Advertisement

The Miami Dolphins' loss to the Raiders included a play so bad it had never happened before

Jaylen Waddle is tackled for a safety while playing against the Raiders.
Jaylen Waddle. AP Photo/David Becker

Things were going pretty well for the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

Thanks to one pick-six and another touchdown from their offense, the Dolphins jumped out to a 14-0 lead over the undefeated Las Vegas Raiders. Unfortunately, all of those good vibes turned on one terrible play.

After the Raiders pinned the Dolphins against their own goal line with a massive punt, Miami attempted to dupe the Las Vegas defense with a quick pass to the outside of the field.

Quarterback Jacoby Brissett, starting in place of an injured Tua Tagovailoa, took the snap, shuffle stepped, then turned to fire at wide receiver Jaylen Waddle along the line of scrimmage. Waddle caught the pass in the end zone and was immediately met by a smattering of Raiders defenders.

He was tackled for a safety. Dolphins 14, Raiders 2.

It's tough to tell what exactly the Dolphins thought would happen here.

As Waddle makes the catch, he looks up to realize he needs to escape the inescapable. There aren't any blockers in line to help push him forward - the five closest players to him on the field are all wearing silver and black.

Raiders defense converges on Jaylen Waddle.
Raiders defense. @NFLBrasil / Twitter

The way that Waddle barely reacts to the snap, it feels like the Dolphins were attempting a bit of deception, but what exactly the trick was is tough to parse.

According to Pro Football Reference, it was the first time in NFL history that a completed pass resulted in a safety with no penalties or fumbles.

The Dolphins would pay for their mistake. They gave up 25 straight points to the Raiders, starting with this safety, and lost the game in overtime.

Next time Miami needs to call a play from their own end zone, chances are they'll call something that ensure the ball gets back out of the end zone first and foremost.

Read the original article on Insider