NFL

Raheem Mostert runs for touchdown double as Miami Dolphins hold on for win

By Sports Desk September 17, 2023

Raheem Mostert grabbed a pair of rushing touchdowns as the Miami Dolphins held off AFC East rivals the New England Patriots 24-17 for a second win on the road to start the season.

The Patriots, who drop to 0-2 for the first time since coach Bill Belichick’s second season in charge in 2001, mustered just three points in the first three quarters as Tua Tagovailoa connected with Tyreek Hill for a 17-3 Dolphins lead.

A touchdown pass from Mac Jones to Hunter Henry and a Rhamondre Stevenson touchdown run, either side of Mostert’s second score from 43 yards, cut the gap to seven points.

But after Miami had missed a late field goal, a final home drive was cut short in the final minute when Cole Strange was ruled short of a first down on review when Mike Gesicki flipped the ball back inside after catching a fourth down pass.

Elsewhere, Daniel Jones threw for two touchdowns and 321 yards as the New York Giants fought back to stun the Arizona Cardinals 31-28.

Having lost their opening game 40-0 to the Dallas Cowboys, the Giants shipped another 20 points without reply in the first half and trailed 28-7 in the third quarter.

Saquon Barkley caught one touchdown pass and ran for another as the Giants completed their biggest comeback since 1949 with Graham Gano’s last-minute field goal.

The Cowboys continued their hot start to the season as they inflicted more misery on New York sides.

Dak Prescott threw for two touchdowns as the Cowboys followed their record-breaking opening win with a 30-10 success over the Jets.

Zach Wilson, starting at quarterback for the Jets after star signing Aaron Rodgers’ season-ending Achilles tendon injury, was intercepted and sacked three times each.

The Washington Commanders are 2-0 for the first time in 12 years as they came from behind and survived a dramatic finish to beat the Denver Broncos 35-33.

Denver opened a 21-3 lead in the second quarter, but Sam Howell threw for two touchdowns as the Commanders rallied to lead 35-27 after a Broncos safety was thrown out for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Logan Thomas in the end zone.

Russell Wilson’s 50-yard Hail Mary pass as time ran out bounced off several players before Brandon Johnson claimed the touchdown, but the Broncos could not connect from much nearer on the game-tying two-point conversion attempt.

Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs bounced back from their opening-week loss to the Detroit Lions, sacking Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence four times in a 17-9 win.

The Lions were brought back down to earth from that opening success as Geno Smith’s second touchdown pass to Tyler Lockett sent them crashing to a 37-31 defeat in overtime to the Seattle Seahawks.

Cincinnati Bengals, the AFC North champions, slipped to 0-2 as they went down 27-24 to division rivals the Baltimore Ravens.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson threw for two touchdown passes as opposite number Joe Burrow, who also threw for two touchdowns, appeared to aggravate a calf injury.

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua set a rookie record with 15 catches in a game, but it was not enough to stop the San Francisco 49ers chalking up a second win of the season 30-23.

The Chicago Bears slipped to a franchise-record 12th-straight defeat in a 27-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while the Tennessee Titans ended an eight-game losing run as veteran Nick Folk kicked a 41-yard field goal in overtime to clinch a 27-24 win over the winless San Diego Chargers.

The Buffalo Bills eased to a 38-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders – keeping last year’s leading rusher Josh Jacobs to minus two yards – while Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud was sacked six times and hit nine more as they lost 31-20 to the Indianapolis Colts.

And a 25-yard field goal from Younghoe Koo edged the Atlanta Falcons to a 25-24 win over the Green Bay Packers, rookie Bijan Robinson rushing for 124 yards and catching four passes for the Falcons.

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