PHILADELPHIA (AP) Ryan Tannehill heaved the ball in the air and thought the worst.
”When the ball goes up in the air like that, good things tend not to happen,” he said.
Not this time. Not against Chip Kelly’s Eagles.
Tannehill’s deflected pass ended up in the hands of Jarvis Landry for the go-ahead score early in the fourth quarter, and the defense made it hold up to snap Miami’s two-game losing streak in a 20-19 win over Philadelphia on Sunday.
”The ball was in slow motion coming down. But I saw Jarvis see the ball, and the defender did not see the ball,” Tannehill said.
Ndamukong Suh dominated, Chris McCain delivered a knockout blow and Reshad Jones made another big play to keep Miami’s slim – though still alive – playoff hopes in tact.
”It’s great for us to pat ourselves on the back right this second,” Suh said.
Suh had one of his best games since joining the Dolphins (4-5). He had a sack, three tackles for losses and three hurries.
”He stepped up,” interim coach Dan Campbell said. ”He did so much for us.”
Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford injured his left shoulder and sustained a concussion on a hard hit by McCain in the third quarter and didn’t return, though X-rays were negative.
Mark Sanchez drove the Eagles (4-5) to the Dolphins 8 late in the fourth quarter, but Jones intercepted his pass in the end zone.
”This is a great opportunity for us,” Suh said. ”We understand what we have to get done.”
After Bradford was injured, the Dolphins went ahead 20-16 on their next drive.
Tannehill connected with Rishard Matthews for 43 yards to the Eagles 8. From the 4, a Tannehill pass was deflected and sailed high in the air before Landry gathered it in.
”It seemed like it was up there for about 10 seconds,” Tannehill said.
Caleb Sturgis made a 37-yard field goal to get Philadelphia to 20-19. It looked like he would get a chance to beat his former team, but Jones’ interception ended the threat. Sturgis missed from 32 yards in the first half.
Some other things we learned after the Dolphins rallied to beat the Eagles
SAFETY DANCE: The Dolphins have now allowed a safety for the third straight game. After a major blunder by returner Damien Williams on the kickoff – he tried to bring it out from deep in the end zone, fumbled, picked it up at the 1 and went down – Walter Thurmond sacked Tannehill on a blitz and he fumbled out of the end zone for a safety.
”I just didn’t see him coming. That was totally on me,” Tannehill said. ”I’ve got to see that guy coming and get the ball.”
The Dolphins became the first team since the 1980 Seattle Seahawks to take three safeties in one game.
SUH WHAT: Suh is finally the disruption Miami spent more than a $100 million on to bolster the defense. The 6-foot-4 Suh has three of his four sacks over the last four games and has finally adjusted to his role in Miami after years in Detroit.
”I understand the way people are going to block me and I’m just attacking it. I’m playing off my guys up front,” he said.
He had a sack and three tackles for a loss against the Eagles.
”He gets a tackle for a loss, he gets a sack, he creates a holding call,” Campbell said. ”He did so much for us.”
OUCH: Dolphins CB Brent Grimes was a surprise inactive, ending his streak of 40 straight starts. Miami then lost starting CB Brice McCain to a knee injury.
”When we arrived last night, he was not feeling well. So as of this morning we felt like – we gave him some IVs, some fluids – we felt like he was going to play. We came in this morning with the intention that he would play, but he was not able to,” Campbell said.
Grimes said he hoped to return against Dallas.
”I wouldn’t have been any help to the team. It was hard to watch the game however, we won and I’m happy about that. I had food poisoning and that was causing me to throw up,” he said. ”I don’t know how much but it was a number of times, now I’m just drained because of the vomiting.”
Eagles RB Ryan Mathews suffered a concussion.
HE’S TIGHT: Eagles TE Brent Celek had four catches for 134 yards. He should have been the No. 1 target for the winning touchdown on Sanchez’s end zone interception.
”I don’t know if it would have been a touchdown, but I probably would have had a decent gain,” he said. ”That’s how football goes. You have to overcome some of that stuff and we still had an opportunity at the end of the game to win and we just didn’t do it.”
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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL
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