Tennessee 27, Dolphins 24 (Final, OT); Bironas 46-yard FG defeats Miami

[Note: The latest Dolfan Satisfaction Meter poll will appear in a separate blogpost at 5:30 p.m. Watch for it and vote!]

OT: Rob Bironas 46-yard FG in OT ends game and makes it a 27-24 final, Tennessee ..... Chad Henne awful interception in overtime, then personal foul on Greg Camarillo on tackle gives Tennessee ball on Miami 27.

4Q: Anthony Fasano 2-yard TD catch and then Ricky Williams' 2-point conversion run ties game 24-24 with 1:34 to play. Eighteen unanswered points have fashioned Miami's miracle comeback ..... Brian Hartline 57-yard catch off deflection puts Dolphins at Titans' 11 .....Ricky Williams 1-yard TD run wide and kick draw Miami within 24-16 with 7:41 to play. Still a chance! Anthony Fasano diving catch set up the score. Good call on the kick there. You don't go for 2 until you have to. 

3Q: Oy. Chad Henne intercepted in end zone on 1st and 10 from Titans 14. That's a killer as third quarter winds down ..... Dan Carpenter with a 45-yard FG inches Miami with 24-9. Dear Dolphins: Touchdowns, please! Sean Smith fumble recovery had given Dolphins ball at Tennessee 34 ..... Nate Washington with Vince Young's third TD pass of game and, this from 32 yards, and Titans now with a commanding 24-6 lead. Vontae Davis tripped on the play. Jason Taylor had forced a fumble a couple of plays earlier but Titans got it back.

HALF: Six points and two turnovers speak ill of the Dolphins' offensive performance so far. Not much to show for three trips inside Tennessee 25. Not much praise due the defense, though, either. Vince Young on a 300-yard pace, Chris Johnson has 71 yards rushing, and nobody can stop the mighty Justin Gage. Playoff hopes slipping. Can the Dolphins mount a comeback?

2Q: Chad Henne bed decision to make the throw that was picked off in last minute of half, with Miami nearing field goal range ..... Justin Gage with his second TD catch of game, this from 21 yards out. Vontae Davis nice coverage but did not make the play. Chris Johnson 41 yards on screen pass the big play in drive. Miami down 17-6 late in first half, the first time all game the Dolphins have seemed in trouble ..... Dolphins squander 1st-and-goal opportunity, settle for 28-yard FG to pull within 10-6. Henne 39-yard pass to Brian Hartline was big play of drive ..... Tennessee settles for chipshot FG after 1st-and-goal situatioon. Dolphins had been on march, nearing Titans red zone, but Ricky Williams' lost fumble aborted drive and led to Tenners' scoring drive.

1Q: Ricky Williams hits 1,000 yard rushing mark for season ..... Vince Young-Justin Gage 22-yard TD pass and Titans up 7-3. Gibril Wilson positioned to make a play, does not ..... Dan Carpenter 23-yard FG for 3-0 Miami lead. Score was set up by first big play of game,  an interception by Vontae Davis off a tip by Channing Crowder.

PREGAME: National anthem by Darius Rucker (Hootie). Apparently the Titans don't know Rucker is a huge Dolphins fan ..... Four of five ESPN talking heads pick Miami to win. All but Keyshawn Johnson ..... Reporting to your live from LP Stadium in Nashville with this exclusive pregame analysis: Man, it's cold! This concludes our pregame analysis ..... I wonder. When they update LP Stadium, will it be called CD Stadium?

Original post:

The Dolphins (7-6) will neither clinch nor be eliminated from the playoffs by today's result in Tennessee, although it's fair to say a loss will do severe damage to postseason chances. It's a must-win in all but the literal sense.

You allknow I'm on record predicting a 23-20 Tennessee victory, figuring the home field and Chris Johnson will be too much for Miami to overcome.

Your thoughts on today's extra-large game welcome here before, during and afterward. Join me here for our usual Unofficial Semi-Live Boutique  Blog starting around 12:30 or so. Then watch for the latest Dolfan Satisfaction Meter poll in a separate blogpost soon after the final whistle.

Comments

[mike1]

First, for the first time. Everyone must be sleeping.

Going to the sports bar to watch. There will be no Colts, Saints or Cowboys fans since they already played. They make up the bulk here as well as Broncos, Packers, and some others. I only have to contend with Texans fans..that will be a lot of people, but that's ok. They always put Phins games on small TV's. But since Titans came from Houston and there are leftover fans, we might get a big screen.

[mike1]

Shadow, with reference to your NFL network games comment on the other blog. Have you noticed a one second delay from what we see, to what the commentators say? It throws me sometimes.

[Jimbo]

Gibril Wilson misses play on Titans pass allowing TD, another reason he will not be a dolphin next yr.

[Tom]

What the hell is going on with Ricky? 4 fumbles in two weeks. He can't be trusted.

[Tom]

What’s that? Ah — Playoffs? Don’t talk about — playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game!

Not looking good.

[Tom]

Anyone else getting the feeling of a blowout?

[OC Dolphin]

They took the week off at the worst time.

[OC Dolphin]

They're sucking big time no doubt, but these homer non calls are killing me.

Sample: Why was that Young sack/incomplete not ruled intentional grounding? That was every bit suspect as the Camarillo fumble/pass in the NO game.

------
Finally! a break.

[OC Dolphin]

Turn out the lights...the party's over...

[Jimbo]

ain't over yet, no room for error left

[OC Dolphin]

It's over Jimbo. Sorry to say. We ain't no Saints who can score a touchdown every three minutes.

[OC Dolphin]

Another bullshit call.

[OC Dolphin]

Okay Jimbo, let's see if they can do it in 4:36.

[Tom]

Hartline is a MAN!!!

