The Miami Dolphins scored their only touchdown on their game’s opening drive. That touchdown would stand up Saturday night as they defeated the Washington Commanders 13-6 at Hard Rock Stadium.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa started the game and led the team down the field on their first drive for their only touchdown. His perfect 13-yard scoring strike to River Cracraft in the back right corner of the end zone set the tone for the game.
“I wanted to give Tua an opportunity to make a play, and River Cracraft had a great release,” McDaniel said. “He really made a good catch in the end zone.”
Tagovailoa then exited the game and sat back on the bench. He finished his night perfectly by going 5-for-5, passing for 51 yards, and scoring. He then yielded to Skylar Thompson, who had a rough go of it as he was 8-of-15 for 61 yards.
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“We executed the way we wanted to and did what we said we were going to do,” Tagovailoa said. “This is the third year that I have been able to compete with River and this is the best training camp he has had. The mental strength that he comes out with every day, I just think that is where his growth has come from.”
Tagovailoa did not have Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle in the huddle, as they did not play. The running backs were Raheem Mostert, De’Von Achane and Chris Brooks.
Mike White came in the second half and did not do much better than Thompson. He was 11-of-20 for 116 yards, but 35 of them came on one pass to Erik Ezukanma. Ezukanma would finish the night with five receptions for 65 yards. He led the team in receiving.
Brooks ran hard until he left the game with an injury in the first half. He had 63 yards on five carries but ripped a long 59-yard run to put Miami in position for the first of two Jason Sanders field goals.
“There was a good amount of injuries on both sides,” McDaniel said. “However, I did not get any updates that you would hate to hear. You just don’t want to see anybody go down.”
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Anthony Weaver had the young players he’s been evaluating lead the defense. Cam Smith saw his first preseason action and played well before leaving the game with a lower extremity injury. He finished the game with four tackles, three of which were unassisted.
First-round pick Chop Robinson had a tackle for loss in the first quarter, while fifth-round selection Mo Kamara had a quarterback sack.
Robinson was downright giddy after the game. He got ribbed by Jaelan Phillips for not doing the Chop dance.
“It’s like a dream come true. I was just having fun,” Robinson said. “When I went to the sidelines I told JP I was too excited to celebrate.”
For the second straight game, Channing Tindall had a quarterback sack. He sacked third-team quarterback Tracy McSorley in the game’s closing minutes.
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Washington was driving to score the game-tying touchdown and had a third-and-10 at the Dolphins’ 11-yard line. They knocked on the door and got to the 7-yard line, but they got no further. Miami took over on downs.
Miami improved to 2-0 on the preseason, while Washington fell to 0-2. The Dolphins will travel to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers in their final preseason tune-up next Friday night. Kickoff is at 7:30 PM EDT.
Radio: 104.3 FM (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale), ESPN 106.3 FM, (West Palm Beach), FOX Sports Radio 105.9 FM (Ft. Myers/Naples), 1450 AM (Suart), 97.7 FM (Florida Keys), WAQI 710 AM (Spanish-language broadcast, South Florida), WFAN 101.9 FM/660 AM (Brooklyn)
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VITALS: The Miami Heat (32-29) and Brooklyn Nets (15-45) meet for the second of three regular season matchups. Earlier this season, Miami recorded a, 106-95, win in Brooklyn on December 18 and has now won four of the last five overall against the Nets.
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It also marks the first of consecutive games against Brooklyn with the teams facing each other again on Thursday. The Heat are 83-61 all-time versus the Nets during the regular season, including 44-26 in home games and 39-35 in road games.
PROJECTED STARTERS
HEAT
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G Davion Mitchell
G Tyler Herro
C Bam Adebayo
F Pelle Larsson
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F Andrew Wiggins
NETS
G Nolan Traore
G Terance Mann
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C Nic Claxton
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F Michael Porter Jr.
F Noah Clowney
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INJURY REPORT
HEAT
Davion Mitchell: Questionable – Shoulder
Norman Powell: Out – Groin
Nikola Jovic: Out – Back
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Trevor Keels: Available – G League
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Jahmir Young: Available – G League
Vlad Goldin: Available – G League
Terry Rozier: Out – Not with team
NETS
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Nic Claxton: Probable – Thumb
Egor Demin: Out – Foot
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QUOTABLE
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra: “Regardless of the scheme is, I always go back to that, it’s just about committing to doing hard things. We were really moving in the zone, taking away airspace and scrambling to challenge shots at the rim. In a lot of these losses in the last month we’ve just been giving up shots at the rim and threes.”
