Atlanta FalconsvsMiami Dolphins
ATL 17/MIA 12
Things to say
The Atlanta Falcons beat the Miami Dolphins 17-12 on the road at Hard Rock Stadium.
01
opener
Falcons went into Miami and stole one, 17-12. Never really felt that close though. Dolphins just could not find the end zone.
02
key player
Cooper Rush was efficient, 13-of-18 for a buck-oh-six and the touchdown. Not flashy, just kept the chains moving.
03
hot take
Miami is 0-3 and it's a quarterback problem. Four field goals and zero touchdowns? That's not a defense issue, they just can't punch it in.
04
deep cut
James Pearce Jr. had two sacks off the edge. Rookie's been living in the backfield, and Miami had no answer on the line of scrimmage all night.
05
exit
Falcons look legit at 2-1. Curious to see if the Dolphins can figure out the red zone before they dig this hole any deeper.
The recap
This one never got out of the mud — Atlanta grabbed a 17-6 lead and then just sat on it while Miami kicked field goals all night. Cooper Rush ran the Falcons offense with zero drama, hitting Jack Velling for the go-ahead score after Brian Robinson punched one in early.
The story for the Dolphins is that they could not find the end zone once — Riley Patterson booted four field goals because every drive stalled out, and James Pearce living in the backfield for two sacks didn't help. Falcons take the win and move to 2-1; Miami's now 0-3 and still looking for a touchdown.