The Philadelphia Eagles dropped to 4-5 on the season after losing a to the Miami Dolphins by a single point on Sunday afternoon.
The Eagles got off to a great start and had a 16-3 lead over the Dolphins by the end of the first quarter.
The first drive of the game was highlighted by a third-and-11 conversion by Dolphins running back Lamar Miller. Miller beat safety Chris Maragos down the sideline and caught a 36-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill to set Miami up in field goal range. Fletcher Cox sacked Tannehill on a third-and-five to force Miami to kick a 42-yard field goal.
On the first play for the Eagles offense, tight end Brent Celek gained 60 yards on a play-action pass from Sam Bradford and the Eagles were set up with first-and-goal. On third-and-goal, Bradford rolled out towards the sideline and threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Josh Huff. The Eagles took a 7-3 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff, Dolphins kick returner Damien Williams indecisively took the ball out of the end zone and was downed on Miami's own two-yard line. A false start moved the Dolphins back even further. On the next play, Walter Thurmond crushed Tannehill from behind and the Eagles scored two points via safety. Philadelphia was now up by the score of 9-3.
A 12-yard run by DeMarco Murray and a 20-yard reception by Celek put the Eagles in striking distance on the next drive. Ryan Mathews capped the drive off with a one-yard touchdown run, giving the Eagles a 16-3 lead.
It all went downhill after that for the Eagles, as the Dolphins scored 17 unanswered points.
After a Dolphins punt, the Eagles were poised to take a 19-3 lead, but Eagles kicker Caleb Sturgis missed a 32-yard field goal.
The blame for Philadlephia's loss can't be put all on Sturgis, but those point were ultimately the deciding factor in the outcome of the game. Sturgis also missed a field goal attempt and an extra-point attempt in the Eagles 20-23 loss to the Washington Redskins in Week 4.
After Sturgis' missed field goal, the Dolphins started to gain some momentum. Rookie running back Jay Ajayi gained 44 yards on two carries to start Miami's next drive. Byron Maxwell, Connor Barwin and Malcolm Jenkins all deflected Tannehill passes and Miami was forced to kick another field goal. Kicker Andrew Franks made a 22-yard field goal, and Miami cut the deficit to ten points.
On the next play for the Eagles offense, Nelson Agholor came up with a 21-yard reception. The rookie hasn't played since suffering an ankle injury in Week 5. A holding penalty by Jason Kelce set the Eagles back on the next set of downs and they were forced to punt. Kelce had troubles blocking, two holding penalties and a bad snap in the third quarter.
Zach Virgil blocked Jones' punt, giving Miami excellent field position on their next drive. Two plays later, Miller scored on a 13-yard swing pass from Tannehill, The Eagles lead was cut down to three points by the end of the first half of play.
On the third drive of the second half for the Eagles offense, Bradford left the game with a left shoulder injury, and he didn't make a return. He was hit hard by Dolphins linebacker Chris McCain on the play. Mark Sanchez finished the rest of the game for the Eagles.
The team swapped punts on the first four drives of the second half, and then Miami took back the lead. Receptions for gains of 16 yards and 43 yards by Dolphins wide receiver Rishard Matthews set the Dolphins up with first-and-goal. On the next play, Barwin tipped Tannehill's pass high into the air, but Jarvis Landry came down with the ball for a touchdown reception. The Dolphins went up by the score of 20-16.
Sanchez and the Eagles almost took a lead with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Zach Ertz, but an illegal shift by wide receiver Riley Cooper called the play back. Miles Austin also couldn't keep his feet in bounds on a potential touchdown reception.The Eagles were forced into another field goal try, and Sturgis made a 37-yarder. The Eagles were down by the score of 20-19.
After a pair of Miami punts, the Eagles were in position to at least take a two-point lead late in the final quarter of play. Murray gained a combined 32 yards on two receptions to set the Eagles up with first-and-goal. Two plays later, Sanchez was intercepted by Dolphins safety Rashad Jones in the end zone. Eagles quarterbacks have thrown four interceptions in the end zone this season, three by Bradford and one by Sanchez.
Miami milked the clock on their next drive, and the Eagles were given one more chance to win the game. The drive started with promise after a first down to Darren Sproles, but three incomplete passes and a short gain by Jordan Matthews resulted in a turnover-on-downs.
The Dolphins ran the clock out to end the game, topping off a come-from-behind victory.
On the bright side, the Eagles remain only a half-game behind the New York Giants in the NFC East.
Michael Malia is a contributing intern for Eagledelphia. Follow him on Facebook (Micahel Malia) or Twitter @Michael_Malia.
