For a moment, it appeared that Ryan Fitzpatrick was going to resurrect FitzMagic. But he and the Dolphins fell short.
Fitzpatrick, who replaced a struggling Tua Tagovailoa in the fourth quarter today in Denver, marched the Dolphins down the field on one drive to kick a field goal and cut the deficit to 20-13, then marched the Dolphins down the field again in the final minutes. But a Fitzpatrick pass into the end zone was intercepted, and the Broncos held on to win.
It’s unclear whether Fitzpatrick or Tagovailoa will be the starting quarterback for the Dolphins going forward, but either way they now face an uphill climb to the playoffs. This was a game they needed to win, and instead they lost to fall to 6-4 on the season.
The Broncos are 4-6 and out of contention, but they should be commended for putting together a strong performance. Denver’s defense was relentless in sacking Tagovailoa six times, and Melvin Gordon and Philip Lindsay both ran the ball well. It was a solid effort for the Broncos in a game few expected them to win.