23-23.
• Matt Moore just cannot do anything with the offense. 3-and-out.
• Defense has to step up right now.
• And they manage to hold them to 3-and-out again. Thank goodness. Highlight was 1st down sack by Bobby McCain forcing a fumble. Palmer recovers.
• The rain has started coming down again.
• Damien Williams somehow bounces the ball outside and picks up 5 yards. Review confirms that Williams was down by contact and was not a fumble.
• Moore to Stills for
• Moore to Stills on a prayer! Down to the 2 yard line.
• Damien Williams almost screws it up. Lost one yard but fought way too long. Dolphins manage to get the timeout with 1 second left.
• Andrew Franks in for the field goal.
• Timeout Arizona.
• FIELD GOAL!!!!!! FRANKS FROM 21 YARDS! MIA 26-23!

Immediate Reactions

Obviously, there are Playoff implications from this game, especially with the Broncos losing to the Titans on the day as well, but the story of this game is all Ryan Tannehill. The hit on his knee was ugly, and it does not look like it will be a minor thing. The team is not releasing any more information, but him returning to the sideline in street clothes and teammates coming over to hug him seems to be a signal that it could be serious.