The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Miami Dolphins met in their NFL clash at Raymond James Stadium in a battle between two troubled teams.
The Buccaneers were still searching for their first win of the season after starting the campaign 0-8, while the Dolphins were looking for a distraction after becoming embroiled in a bullying scandal, which rocked the league.
It was Greg Schiano's side who prevailed to get their first victory of the 2013 season in an error-strewn game as they did just enough to beat the Dolphins 22-19, by making crucial plays in the fourth quarter.
Read how all the action unfolded in our commentary below.
Good morning and welcome to the live commentary of the NFL clash between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Miami Dolphins.
This clash is between two sides that are in turmoil but different kinds of turmoil.
The Buccaneers are the only team in the NFL that are without a win this season as they are currently 0-8 in their campaign following a disastrous run of results. Their season is effectively over and it's up to Greg Schiano to try and pull back some pride.
There are reports out there that the Buccaneers have lost faith in Schiano and his coaches following the treatment of former quarterback Josh Freeman who was released by the team earlier in the season. That appears to have translated to the pitch where despite having a talented roster the results just haven't been there.
One major blow for the Buccaneers is the loss of running back Doug Martin who rushed for over 1000 yards last season as he has been ruled out for the year with a shoulder problem. Rookie Mike James has filled in admirably but with first year quarterback Mike Glennon at the helm there are a lot of inexperienced players in key roles on the Bucs offense.
Defensively there are no excuses for the Buccaneers failings. They have invested high round draft picks for their defensive lineman and their linebackers along with a trade for All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis in the off-season. However, they just haven't jelled as a unit and are really letting Schiano down on the field.
As bad as them Buccaneers problems are the Dolphins's may actually be worse as they are currently embroiled in the bullying scandal that is dominating not just the sport headlines but the news headlines in the United States.
Offensive tackle Jonathan Martin left the club two weeks ago and has reportedly accused fellow lineman Richie Incognito of harassment. The two have become involved in a back and forth throwing accusations at each other, which is not reflecting well on the Dolphins' organisation at all.
The Dolphins are also down two offensive lineman to boot as Incognito was suspended by the club while Martin has not returned after leaving. So that makes one of the worst lines in the NFL even badder still. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill could be in for a beating tonight if the Dolphins are not careful.
Joe Philbin's side have actually played some good football at times this season and are currently 4-4 in the AFC East, which leaves them third in the division and they had an impressive win over the Cincinnati Bengals last time out, so they do have proven talent on this roster.
This game could actually be beneficial to them as they have a chance to put all the off field talk behind them and give people something else to talk about. It could be a make or break night for them, it will be interesting to see if they can rise to the challenge.
BUCCANEERS INACTIVES: Carr, Gorrer, McDougald, Omameh, Nicks, Owusu, Means.
DOLPHINS INACTIVES: Devlin, Gillislee, Patterson, Misi, Arkin, Thomas, Martin.
The Buccaneers are obviously without Doug Martin who was placed on injured reserve last week but they are also missing All-Pro guard Carl Nick, who has suffered from the MRSA infection going around the team this year. He underwent surgery last month and is yet to return.
The Dolphins are without Incognito and Jonathan Martin, so they are replaced by Tyson Clabo and Nate Garner. They are also missing cornerback Dimitri Patterson and linebacker Koa Misi from their starting lineup.
Dawson returns to the 24 where Glennon will begin for the Buccaneers.
Glennon fakes on play-action and fires the ball deep downfield for Underwood who catches the ball in stride down the left-hand sideline for 31 yards to move his side to the Miami 41.
James gets the handoff on the ground and runs right through the middle of the line on second down before he gets brought down at the Miami 14 for a gain of 24 yards. Not a good start from the Dolphins.
Glennon gets the snap in the shotgun and fires the ball to Jackson for the first time in the game on a crossing route and he gets the nine yards needed for a first down to move his side to the Miami 4 before he's hauled down by Jones.
James bursts through the line for three more yards and the Buccaneers will have a crucial third down and goal at the Miami 1. But they may have to do it without the running back as he is down and looks in some pain.
James is carted off the field and that is massive shame for the Buccaneers and the back himself. He was having a good game.
TOUCHDOWN BUCCANEERS!
