MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Dolphins have been out of the playoff race for two weeks, but Tampa Bay receiver Mike Evans felt Miami looked more like a team playing for a postseason berth than the Buccaneers did on Sunday.
Rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers threw for 172 yards and two touchdowns, including a 63-yard toss for his first career score, and the Dolphins beat the slumping Buccaneers 20-17.
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“We didn’t deserve it," Evans said. "They played like they had a chance at the playoffs, and we played like we were ready to go home.”
The Bucs (7-9) remained one game behind the Carolina Panthers (8-8) in the NFC South after the Panthers' 27-10 loss to Seattle on Sunday. The Buccaneers would still clinch their fifth consecutive division title and sixth straight playoff berth if they beat Carolina in next week's regular-season finale to force a two-way tie.
If Tampa Bay, Carolina and Atlanta all tie at 8-9, the Panthers would win the division.
But Tampa Bay has lost four straight games, seven of its last eight and has barely looked like a playoff team during that stretch. The Buccaneers' last four losses have all been by one possession.
“Everything is possible, and you’ve always got a chance to play,” Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said. “We just need to put it together and play, and that takes work. We work hard. We do it right in practice. Can’t explain it in the game, but we definitely as coaches and as players got to look ourselves in the mirror.”
Despite three turnovers and being outgained 145-53 on the ground Sunday, Tampa Bay pulled within three after a three-play, 91-yard drive that Baker Mayfield capped with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Evans with 54 seconds left.
A busted coverage by the Dolphins defense led to a 59-yard reception by Chris Godwin that set up the score, but Miami recovered the ensuring onside kick to end Tampa Bay's comeback attempt.
“You go through the first drive, really move the ball well, they don’t seem to have an answer for what we were doing schematically,” Mayfield said. “After that it’s the momentum shift. When you are playing a team that they’ve got nothing to play for besides incentives, when you give them a little juice and momentum, that’s how they’re going to respond.”
Mayfield completed 33 of 44 passes for 346 yards with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Godwin on the game's opening drive. The former No. 1 pick has thrown an interception in each game of the Buccaneers' losing streak, including two on Sunday. The first was an underthrow to receiver Jalen McMillan that was picked off by rookie cornerback Jason Marshall Jr.
The second came as the Buccaneers were driving down the field midway through the fourth, trailing by 10. Mayfield, one play after somehow escaping a sack attempt by Quinton Bell and completing an 11-yard pass to Evans, threw a red-zone interception to safety Ashtyn Davis.
After the Buccaneers forced a Dolphins punt, linebacker Bradley Chubb stripped Mayfield on a sack, which Bell recovered.
Ewers completed 14 of 22 passes in his second career start for the Dolphins (7-9). Rookie receiver Theo Wease Jr. took Ewers' first TD pass 63 yards into the end zone, and tight end Greg Dulcich caught an 11-yard scoring pass.
“We're not playing for a Super Bowl, but we did a really good job of coming out here and playing for each other,” Ewers said, "playing for our last names and playing for the organization. Showing that when adversity strikes, we’re going to respond.”
Running back De'Von Achane had 18 carries for 83 yards, averaging 4.6 yards per carry against Tampa Bay's seventh-ranked run defense.
The Buccaneers took an early lead on a 16-play touchdown drive on their first possession of the game but gave up 17 straight points before Chase McLaughlin's 33-yard field goal cut the deficit to seven points in the fourth.
McLaughlin had connected on 11 straight field goals from 55-plus yards entering Sunday but had a 55-yard attempt blocked late in the second.
Ewers led the Dolphins back down the field to set up Riley Patterson's 33-yard kick that pushed the score to 20-10.
Injuries
Buccaneers: G Michael Jordan (concussion) and LB Haason Reddick (concussion) left and did not return. ... CB Jamel Dean (shoulder) left early in the fourth.
Dolphins: LB Chop Robinson (concussion), LB Jordyn Brooks (hamstring) and LB KJ Britt (groin) left with injuries. ... WR Jaylen Waddle was playing through a rib injury.
Up next
Buccaneers: Host Carolina next weekend.
Dolphins: At New England next weekend.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL