MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Tua Tagovailoa went 5-for-5 with a touchdown pass in his only series to help the Miami Dolphins to a 13-6 preseason victory over the Washington Commanders on Saturday night.
Playing for the first time since he signed a four-year, $212 million extension, Tagovailoa was sharp, throwing for 51 yards on a 61-yard scoring drive that he capped with a 13-yard pass to River Cracraft on fourth-and-1.
Washington rookie Jayden Daniels was solid as well, playing two series and going 10 of 12 for 78 yards and rushing for 13 yards. The No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft led drives of 46 and 52 yards. The first ended on a missed field goal from 49 yards by Riley Patterson, who connected from 46 yards on the second.
Patterson went 2 for 4 on the night, also connecting from 38 yards and missing from 43.
Jason Sanders made field goals from 39 and 33 yards for the Dolphins (2-0).
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel appeared to follow the formula he has used in his previous two preseasons with Tagovailoa, who has sat out the opener and the finale while making a brief appearance in the second game.
After Daniels departed in the second quarter, backup Jeff Driskel took over for Washington (0-2). He completed 11 of 15 passes for 82 yards.
Trace McSorley, signed by the Commanders this week after quarterback Sam Hartman suffered a right shoulder injury in the team’s preseason opener, played in the fourth quarter. He went 11 of 21 for 93 yards and an interception.
Rookie edge rusher Chop Robinson, the Dolphins’ first-round draft pick, made his preseason debut and stopped Michael Wiley for a 4-yard loss late in the second quarter.
Tagovailoa was missing top targets Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, who combined for 2,813 receiving yards last season. Neither was in uniform.
COLTS 21, CARDS 13
INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen found plenty to like from his backups Saturday night.
Quarterback Jason Bean and running backs Tyler Goodson and Zavier Scott each rushed for scores. Quarterbacks Sam Ehlinger and Kedon Slovis showed they belong in the conversation to be the No. 3 quarterback.
Steichen couldn’t have scripted it much better as the Colts held off the mistake-prone Arizona Cardinals 21-13.
“I think we went for what, 166 on the ground, with all those guys that were battling, scratching and clawing, which was good to see,” Steichen said. “This game was an opportunity for our assistant coaches, too. A lot of guys called the game throughout on both sides of the ball and it was fun to listen to everyone call it.”
Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon also opted to sit most of his starters including rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. after holding two joint practices with the Colts earlier this week. Harrison still has not appeared in a game at Lucas Oil Stadium, the same one his Hall of Fame father once called his home field.
JETS 15, PANTHERS 12
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — New York Jets returner Brandon Codrington may have been one of the smallest players on the field Saturday night, but it didn’t stop him from having the biggest impact.
The 5-foot-9, 185-pound undrafted rookie from tiny North Carolina Central returned a kickoff 63 yards and a punt 31 yards to set up scores and the Jets beat the Carolina Panthers 15-12 on Saturday night in a game in which both teams rested almost all of their starters and several key reserves.
Austin Seibert kicked four field goals, including a 52 yarder, and Greg Zuerlein added another for the Jets.
Codrington’s 63-yard kickoff return to start the second half came with the NFL’s new kickoff rules in place. He broke through the initial line of defense before being tracked down from behind.
Later, he fielded a punt near the right sideline, reversed field and avoided tacklers before turning up for a big play.
JAGUARS 20, BUCS 7
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mac Jones threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns, taking a step toward formally securing Jacksonville’s backup job, and the Jaguars beat Tampa Bay 20-7 in a preseason game featuring few starters Saturday night.
Jones got the nod in place of Trevor Lawrence and completed 16 of 23 passes, including TDs to Parker Washington and Brevin Easton. He also scrambled six times, including a nifty, duck-under move on linebacker Vi Jones in the second quarter to avoid a sack.
“I think he’s doing some good things,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said at halftime. “He’s staying composed. We missed a big third down that would have been great to get, but I think he’s seeing the field, he’s making good strong accurate throws, and I believe he’s playing well.”
Jones’ best throws were for scores. He hit Washington in stride for 25 yards and a 7-0 lead that capped a 17-play drive. Washington finished with three receptions for 38 yards a week after returning a kickoff 73 yards against Kansas City.
BILLS 9, STEELERS 3
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Russell Wilson slogged through a forgettable preseason debut in Pittsburgh, mustering little before giving way to a more dynamic Justin Fields as the Steelers lost 9-3 to the Josh Allen-less Buffalo Bills on Saturday.
The 35-year-old Wilson, slowed by a calf injury for much of training camp, completed 8 of 10 passes for 47 yards. He also took three sacks during five scoreless series of work.
Fields fared marginally better, finishing 11 of 17 for 92 yards. He also ran for a team-high 42 yards, showcasing the versatility that led the Steelers (0-2) to trade for him in March, though he was also stopped for a loss on a fourth-down run in the third quarter that ended a scoring threat and threw incomplete on fourth down at the Buffalo 20 in the final minutes.
Tyler Bass kicked three field goals for the Bills (1-1), who were more engaged against Pittsburgh than during a lifeless loss to Chicago last week, even with Allen watching from the sideline. Buffalo coach Sean McDermott kept his franchise QB out of the lineup following a pregame thunderstorm.