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For more Miami Heat information and conversation, check out Off The Floor.
Alexander Toledo is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI and producer/co-host of the Five on the Floor podcast, covering the Heat and NBA. He can be reached at Twitter: @tropicalblanket
ORLANDO, Fla. — Lionel Messi scored twice in a four-goal second half, defender Telasco Segovia added a goal and two assists and defending champion Inter Miami CF rallied to beat Orlando City SC 4-2 on Sunday night, winning for the first time at Inter&Co Stadium.
Messi took a pass from Segovia and scored in the 57th minute to tie it 2-2, and Segovia scored unassisted in the 85th for the lead. Messi put the finishing touch on the victory when he scored off a free kick in the 90th.
“The victory belongs exclusively to the players,” Miami coach Javier Mascherano said after the game. “In the second half, they were a championship team. There were no tactics, nothing like that. There was heart, courage, possession, resilience, commitment. I think the team came out because they were champions last year.
“In the end, the players showed it. This victory is theirs.”
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Messi’s first two goals of the season give him 52 in his first 55 regular-season MLS matches — 51 of them in his past 49 appearances. It also brought the reigning MLS MVP to 898 career goals scored, including 672 for Barcelona and 115 for Argentina.
“He’s the best player to ever play this sport. He’s a leader, and as a leader, he inspires others, but he also often needs to be inspired himself,” Mascherano said of Messi. “When he was driving forward, he had more attacking options, and with so many opportunities, he clearly has the ability to create chances like no one else, and that’s what allowed us to turn the game around.”
Marco Pašalić took a pass from Iván Angulo and scored in the 18th minute to give Orlando City a 1-0 lead. Pašalić has scored in four straight matches against Inter Miami.
Inter Miami players celebrate after scoring a goal against Orlando City in MLS.
Defender Griffin Dorsey set up Martín Ojeda for a goal six minutes later for a 2-0 advantage that stood through halftime.
Inter Miami cut it to 2-1 four minutes into the second half on Mateo Silvetti’s first career goal. Defenders Segovia and Facundo Mura had assists as the 20-year-old forward found the net in his fifth career appearance.
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Segovia had eight goals and six assists as a rookie last season, while Mura collected his first assist in his first season.
Dayne St. Clair, the reigning goalkeeper of the year, turned away three shots — all in the second half of his second start with Inter Miami, but let in a soft goal for Orlando’s first.
Maxime Crépeau had four saves in his second start for Orlando City.
Teenager Colin Guske, 19, will miss Orlando City’s next match after the rookie picked up two yellow cards in his first start — the second one led to his exit in the 88th minute.
Inter Miami, which had never won in its previous nine trips to Orlando, was coming off a 3-0 road loss to LAFC.
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Orlando City swept Inter Miami during the regular season last year and leads the all-time series 8-7-4.
Inter Miami plays D.C. United on Saturday at Audi Field. Orlando City is also on the road with a match against New York City FC.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this recap.
Rain floods Miami Beach streets, cut short Miami Heat Family Festival
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Much-needed rain fell across South Florida on Sunday, but the downpour quickly led to flooding and traffic headaches.
“The drainage systems aren’t the best but in ten minutes it will be gone,” one person said.
The rain lasted longer than 10 minutes, flooding several spots along Collins Avenue in Miami Beach.
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In one neighborhood, at least a foot of water blocked the entrance. Drivers who attempted to pass through sent waves crashing onto nearby sidewalks.
The heavy rain also snarled traffic on parts of Interstate 95 and on the bridges to and from Miami Beach, slowing drivers trying to get around the area.
“It’s Miami for you. What do they call it, a sun shower?” one driver said.
The weather disrupted Sunday plans for many. The 26th annual Miami Heat Family Festival was cut short after strong winds swept through Dan Paul Plaza, knocking over several tents.
There is no word yet on how or when the Miami Heat plan to make up the family festival.
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Brett Knese
Brett Knese joined the Local 10 News team as a general assignment reporter in March 2025.
