Eagles at Dolphins halftime report, score update, and immediate reactions

The Miami Dolphins and Philadephia Eagles have reached halftime in their Week 13 meeting. Both teams have made mistakes, but they have also had some great plays, with the score close at the break.

Halftime Score

Eagles 21 - Dolphins 14

Recap

The Dolphins received the opening kickoff after the Eagles won the toss and deferred to the second half. On the first play of the game, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick looked toward DeVante Parker, who was wiped out by Kamu Grugier-Hill, and the ball was picked off by Ronald Darby.

The Eagles’ possession lasted three plays. Miami had a chance at an interception on the first play, with cornerback Ken Webster unable to pull in the turnover. Two plays later, quarterback Carson Wentz looked to running back Miles Sanders coming out of the backfield on a wheel route, which turned into an 18-yard touchdown. Eagles 7-0.

Miami’s answering drive quickly turned into nothing as running back Kalen Ballage continued his struggles, gaining no yards on a carry, Fitzpatrick finding Parker for seven yards, then being sacked for a six yard loss. After a false start from the punt formation, Miami punter Matt Haack’s kick bounced back toward Miami for a net of 27 yards, setting up the Eagles inside Miami territory.

Philadelphia’s drive featured three incomplete passes, with two completions for a total of 18 yards. The Eagles would settle for a field goal on the drive. Eagles 10-0.

The Dolphins started the drive with an incomplete pass from Fitzpatrick, but both an offsides penalty and a roughing the passer penalty were called and Miami moved up to their own 40-yard line. After an incomplete pass and Ballage picked up one yard, Fitzpatrick was again sacked and Miami punted.

Starting at their own 24 after the 41-yard punt, the Eagles started with a 17-yard pass to Dallas Goedert. Running back Jay Ajayi then took his first handoff against his former club, picking up eight yards only to have the play negated by a holding penalty. An 11-yard gain on a Wentz to Nelson Agholor pass was negated two snaps later when an illegal block in the back penalty was called. After a four-yard pass from Wentz to Sanders and an incomplete pass, the Eagles were forced to punt.

Fitzpatrick found Allen Hurns for seven yards on the Dolphins first play of their next drive. Then Wilson took the jet-sweep 28-yards out of the Wildcat formation. After Ballage lost a yard and Fitzpatrick threw an incomplete pass, Fitzpatrick found running back Patrick Laird for a seven-yard gain, setting up 4th-and-4 at the Eagles 43-yard line. Going for it, Fitzpatrick threw deep down the sideline to Parker, who made a leaping catch, stayed in bounds, broke a tackle, and scored. Eagles 10-7.

The Eagles took the first play of the next drive for nine yards on a Sanders run, then kept feeding him the ball for a five- and a two-yard gain. Wentz then threw to Greg Ward for five yards and Agholor for six yards. After the change of quarters, Sanders picked up one yard, then Wentz found Zach Ertz for three yards. A 16-yard catch and run from Alshon Jeffery set up the Eagles with a first down at the Miami 28-yard line. After a three-yard run from Sanders was followed by a five-yard pass from Wentz to Sanders. Wentz threw incomplete on third down, then Philadelphia lined up to attempt the 4th-and-2 conversion, but a false start backed them up and they settled for the field goal. Eagles 13-7.

Miami started with a screen-pass from Fitzpatrick to Laird picking up 19 yards and moving Miami from their own 25 out to the 44-yard line. Laird lost three yards on a carry on the next play before Fitzpatrick went back to the jump-ball trick, again connecting with Parker for a 42-yard gain and putting Miami at the Eagles’ 17-yard line. After a short run and an incomplete pass, Fitzpatrick found Wilson for nine yards. Laird picked up a yard before a false start penalty moved Miami from 2nd-and-Goal at the four to 2nd-and-Goal at the nine. Fitzpatrick looked for tight end Mike Gesicki in the endzone, a pass which fell incomplete but a defensive offsides call gave Miami the ball back up at the four and a third 2nd-and-Goal play. Fitzpatrick then looked to Parker in the corner of the endzone, with the ball falling incomplete but head coach Brian Flores challenged the play for pass interference, winning the challenge and giving Miami a 1st-and-Goal from the one-yard line. After a sack, a short run, and an incomplete pass, the Dolphins sent out the field goal unit, only to split the team out wide, having punter Matt Haack take the shotgun snap, fake right, run left, and throw to kicker Jason Sanders in the endzone. Dolphins 14-13.

Philadelphia came back immediately, starting with a six-yard run from Sanders. Wentz then found Ertz for 12 yards, then, after an incomplete pass, connected with Jeffery for 14 yards before a 13-yard gain from Sanders led to the 2-minute warning. Wentz then looked to Goedert for two-yard gain. A false start on Goedert moved the Eagles to a 1st-and-Goal from the 15-yard line, with an incomplete pass following. On 3rd-and-Goal, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside caught the touchdown pass from Wentz, with a successful two-point conversion coming. Eagles 21-14.

Miami knelt to kill the clock after the kickoff.

Immediate reactions

This game started just about as poorly as it could for Miami. The interception came on a play where it appeared there should have been a pass interference penalty. The offensive line cannot stop the Eagles early - and losing Davenport to a knee injury did not help.

Ballage’s injury looked ugly. He just started hopping and did not want to put weight on it.

Parker is ridiculous. It has taken a while for him to figure out how to keep his body healthy and to become what Miami wanted when they selected him, but he is definitely there now. He is the offense right now, and he has surpassed his career high for a season already.

That punter-to-kicker touchdown pass was odd, beautiful, and impressive.