Dolphins 27, Falcons 23
MIAMI - Dion Sims caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Tannehill with 38 seconds remaining to lead the Miami Dolphins to a 27-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons Sunday at Sun Life Stadium.
Tannehill engineered a 13-play, 75-yard comeback drive that took 4:08.
Dolphins defensive back Jimmy Wilson intercepted a Matt Ryan pass with 26 seconds left in the game to put the Falcons away.
Miami improved to 3-0. Atlanta is 1-2.
Atlanta had taken a 23-20 lead with 11:39 left in the game on a 33-yard field goal by Matt Bryant. But Bryant missed wide right on a 35-yard try with 4:56 left in the game.
The Dolphins tied the score 20-20 with 56 seconds left in the third quarter on an 18-yard TD pass from Tannehill to Brian Hartline. It was a third-and-nine play, and Hartline was wide open on what appeared to be a busted coverage.
Miami's drive was set up when Harry Douglas fumbled a punt. Douglas was hit hard by Don Jones, and the fumble was recovered at the 29-yard line by long-snapper John Denney.
The Falcons' defense came up with a big play to start the second half as Osi Umenyiora sacked Tannehill, who fumbled. The ball was recovered by defensive tackle Peria Jerry at the Dolphins' 12.
Atlanta cashed in with a two-yard TD pass from Ryan to Levine Toilolo. The short drive was aided by a third-down pass-interference call in the end zone on Miami cornerback Nolan Carroll.
Miami came right back with a 50-yard field goal by Caleb Sturgis.
The Falcons took the opening kickoff and scored on a seven-yard shovel pass from Ryan to Jason Snelling. The methodical drive went 80 yards on 14 plays, consuming 8:48 of the play clock.
Atlanta made it 10-0 with another long drive on its next possession, leading to Bryant's 52-yard field goal. The march went 11 plays and 42 yards and consumed 5:58.
Lamar Miller's 49-yard run up the middle on Miami's second possession got the Dolphins back in the game. That led to a six-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Daniel Thomas' five-yard touchdown run in which he broke a couple of tackles.
The Falcons answered with a third long drive, going 78 yards on 13 plays before settling for a 20-yard field goal to put Atlanta up 13-7. The Falcons chose not to go for it on fourth-and-1 at the 2-yard line.
Miami closed to 13-10 on a 46-yard field by Sturgis on the final play of the first half.
It was a small Falcons, lead considering Ryan completed 15 of 17 passes and Atlanta had a 22:48 to 7:12 advantage in time of possession.
NOTES: Dolphins LBs Cam Wake (knee) and Koa Misi (shoulder) were both injured Sunday. ... Falcons LT Sam Baker (knee/foot sat out and was replaced by Lamar Holmes, who moved over from RT. Jeremy Trueblood started at RT. ... Falcons RB Stephen Jackson (hamstring) also sat out. ... Dolphins DT Randy Starks started in place of Paul Soliai (knee injury). ... Dolphins CB Nolan Carroll started in place of Dimitri Patterson (groin injury). ... Two Falcons making a homecoming - safety Zeke Motta (Vero Beach, Fla.) and OL Harland Gunn (former University of Miami) - were on the inactive list. But ex-University of Miami standout Matt Bosher punted and kicked off for the Falcons, and CB Asante Samuel, who is from the Fort Lauderdale area, also played.
