MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., Aug. 20 (UPI) — Miami Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders hit the left upright on a go-ahead field goal attempt with 1:37 remaining, resulting in a narrow Las Vegas Raiders preseason win Saturday in Miami Gardens, Fla.
The Raiders out-gained the Dolphins 144 to 37 on the ground in the 15-13 victory at Hard Rock Stadium. Many key players from both teams sat out, including Raiders quarterback Derek Carr and wide receiver Davante Adams.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa made his 2022 preseason debut. He completed 6 of 8 passes for 58 yards.
“I was really happy with Tua,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said at a postgame news conference. “He has been having such a good camp in his development and ownership of the offense.
“I was very hopeful he would be the same guy on game day. … He executed really everything we asked him to do.”
Raiders rookie running back Zamir White ran for a two-yard rushing touchdown on the game’s opening drive. Sanders answered with a 46-yard field goal early in the second quarter.
Backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater replaced Tagovailoa for the Dolphins’ next drive. He was penalized for intentional grounding on his first pass attempt. The play also was ruled a safety because it occurred in the end zone, giving the Raiders a 9-3 lead.
Sanders split the uprights for a 57-yard field goal 3:08 before halftime.
Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson made a 37-yard field goal midway through the third quarter to push the lead by to six points.
The Dolphins finally got into the end zone about five minutes into the fourth quarter. Dolphins third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to running back ZaQuandre White.
That score, and a Sanders extra point, gave the Dolphins their first lead of the night.
Carlson made a 31-yard kick on the resulting drive, which gave the lead back to the Raiders with 4:38 remaining.
The Dolphins marched the ball to the 28-yard line on their final drive. Sanders then lined up for his 46-yard try. The veteran kicker made contract and sent the ball sailing toward the goalposts. The ball then slammed into the left upright and landed on the grass.
The Raiders offense then ran out the remaining time on the clock.
“We played the entire 60 minutes of the game, which is what it took for us to win,” Raiders coach Josh McDaniels said.
“We came here to do one thing: to try to improve.
Dolphins rookie wide receiver Erik Ezukanma totaled six catches for 114 yards in the loss. Raiders running back Brittain Brown totaled 77 yards from scrimmage.
The Dolphins will host the Philadelphia Eagles in their next preseason game at 7 p.m. EDT Aug. 27 in Miami Gardens. The Raiders will host the New England Patriots at 8:15 p.m. EDT Friday in Las Vegas.
Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.