Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
The Atlanta Falcons lost the coin toss. Lost the rushing battle between Bijan Robinson and Miami’s De’Von Achane. Lost the return of Kirk Cousins to the starting lineup. Lost the game, 34-10.
The Falcons lost everything.
“Tough day at the office,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said. “It was a tough day all around.”
Morris admitted Miami dominated the game from start to finish. He was correct.
The Dolphins gained 141 yards on the ground today. The Falcons had just 45.
The Dolphins’ offense had 24 first downs. The Falcons only managed 11.
Miami came into Sunday’s game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a 1-6 overall record and a three-game losing streak. The last victory was against the New York Jets, who have not won a game this season. The Dolphins are now 2-6.
The Falcons were playing their last home game for two weeks, as Atlanta will be in New England next Sunday, and in Germany to face the Indianapolis Colts, one of the biggest surprises of the 2025 season, the following Sunday, Nov. 9.
Atlanta has had difficulty scoring touchdowns this season. The Falcons have managed to score more than 25 points once in six games. That 34-point game came against the Washington Commanders at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sept. 28. It remains the best overall co-performance from the Falcons’ defense and offense. In his second year with the franchise, offensive coordinator Zach Robinson doesn’t seem to have created an offensive identity for the Falcons’ offense.
Enter Kirk Cousins (21-31 for 173 yards on Sunday), who hasn’t started a game since Dec. 12, 2024, when the Falcons defeated the Las Vegas Raiders on the road, 15-9. In that game, Cousins was 11-17 for 112 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier had a combined 34 carries during that game for a combined 168 yards.
After the game, Cousins was asked how it felt to be back out there as a starter. He told The Atlanta Voice, “Anytime you don’t have a win, it’s a tough day, but certainly the first time being back out there in 10 months, playing live football, it’s always good to get that experience.”
The Dolphins, on the other hand, have scored more than 24 points four times this season despite losing more than 90% of their games. Something had to give on Sunday.
Miami scored the first touchdown of the game on its second possession. After a long drive that included a pass interference call on Falcons cornerback Mike Hughes, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa found running back De’Von Achane for a five-yard reception and touchdown.
Early on in the game, Cousins’ veteran presence and experience helped the Falcons advance the ball and reduce turnovers. On a fourth and three, Cousins found tight end Kyke Pits Sr. for a first down. A few plays before that, Cousins threw the ball out of play after being flushed out of the pocket. He didn’t force a throw he knew he couldn’t make. That drive ended in a successful 45-yard field goal attempt by Parker Romo.
With Miami ahead 7-3, the Dolphins put together a two-minute drive that ended in a 34-field goal which gave them a 10-3 lead. The short field came courtesy of special teams play, both good and bad.
The good: The Dolphins punted down to the Falcons’ one-yard line following their previous offensive possession.
The bad: Falcons punter Bradley Pinion’s 41-yard punt landed in Falcons territory. The positive return gave the Dolphins a scoring opportunity.
Tagovailoa found several Dolphins receivers other than leading receiver Jayden Waddle for first downs during the game, including Achane, tight end Tanner Connor, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. It’s a wonder how this team was 1-6 before Sunday.
With 11 seconds remaining in the first half, Tagovailoa found receiver Malik Washington for his second touchdown throw of the game. With that touchdown, the Dolphins were ahead 17-3 at halftime, their best first-half offensive performance of the season.
During the second half of the game, the Falcons’ offense had some motion before Robinson fumbled deep in Dolphins territory. Miami cornerback Tyrel Dodson recovered the fumble on the Dolphins’ 16-yard line. There was little, if any, consistency with the Falcons’ offense. Prior to the fumble, Cousins found Robinson on a screen play for 17 yards.
The Atlanta defense has been the most consistent part of this season thus far. The Falcons had allowed an opponent to score more than 28 points only once this season. That string of play ended when the Dolphins scored their 30th point of the game on a pass from Tagovailoa to running back Ollie Gordion II early in the fourth quarter. Gordon II had been sharing carries with Achane throughout the game and remained a threat to score. The extra point following Gordon II’s touchdown catch made the score 31-3.
Miami would manage another field goal, and the Falcons scored their first field goal of the game on a run by running back Tyler Allgeier. The score was his third of the season.
