MIKE GESICKI

In a year when QBs have seemed developmentally stuck in the mud, Tua Tagovailoa has taken leaps forward. Two key plays on Sunday show how.

Can we finally start Tony Pollard.

Tua Tagovailoa threw for 469 yards and six touchdowns, four of which came during a spectacular fourth quarter as the Miami Dolphins rallied from a 21-point deficit to beat the Baltimore Ravens 42-38.

The NFL’s salary cap for 2022 will be $208.2 million — a healthy increase from the previous, pandemic-impacted years.

Tua Tagovailoa threw a pair of short touchdown passes and the Miami Dolphins extended their winning streak to five games by topping the New York Giants 20-9 on Sunday.

Miami Dolphins tight end Adam Shaheen says contact tracing landed him on the COVID-19 reserve list, and he has no intention to get vaccinated.

NFL minicamps are mostly proceeding as planned as teams and their players discuss potential fundamental changes to the offseason structure.

during the second half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020, in Las Vegas. Fitzpatrick's desperation heave to Mack Hollins set up Jason Sanders’ 44-yard field goal as the Dolphins drove the field in the final 19 seconds to move one step closer to a playoff berth with an improbable 26-25 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday night. The move to play for the field goal backfired as the Raiders lost on a kick instead. My head was getting ripped off.”The penalty moved the ball down to the Las Vegas 26, setting up Sanders’ winning kick. Las Vegas then ran out most of the clock but not enough.

The Dolphins (9-5) bolstered their wild-card chances and are assured of a winning record for only the second time since 2008. The Patriots (6-8) will finish at .500 or worse for the first time since 2000, the year they drafted Tom Brady. They mounted a 14-play, 90-yard touchdown drive midway through the second half to take the lead for good. They were shut out in the first half, but mounted a 72-yard touchdown drive to start the second half for a 7-6 lead. DE John Simon (hamstring) and C David Andrews (calf) were sidelined in the second half.

(AP Photo/Aaron Doster)Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott is inactive against San Francisco with a calf injury the two-time rushing championship has been battling for several weeks. Safety Deon Bush (foot) is also out after being listed questionable with Johnson. Cowboys: RB Ezekiel Elliott, QB Ben DiNucci, WR Malik Turner, CB Rashard Robinson, DE Bradlee Anae, LB Luke Gifford, DE Ron’Dell Carter. ___JACKSONVILLE AT BALTIMOREJaguars: CB Sidney Jones, CB Luq Barcoo, LB Quincy Williams, DT Daniel Ross, QB Jake Luton. Ravens: DE Calais Campbell, CB Jimmy Smith, CB Marcus Peters, RB Mark Ingram, LB Kristian Welch, DE Jihad Ward, C Trystan Colon-Castillo.

(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs overcame a 30-yard sack, four turnovers and a 10-point deficit Sunday to clinch their fifth consecutive AFC West title by beating Miami 33-27 on Sunday. Xavien Howard made an interception for the fifth game in a row, and Mahomes’ interception total for the season rose to five. It was the Chiefs’ second consecutive comeback at Hard Rock Stadium, where they won the Super Bowl in February. He threw an interception, bobbled a snap and took the big sack to set up the Dolphins’ first touchdown. Dolphins: They play host Sunday to the New England Patriots, who won when the teams met in the season opener.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) celebrates his first NFL play with Miami Dolphins running back Matt Breida (22), Miami Dolphins guard Ted Karras (67) and Miami Dolphins running back Lynn Bowden (15) against the New York Jets during an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Tagovailoas winning personality helped the Miami Dolphins avoid locker room backlash when he was promoted to replace popular veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick. (AP Photo/Doug Murray)MIAMI – Tua Tagovailoa’s winning personality helped the Miami Dolphins avoid any locker room backlash when he was promoted to replace popular veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick. Even so, players who have spoken publicly regarding the change say they're excited about Tagovailoa becoming the starter. Under Tagovailoa, the Dolphins hope their offense will be even more dynamic. “Just like everybody else, I'm excited to see him in his first start.”___More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL___Follow Steven Wine on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Steve_Wine

Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick laughs with coaches as he comes off the field after defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars in an NFL football game, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Ryan Fitzpatrick handles the Jacksonville Jaguars as well as anyone in the NFL. Fitzpatrick completed his first 12 passes — a career high — as Miami scored touchdowns on its first three drives for the first time since 2011. Fitzpatrick also ran for 39 yards and a score, his 37-year-old legs looking as fresh as any in Miami’s backfield. “As a group we just didn't get it done,” said Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew, who completed 30 of 42 passes for 275 yards and two turnovers. The Jaguars have won two in a row against the Bengals, notching victories in 2017 and 2019.

Allen reached a career high in yards passing for the second week in a row, and became the first Buffalo quarterback to have back-to-back 300-yard games since Drew Bledsoe in 2002. The Bills totaled 524 yards, with 342 in the first half, the most by the team since 2000. The Dolphins closed to 31-28 on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick to Mike Gesicki and a successful 2-point conversion with 49 seconds left. Allen threw touchdown passes to four receivers and Stefon Diggs led the Bills with eight catches for 153 yards. The Bills had scoring drives of 97 yards, 84 yards, and 73 yards in the first half.

MIAMI – Black and white Miami Dolphins players and coach Brian Flores released a video on social media Thursday saying they’ll protest racial injustice by remaining in their locker room during the national anthem. The two-minute, 15-second video featured nearly 20 players trading stern rhymes about the nation’s social protest movement. The NFL plans to play the national anthem and “Lift Every Voice and Sing” — the Black national anthem — before every game this weekend, including the Dolphins’ opener Sunday at New England. The Dolphins have been asked several times this week by reporters whether they’ll stand or kneel for the songs. "If we could just right our wrongs, we wouldn’t need two songs,” center Ted Karras said in the video.