ATLANTA — After the lowest of lows for the Miami Dolphins came an unexpected high.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, wearing a visor to protect a swollen eye, threw four touchdowns, the league-worst run defense stood up against the vaunted Falcons run game, and the Dolphins bounced back from last week’s embarrassing performance in Cleveland to defeat Atlanta, 34-10, Sunday afternoon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Miami (2-6), looking like a team set on revitalizing what has been a lost cause of a season, snapped a three-game losing streak, turning the previous Sunday’s 25-point loss into a 24-point victory.
Tagovailoa, who woke up Sunday to swelling around his eye, was 20 of 26 for 205 yards and his four touchdowns to four different receivers.
Miami’s quarterback, who was coming off back-to-back three-interception games, was able to be efficient thanks to the defense and run game.
Linebacker Jordyn Brooks had 10 tackles, three for loss, and a sack as the Dolphins held star Falcons running back Bijan Robinson to 25 rushing yards and a lost fumble.
Atlanta quarterback Kirk Cousins, playing for the injured Michael Penix and also without wide receiver Drake London (hip), was 21 of 31 for 173 yards, often looking perplexed by the looks defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver was giving him. The Falcons had just five first downs and 92 passing yards through the first three quarters Sunday.
Running back De’Von Achane rushed 18 times for 67 yards and caught the first touchdown for the Dolphins. Rookie Ollie Gordon went for 46 yards on 10 attempts, converting several short-yardage situations to extend early drives, and catching a touchdown late.
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Leading, 10-3, late in the first half, Tagovailoa fired a 9-yard touchdown pass on the move in a tight window to wide receiver Malik Washington, who got the ball over the goal line near the pylon to extend Miami’s lead going into halftime, 17-3.
In the third quarter, it was Tagovailoa finding Waddle crossing over the middle for a 43-yard catch and run for a touchdown on excellent play design off a play fake. Waddle led Dolphins pass-catchers with 99 yards on five catches.
As the Falcons turned it over on downs twice in the second half, Gordon took a short pass 20 yards for another touchdown as Miami continued to pile it on.
In the midst of the onslaught, safety Ifeatu Melifonwu forced a fumble on Robinson that linebacker Tyrel Dodson recovered for Miami.
The Dolphins started the scoring Sunday with Tagovailoa finding Achane open in the flat off a mesh concept for a 3-yard touchdown late in the first quarter.
The score capped a 13-play, 79-yard drive in which Miami ate up 8:33 and got all three running backs involved, with Ollie Gordon and Jaylen Wright seeing carries. Gordon, a short-yardage specialist, extended the series with successful first-down runs on a third-and-2, third-and-1 and fourth-and-1.
The teams then exchanged field goals in the second quarter. The Falcons converted a fourth down before Parker Romo hit from 45 yards out. The Dolphins got their Riley Patterson 34-yard field goal after Tagovailoa nearly had a third-down pass intercepted on a bat up into the air in the backfield.
The Dolphins have a short week, returning home to face the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night.
This story will be updated.
