Fitzpatrick Leads Miami Dolphins’ Super Comeback vs. Las Vegas Raiders, 26-25

Ryan Fitzpatrick once again stunned the NFL community, this time in his Miami Dolphins’ 26-25 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

The veteran quarterback entered the pitch in the last period and managed not only to throw for a touchdown, but also to make the most important play of the season for his team and deliver a win.

With 19 seconds left, he fired a 34-yard pass to Mack Hollins, who caught the same and earned extra 15 yards drawing out a penalty on Arden Key. The Raiders’ LB grabbed Fitz’s facemask, and that saw the Dolphins make additional yards, which would set up a perfect position for Jason Sanders to secure a victory.

Miami’s head coach Brian Flores explained why he replaced Tua with Fitzpatrick in the end.

“If we got to go to a relief pitcher in the ninth [inning], that’s what we’ll do,” Flores said. “Fitz, he’s always ready to go.”

HOW did Fitzpatrick get this throw off 🤯

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/7dlW4Ff4ey

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 27, 2020

Unlike Tua, who is still young, with this being his rookie season, Fitzpatrick made his name on situations like these, when he made plays that defied the logic.

It is needless to explain how big of a deal this was for the guests. Their victory here leaves them in the playoff hunt, with 10 wins and five defeats. If they win against the Bills in the last round, the Dolphins’ postseason appearance should be safe.

Right now, the Baltimore Ravens are 9-5, while Colts, Titans, and Browns sit at 10-4.

Fitzpatrick generated 182 yards for a touchdown, completing 9 of his 13 passing attempts. Tagovailoa had 94 yards, 17-for-22 also for a TD, but experiencing a lot of difficulties along the way.

“I feel like we have a special team. I’m proud I’ve been able to contribute to that,” the veteran stated following the game.

His current season has been very turbulent, as Flores decided to bench him following a very solid start, introducing Tua. However, Fitz jumped in from time to time, helping the youngster in difficult moments. One such was last night.

One other guy who also helped the Dolphins in this clash was their running back Myles Gaskin. The 23-year old had 169 yards from the scrimmage, 82 through the air with two touchdowns, and 82 on the ground.

The Raiders wanted to run down the clock, missing a chance to score a TD on two occasions. The first time, Josh Jacobs stopped at the one-yard mark, and the second, Derek Carr didn’t want to use the third-down but instead kneeled. After that, the Raiders hit the field goal, but apparently left enough time for Fitz to eject them from the playoff race.

“I don’t regret it one bit,” Raiders’ head coach Jon Gruden said about his decisions for spending time. “I just regret the results.”

The Dolphins are now getting back to Miami before visiting the Bills next Sunday, in the matchup that has massive importance to both sides. Buffalo is searching for a way to stay second in the AFC, which would give them the home-court advantage in the opening two matches of the playoffs. Right now, they are tied with the Steelers with 11 wins and three losses, but have an edge in head-to-head record.

On the other side, things are very complicated for the Fins, and they need to win to be secure about the playoffs. But with Tua and Fitz in top shape, there is no need for concern. If these two guys continue to complement one another in the same manner as they did throughout the entire season, Miami will have a chance to defeat any team in the league.