DOLPHINS move closer to playoff berth.
DOLPHINS 26, RAIDERS 25
LAS VEGAS — With a defender dragging him down by his facemask, Ryan Fitzpatrick still managed to launch the pass that might have saved the Miami Dolphins’ season.
Just a little more FitzMagic.
Fitzpatrick’s desperation heave to Mack Hollins set up Jason Sanders’ 44-yard field goal as the Dolphins drove the field in the final 19 seconds to move one step closer to a playoff berth with an improbable 26-25 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday night.
“We just felt like we needed a spark, trying to win the game,” Coach Brian Flores said about the decision to bench rookie Tua Tagovailoa for Fitzpatrick in the fourth quarter.
“If we have to go to a relief pitcher in the ninth, that’s what we’ll do. Fitz is always ready to go. He went in and moved the ball for us. We were able to make enough plays to win the game.”
Fitzpatrick led three scoring drives in the fourth quarter for Miami (10-5) with the final one the most unlikely after the Raiders (7-8) bypassed a gimme touchdown for a field goal. The move to play for the field goal backfired as the Raiders lost on a kick instead.
The Dolphins moved a half-game ahead of Baltimore in the AFC playoff race and can clinch a wild-card berth with a win next week at Buffalo.
“I want to go,” said Fitzpatrick, who hasn’t made the playoffs in his 16-year career. “I want to feel what it’s like. I feel like we have a special team. I’m proud I’ve been able to contribute to that.”
The Raiders were eliminated with their fifth loss in six games and will be out of the postseason for the 17th time in 18 seasons.
Coach Jon Gruden chose to run down the clock for a go-ahead field goal instead of trying for a touchdown with Josh Jacobs going down on purpose at the 1-yard line and Derek Carr taking a knee to set up Daniel Carlson’s 22yard field goal with 19 seconds left.
“I don’t regret it one bit,” Gruden said. “I just regret the results.”
One play was enough to move the Dolphins from their own 25 into field-goal range. Hollins was left open for a 34-yard pass that Fitzpatrick threw while being dragged down by the face mask by Arden Key.
“The odds are pretty low there of us being able to complete something with the proper yardage,” Fitzpatrick said. “I didn’t know it was complete. My head was getting ripped off.”
The penalty moved the ball down to the Las Vegas 26, setting up Sanders’ winning kick.
The Dolphins became the second team in the past 20 years to take over that deep in their territory in the final 30 seconds when trailing and drive for the winning score. Green Bay did it to Detroit five years ago on a desperation pass from Aaron Rodgers to Richard Rodgers.