NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Miami Dolphins look to remain in the thick of the playoff race with their first three-game winning streak of the season.
To do it, the Dolphins will have to beat one of the league’s hottest teams – Tennessee, winners of six of seven – and contain the league’s most explosive player – Titans running back Chris Johnson.
Johnson averages an NFL-high 157 yards from scrimmage and has 13 touchdowns, including three runs of 85 yards or longer.
But the health of Titans’ QB Vince Young, who’s nursing a sore hamstring and knee, will be key to Johnson, who has seven of his nine 100-yard games with Young in the lineup.
The Dolphins will counter with the NFL’s third-ranked rush offense, led by Ricky Williams, who has four 100-yard games in the past five.
The key, however, could be quarterback Chad Henne’s success against the Titans’ 31st-ranked pass defense.
It’s a chilly day here, 36 degrees with light winds of 5 mph.
First quarter
- Two of the Dolphins’ most-maligned defenders, LB Channing Crowder and FS Gibril Wilson, came up big on the Titans’ second offensive play, tipping the ball three times before rookie CB Vontae Davis picked it off.
Davis’ team-high fourth interception led to a quick 3-0 lead on a Dan Carpenter field goal.
- Once again, Wilson was lost in coverage on 22-yard TD to Justin Gage … Titans’ 3 for 3 on third down on TD drive.
Young completed a 32-yard pass on 3rd-and-11, ran for seven yards on 3rd-and-6 and hit Gage on 3rd-and-5 for a TD.
- The Dolphins won’t be experimenting with Ted Ginn Jr. at punt returner any longer – or shouldn’t.
Ginn completely whiffed on that return, with a Titans gunner bearing down. Looks like Ginn’s confidence is shot.
- With a 15-yard gain, Williams reached 1,000 yards for the first time since 2003, an NFL-record span of six seasons.
He has rushed for 1,000 five times and is one of seven RBs 32 or older to do so.
Second quarter
- Wildcat comes out for the first time since Nov. 29 loss at Buffalo. Two plays later, ball comes out of Ricky Williams’ hands for the fourth time in two games.
Titans ball.
- Tennessee has to be disappointed with only a field goal.
Titans had five plays of more than 10 yards, including a 19-yard pass to rookie WR Kenny Britt, with rookie CB Sean Smith trailing the play.
Johnson ran for 40 yards on four plays, flashing the extra gear we’ve heard about on a 14-yard run to the Miami 9, where the Dolphins defense stiffened.
- Chad Henne is averaging just four yards an attempt, not the numbers you expect against the league’s 31st-ranked pass D.
Henne makes up for it for a gorgeous 39-yd hook-up with Brian Hartline, perfect throw, nice pattern. But on the next play, Pat White is in the game?
Dolphins playcalling gets even more questionable a bit later. On 1st-and-goal at 9, coaches call a White run and Lex Hilliard run. Following a false start penalty by Hartline, Henne throws incomplete.
Miami settles for a field goal.
- Down 17-6, Dolphins needed to make something happen; New England leads 14-3 at Buffalo.
Red-zone offense, a problem off and on all season, has produced two field goals. Williams fumble was recovered on Dolphins’ 19, play began on 25.
But Chad Henne makes poor decision that might have cost Miami points.
Instead of eating the ball and making something happen on 3rd down, Henne throws a pick when another completion would have put Dolphins in FG range.
Dolphins have gone four quarters without a TD, dating to second quarter of Jacksonville game.
Third quarter
- Vince Young looks terrific, including a career-best 3-TD passes.
The Titans are 6-of-8 on third down, each conversion on a Young run (twice) or pass, including two touchdowns.
Rookie CB Vontae Davis has been beaten on two touchdowns, both on perfect throws by Young, who is averaging 22.8 yards on eight completions.
- Down 24-6, Dolphins put the game in Henne’s hands.
He responds with a first-down completion, then three straight misses. The drive last 47 seconds.
Drive last 47 seconds for a team that usually puts up a better fight.
- Dolphins show some life, Joey Porter forces fumble of Chris Johnson, Sean Smith recovers, Miami ball on Tenn 34.
But facing 3rd-2 from Tenn 26, Dolphins have to hurry up to get off the snap, lose a yard, expect better organization and execution than that. Settle for a FG … again.
- LB Jason Taylor hasn’t done much for the past month or so, but looks rejuvenated today.
He has five tackles, including his first full sack since Oct. 25, and a forced fumble. Playing better than anyone on defense.
- Dolphins have three turnovers, same as last week, this time looks like Dolphins won’t overcome it.
Henne looks like a first-year QB today. On his second pick, he locked in on on Ricky Williams on a wheel route. Titans S Chris Hope was waiting for it.
- Chris Johnson hasn’t blown anyone away, but has 99 rushing yards and a 41-yard catch.
Fourth quarter
- Just when it looked hopeless, the Dolphins show their signature resilience, coming up with a 12-play, 80-yard drive to cut it to 24-16 with 7:41 remaining.
The Dolphins convert a 4th-and-2 on Titans 29, when Henne rolled out and hit TE Joey Haynos.
On the next play, TE Anthony Fasano makes best catch of a pretty disappointing season for him, diving to snag Henne’s pass on the 1.
Will be all for naught, if Dolphins defense can’t come up with something, especially on third down against Vince Young.
- Dolphins’ defense overcomes back-to-back penalties, holds Titans on third down. Tennessee has failed to put up points on its last four drives.
Miami has a chance, but has to go 90 yards and convert a two-pointer to do it.
- Rookie WR Brian Hartline makes the play of the season, showing the heads-up thinking and grit that have defined him.
On 3rd-and-7, Henne lobs the ball into double-coverage, but Hartline strips the ball from Pro Bowl S Michael Griffin, who has it in his hands. With Pro Bowl CB Courtland Finnegan right there, Hartline grabs the ball for a 57-yard gain to the Tennessee 11.
The next five snaps was one of the craziest sequences of the season, including a brilliant play call and two appearances by Pat White.
Facing 4th-and-1 from the Titans 2, Henning makes the perfect call – a rollout w/ Henne passing to Fasano for a TD.
The Dolphins then send Pat White into the game on the 2-pt conversion, with Henne visibly not happy about it. But it works when White hands it off on the end-around to Ricky Williams, who had a head of steam.
These Dolphins just don’t give up.
- The Titans go three-and-out, but squander a chance to get one more shot when coach Jeff Fisher doesn’t use any of his three timeouts with the Dolphins backed up inside the 10 and 50 seconds remaining.
Overtime
- Chad Henne was 11 of 16 for 150 yards, a TD and a 119.3 passer rating in the fourth quarter.
Henne entered Sunday with seven interceptions and the league’s fourth-lowest passer rating (48.9) in the fourth quarter.
But he’ll remember his third interception, that gave the Titans the ball on Miami’s 42. A questionable unnecessary roughness call on Camarillo put Tennessee in FG range.
Four plays later, Pro Bowl K Rob Bironas likely ended the Dolphins’ playoff hopes with a 46-yard field goal.
At 7-7, the Dolphins are still alive in the race, but need to Ravens (7-6) to lose at home to Chicago.