[OC Dolphin]

Polite time.

[Tom]

Pat White?

[Tom]

YES!!!

[mike1]

yeah, but the old score too early syndrome is still possible. I left the sports bar after the INT in the end zone.

[mike1]

why didn't he field that punt? We better just run out the clock. Our team has made a billion mistakes today.

[Jimbo]

dolphins are going to win with a fg in ot...

[mike1]

Um. I don't think so. When NaplesJack says Henne sucks, sometimes he's right. Today, Henne absolutely sucked. Some offensive play calls were questionable all game long as well until the game tying drive. But another bad call going down field when they needed only.

Refs suck too though. That was no personal foul. BS.

[mike1]

Why couldn't Titans have a crappy kicker like Redskins or Dallas?

Very often today, I was appalled at our play calls. I passionately hate those up-for-grab corner end zone throws. We either catch them out of bounds or they get picked. There was no need for those plays on 1st down. Then why do we throw downfield in OT, with plenty of time and needing 5 yds for a first? Why?

Forget playoffs. I think if Baltimore screws up, Titans may get it. They have head-head on us now.

[OC Dolphin]

Refs called a partial game. Thanks, and enjoy that X-mas stipen.

[mike1]

At the bar, I was watching Bills & NE on the adjacent screen. If you want to talk officiating nightmare, that was horrid. Bills kept getting called for every little thing. Once there was a split second defensive hold inside 5 yds giving NE a 1st leading to a score. When NE did the exact same thing, no call. Moss pushes off on every 2nd play. Never a call. Instead, Bills got called. I completely did not understand the officiating.

But Dolphins were ripped on that personal foul call. Sparano should complain to the NFL on that. However, if that call is not made, Titans would throw and maybe get in FG range anyway.

If Ravens lose, there is a massive 7-7 tie going on.

[OC Dolphin]

mike1,

Tenn may have the head to head, but they have the Chargers next week. Baltimore still has the edge. They need to lose two times, today would be nice, then against Pitt.

Boy, wouldn't it be cool to have that last game decide who goes in - Pitt or Mia.

[mike1]

Baltimore is already up 14-0.

We're on the wrong blog. The Armando Seguero (sp) blog has like almost 700 responders to today's game.
There was some bad officiating down the stretch, but our offense sucked it up too ..play calls and Henne.

[naplesjackpatsfan]

mike1- I am beginning to wonder what the hell you know about football!! If you mean the officiating in the Pats game was awful, you must be talking about the bills. If you listerned to Dan Dierdoff, he tried to explain the calls, and why they were right. The bills were sad on defense. By the way, explain to me what the bad call was in the dolphins game you thought was bad. I also watched this game on one side, and the jets game on the other side. That int. in ot. was brutal.

[OC Dolphin]

mike1, Salguero's blog is all about the Dolphins, so yes, that 700# sounds about right. I've never posted there, but do go on it during non televised games to obtain Internet feed links during the game.

I've watched every game for two or three seasons that way.

When there's that much activity, hot links are posted there all the time.

Fortunately, I have one of those big giant screened Apple computers where I watch the game in the center, then open up another screen to the left of that to see what all of us say at Cote's, and yet a third one with Salguero's on the right to keep link info current.

[OC Dolphin]

Naples,

Where should I start... Let's see, How about all the bullshit calls against Soliai on critical 3rd down plays. Perhaps the non call when some lineman kicks Pat White while he is down. Or maybe the non intentional grounding when Young was trying to abort a sack, or was it the quick whistle on that Jason Taylor strip fumble, or yet still the bullshit personal foul on Camarillo which allows for the winning field goal.

You tell me. I have another 10 if you like.

[naplesjackpatsfan]

Oc Dolphin- Please stop it. I realize mike thinks there is evil in every game. The whistle had blown on the camarillo call in ot. Did any dolphins complain about the call? The bottom line is the reason you lost today, was not officiating, but the brutal int. by henne.

[OC Dolphin]

I disagree. They lost because of turnovers (plural). The refs did not do them any favors though. They did give the Titans some, however. Every one of those examples I listed above let to Titan scores. They enabled the drives to continue.

There is no way that that game was called 50/50. Having said that, I'm of the school that you have to prepare to go into battle knowing that you must beat your opponent AND homer tendencies.

I learned that one many, many years ago being an avid Laker fan and Celtic hater:-)

[mike1]

Miami screwed themselves so many times in the game that you can hardly blame the refs, but OC is right on all counts. How is he down if he was never touched? That was a soft hit to make sure the player was down. There was obviously no mal intent there. Yes, where was the intentional grounding call? Taylor had a fumble, but there was quick whistle unfortunately.

I saw a number of calls made on the Bills, that NE was getting away with. It was insane. Moss pushes off every two plays. NE got away with the same momentary hold within 5 that the Bills got called for. Call it both ways!

[Tom]

jack

That unnecessary roughness call on Camarillo was the biggest crock of shit call and it definitely led to their last score. That being said, the Fish lost this game with 3 turnovers in scoring territory (Ricky fumble and 2 Henne picks, one in the endzone). We are what we are, not good and not bad. I have tickets for next week's game in Miami. Too bad they lost, it would have been a lot more fun with the playoffs on the line.

[Noel]

Season over.

[naplesjackpatsfan]

mike1-oc-dolphin-Tom- After watching that play with camarillo in ot 5-6 more times, have to agree it was a little cheap. It looked like he tried to ease up a bit.

[OC Dolphin]

Thank you Jack for your acknowledgment.

[Tom]

I agree jack, thanks. Too bad the officials on the scene could not have used a little common sense.

That Chargers v Bengals game was pretty good. Either one of those teams can possibly beat the Colts. Well at least let's hope so. The Pats? Not a chance. Sorry jack.