Tagovailoa starts, Falcons top Dolphins 17-12 in preseason finale

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Falcons took a lengthy look at their starters and survived a second-half push to earn a 17-12 victory over the Dolphins on Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium.

With the win, the Falcons close their first preseason under coach Kevin Stefanski with a 2-1 record.

Tua Tagovailoa started at quarterback for the Falcons and played the first three drives surrounded by a vast majority of starters. Dolphins fans booed their former signal-caller multiple times.

Tagovailoa went 7-for-8 passing for 95 yards, headlined by a 37-yard catch-and-run by tight end Kyle Pitts on a quick pass to the right flat. None of Tagovailoa’s pass attempts traveled more than 10 yards past the line of scrimmage.

The Falcons’ offense scored only once during Tagovailoa’s three drives, as running back Brian Robinson Jr. reached the end zone on a 3-yard rushing touchdown. One possession ended after a fumbled snap between Tagovailoa and backup center Corey Levin, while the other saw Robinson fumble a handoff up the middle. Across 14 plays, the unit tallied 110 net yards and six first downs.

Quarterback Cooper Rush played the second quarter and delivered an efficient outing, going 13-for-18 passing for 106 yards and one touchdown. Jack Strand, meanwhile, went 6-for-7 passing for 43 yards in the second half, during which the offense failed to score.

Defensively, the Falcons played the majority of their starters for three drives. They forced a three-and-out on the opening possession, allowed a field goal on their second and blocked a field goal on their third, which came after the fumbled snap exchange gave the Dolphins quality field position.

Dolphins kicker Riley Patterson made four field goals, but the Falcons kept the Dolphins out of the end zone and ultimately did enough to secure the victory.