Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Dolphins fall to Texans 42-23
After a close first half, Miami defense falters in second.
HOUSTON — Anything the Miami Dolphins did, the Houston Texans did significantly better.
Every time the Dolphins scored a touchdown, the Texans did not take long to respond with a touchdown of their own.
Kenyan Drake’s 12-yard touchdown in the first quarter? Former Dolphins and University of Miami running back Lamar Miller answered with a 2-yard score of his own.
Drake’s touchdown catch from Danny Amendola from the trick-play section of Adam Gase’s handbook? Deshaun Watson connects with Will Fuller IV
for a 73-yard touchdown three plays later.
Even after a miraculous catch landed in the hands of embattled receiver DeVante Parker led to a field goal, trimming Miami’s deficit to 8 points near the end of the third quarter, the Dolphins’ mounting comeback lost its wind.
Gase, with fading faith in his defense, went for an onside kick the Dolphins were unable to recover. And Watson found star receiver DeAndre Hopkins three plays later for a 49-yard touchdown that put the game away as soon as the fourth quarter commenced.
The Dolphins suffered a 42-23 loss to the Texans in front of an announced crowd of 71,726 people at NRG Stadium, losing their fourth Thursday night game in as many seasons, and falling to
.500 for the first time this season.
Dolphins defensive coordinator Matt Burke’s unit was thoroughly exposed for the second consecutive week, failing to force a turnover in the same span after relying heavily on big plays on both sides of the football in the first half of the season.
Watson threw five touchdown passes, Hopkins scored twice, and the Texans won their fifth straight game after losing the first three games of the season.
The Dolphins, on the other hand, are trending in a completely different direction.
Brock Osweiler started his third straight game for the Dolphins, and was able to manage the Dolphins offense against his former team. He helped Miami get into striking distance for Drake, Parker and rookie field goal kicker Jason Sanders, whose second field goal of the game in the third quarter narrowed the Texans lead to 28-20.
Osweiler may be continue to be the Dolphins starting quarterback for an indefinite time period, with injured starter Ryan Tannehill expected to begin some light throwing with a ball lighter in weight and smaller in size than a football this week.
Miami played without leading receivers Kenny Stills (groin) and Albert Wilson (hip), and saw Parker breakthrough a career high with 134 receiving yards on six catches.
The Dolphins even avoided an early disaster before halftime, as a scoop and score touchdown for the Texans was reversed as officials determined Osweiler’s forward pass hit the field incomplete.
It kept the game close with a 14-10 margin at halftime, delaying the Dolphins’ ultimate fate in the second half.