Dolphins Win Sloppy Game in Overtime Against Commanders

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MADRID, SPAIN – It wasn’t a pretty one, but essentially, the Dolphins got the job done. They squared off against the Washington Commanders in what was the first NFL game to be played in Spain. Washington had trouble with turnovers, Miami struggled to convert on 4th down, and both franchises had their fair share of penalties. Regardless, the Miami Dolphins came up on top with the 16-13 overtime win against the Commanders.

Solid Drives, But They Could’ve Amounted to More

The Fins had great drives to start the game. The first one went seven plays for 52 yards, which was highlighted by a monstrous 23-yard run by De’Von Achane. On the next drive, the Dolphins ran 11 plays for 56 yards, which included a couple of plays in the air from Tua Tagovailoa for over 10 yards.

However, both plays would result in just field goals.

Miami’s third drive was anything but noteworthy, resulting in -7 yards. With that, the game was a measly 6-3 Dolphins lead at halftime.

Down by a score, the Dolphins had a great drive in the 3rd quarter. Tagovailoa started it off by throwing a 31-yard pass to Jaylen Waddle under heavy coverage. Next play, he threw a 14-yard pass to Julian Hill. Just like that, the Fins were at Washington’s 20-yard line and on the move to score.

Tua hits Waddle in stride for a big pickup

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Miami then relied on the run game, but its successes weren’t enough. At the Washington 2-yard line, it was 4th and goal. Tua Tagovailoa threw a short pass to Waddle, and they failed to convert.

The Dolphins were successful on their attempt. They heavily relied on the passing game, and then Ollie Gordon II was able to tie things up with a short 1-yard run.

Why Not Kick a Field Goal?

Considering the trajectory of the game, it was a questionable call to go for it on 4th down yet again.

Tied at 13 apiece, the Dolphins were doing the right thing by running the ball and playing it safe in the remaining minutes. Unfortunately, the Commanders still had two timeouts remaining to give themselves a shot in the game.

De’Von Achane had dominated the drive with 38 yards. It was 4th down with 1:44 left in the game at the 3-yard line. Why didn’t Mike McDaniel just elect to use him on the play that would essentially give them the late lead? He instead opted to utilize Gordon, and things didn’t go to plan. The Commanders’ defense read the play and tackled him for a 2-yard loss.

COMMANDERS DEFENSE WITH A MASSIVE GOAL LINE STAND ‼️

Game still tied at 13-13 with less than 2 minutes on the clock.

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Neither team was dominating this game on offense. A field goal here would’ve been the right call to avoid having to play in overtime.

The next drive for the Washington Commanders resulted in a missed field goal, making the case for the Dolphins to have attempted one valid.

Jack Jones Interception Seals the Deal

Marcus Mariota made the mistake of throwing the ball in a bad spot, which landed in the hands of Jack Jones. Jones was ecstatic, celebrating the play in the style of Cristiano Ronaldo.

When in Madrid… there's only one way Miami Dolphins' Jack Jones could celebrate a clutch play 🗣️

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— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 16, 2025

The Dolphins again relied on De’Von Achane to pick up additional yardage on the ground before kicking the game winning field goal.

Thoughts

A win is a win. The Dolphins have earned themselves two consecutive victories.

This game could’ve gone either way, and it didn’t seem like either team had more fight than the other most of the time. Both the Commanders and Dolphins have their flaws on both sides of the ball. The Dolphins just didn’t end up with the last miscue.

Offensively, the Dolphins were effective until it came down to key 3rd down moments. Tagovailoa finished with 14 completions and 171 yards. No touchdowns or interceptions for him. It was pretty much a normal day at the office for him.

The running game showed up today. Achane had 21 carries and 120 yards while Gordon had nine carries, 45 yards, and a touchdown.

The receiving game wasn’t too impressive. Jaylen Waddle finished with 3 catches and 52 yards, while Malik Washington also had 3 receptions for 42 yards.

THE GAME WINNER 😤 pic.twitter.com/Orcjr9cO5u

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) November 16, 2025

The Dolphins are now 3-0 when they use Daniel Brunskill as a sixth offensive lineman on the field. Also, it’s noticeable that their wins this season have come when they relied less on the ball traveling through the air and more so on the run game.

Defensively, they allowed Marcus Mariota to get comfortable at times. He completed 20-of-30 passes for 213 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Chris Rodriguez Jr. had 79 rushing yards on 15 carries. Miami struggled to make solid tackles at times.

Jordyn Brooks led the Fins with 20 tackles, while Tyrel Dodson had 11, and Minkah Fitzpatrick had nine.

The Commanders had more penalties and were kept in check from scoring at times.

Overall, the defense made its stops when needed, and Jones’ interception was just their third of the season. It was definitely the play of the game.

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