Will Levis exits, but Titans still cruise past Dolphins
Nick Folk matched his career high of five field goals and Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears rushed for touchdowns to lead the Tennessee Titans to a 31-12 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Monday night in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Mason Rudolph replaced injured quarterback Will Levis and completed 9 of 17 passes for 85 yards as Tennessee (1-3) dominated the beleaguered Dolphins. Levis sustained an apparent right shoulder injury just past the midway point of the first quarter and didn’t return.
Pollard rushed for 88 yards on 22 carries for the Titans, who held Miami to 184 total yards.
Recently signed Tyler Huntley started at quarterback for the Dolphins (1-3), who lost their third consecutive game. Huntley completed 14 of 22 passes for 96 yards, and he also rushed for a score.
Miami has struggled on offense since losing Tua Tagovailoa to a concussion in Week 2. Huntley’s 1-yard scoring run with 3:36 left in the game ended the Dolphins’ dubious streak of 10 straight quarters without a touchdown.
Star receiver Tyreek Hill had just four receptions for 23 yards for the Dolphins, who are averaging an NFL-worst 11.3 points per game.
Levis was injured on a dive at the end of a scramble with just over seven minutes left in the first quarter. Rudolph entered for Tennessee’s next possession with 4:14 left and played the rest of the contest.
After Jason Sanders booted a 56-yard field goal to bring the Dolphins within 9-6 with 9:02 left in the third quarter, Rudolph guided the Titans to 10 third-quarter points on Spears’ 7-yard run off a direct snap and Folk’s 51-yard field goal.
Miami had just 84 total yards entering the final stanza. Tennessee increased its lead to 22-6 on Folk’s 29-yard field goal with 10:45 left in the game.
The Dolphins moved within 10 on Huntley’s run, but the two-point conversion pass failed. When Miami next had the ball, Huntley was flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone with 2:27 remaining, with the safety giving Tennessee a 24-12 lead.
Pollard tacked on a 4-yard scoring run with 24 seconds remaining.
Folk kicked field goals of 53, 52 and 47 yards to give the Titans a 9-3 halftime advantage. Miami’s points came on Sanders’ 44-yard field goal with 4:13 remaining in the second quarter.
Before exiting, Levis threw his sixth interception of the season. Entering the week, he led the league in turnovers with eight, including three lost fumbles. He completed 3 of 4 passes for 25 yards on Monday.
–Field Level Media
