VETERAN QB RYAN Fitzpatrick threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as the Miami Dolphins grabbed their first victory of the NFL season, 31-13 over the Jaguars in Jacksonville last night.
37-year-old Fitzpatrick connected on his first 12 pass attempts, and the Dolphins scored touchdowns on each of their first three drives on the way to a 21-7 halftime lead.
Miami seized an early lead on Fitzpatrick’s three-yard TD pass to receiver Preston Williams on the first drive of the game.
Running back Jordan Howard capped the Dolphins’ next drive with a one-yard scoring run to put Miami up 14-0 and Fitzpatrick hit tight end Mike Gesicki with a 15-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.
Fitzpatrick’s rushing touchdown in the third quarter came after Dolphins linebacker Kyle Van Noy forced a fumble from Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew and later recovered the ball at the Jags’ five-yard line.
Jacksonville’s rookie running back James Robinson scored two rushing touchdowns, but Minshew and the potentially explosive Jaguars defence struggled to build momentum against a Dolphins defence that last week allowed Buffalo’s Josh Allen to throw for 417 yards and four touchdowns in a loss to the Bills.
Minshew, who was sacked four times, completed 30 of 42 passes for 274 yards with zero touchdowns and one late-game interception — reeled in by cornerback Xavien Howard for Miami’s first interception of 2020.
Minshew clearly felt the absence of receiver D.J. Clark, who was ruled out by injury.
The Jags also saw linebacker Leon Jacobs carted off the field on the opening drive with a right knee injury, and Jacksonville’s Cam Robinson was ejected for making contact with an official as he rose from a pile of players at the end of a play.
The 18-point win was the Dolphins’ first double-digit victory since December of 2017.