The Buccaneers take the lead and if you were reeling off players you thought would catch a touchdown pass in this game, you would not have Donald Penn very high on that list but the left tackle peels off the line on a play-action pass and Glennon loops the ball to him for the one-yard score. He was wide open and made a decent catch on an underthrown pass.
Koenen kicks the ball out of the endzone so Tannehill will start at the 20.
The Dolphins go three and out as Pouncey commits a costly penalty as he shoves Spence in the face, and moves what would have been a third down and one into third and 16, and Tannehill is forced to throw the ball away leading to a punt from Field. Page gathers the punt and reverses the ball with a toss to Dawson and he takes the ball to the Miami 45, where a penalty on the Dolphins will move the ball to the 40.
Leonard gets the carry for the Buccaneers and he powers over the left-hand side of the line and finds a crease to get a pick up of 14 yards to move his side to the Miami 26.
Glennon drops back in the pocket this time and fires another dart over the middle of the field to Jackson on a crossing route to get another first down and a gain of 14 yards.
Leonard gets six yards on first down but is stuffed for no gain on second down. On third and four Glennon drops back in the pocket and tries to find the back in the flat but he can't catch the ball and that will force the Bucs into a field goal attempt from 24 yards.
FIELD GOAL GOOD!
Lindell knocks his kick through the posts with ease and the Bucs take a 10-point lead.
Thigen tries to return Koenen's kick but he is stopped at his own eight-yard line by the on rushing Buccaneers.
The Dolphins move the chains for the first time as Tannehill completes two passes in a row as on second he finds Hartline for four yards and then finds Matthews down the left-hand sideline for 14 yards to move his side to their own 29.
Miami's drive doesn't last as they can't get another conversion on third down as Tannehill's pass deep for Matthews falls incomplete after Clay dropped his throw on second, which would have been enough for the first down. Fields punts to 19 where Page takes the fair catch.
Leonard powers through the middle of the line again and just gets enough for the first down with a five-yard run after Glennon got five on the ground with a scramble on first.
The Bucs get a break as Glennon fires the ball downfield looking for Jackson on a go route and he and the cover man Grimes fall to the ground but the cornerback is flagged for pass interference that moves them to the Miami 36 with a 35-yard penalty.
END OF FIRST QUARTER: Miami Dolphins 0-10 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers can't extend their drive as a penalty on first down brings them back nine yards and Glennon throws two incompletions on second and third leading to a punt from Koenen, which is downed inside the one.
SAFETY!
David surges through the line and drops Miller in his own endzone, which results in a two-point safety for the Buccaneers. No-one blocked the linebacker on that play and it was an easy tackle to make to bring down the back for the score.
Fields kicks the free kick at the 20 down to the Buccaneers' 42 where Page takes the fair catch.
Glennon fires to Leonard on first down on a checkdown and he beats two tackles to get 14 yards on the play and earns his side another set of downs at the Miami 44.
On third and nine Glennon takes the pass in the shotgun and he drills the ball to Underwood on a crossing route and he picks up 17 yards to move his side to the Miami 26 and into scoring position again.
Another third and long situation for the Buccaneers but this time they fall just short of the conversion as Glennon completes a short pass to Jackson but he gets brought down a yard before the marker forcing Lindell into a 35-yard field goal attempt.
FIELD GOAL GOOD!
Lindell kicks the ball through the posts from 35 yards and the Bucs extend their lead to 15 points.
Koenen kicks the ball into the endzone and Thigen takes a knee so Tannehill will begin at the 20.
Tannehill delivers a strike for his side on third down and three as he fires the ball to Matthews on a hitch route and he makes a good catch to earn them another set of downs.
The Dolphins can't move any further down the field as Wallace takes a massive loss on a screen pass as Revis reads it all the way and decks him behind the line of scrimmage setting them back five yards. On third, Wallace gets the ball again but only for two yards forcing the punt from Fields, which is nearly returned for a touchdown by Page but he gets tackled by the last man at the 40 for a 55-yard return.
Glennon takes a sack on first down for a nine-yard loss from Carroll and the Buccaneers can't get the yardage back forcing a punt from Koenen, which is downed at the Miami 10.
Tannehill moves the chains as fires to Matthews on back-to-back players who gets seven on first and then 11 yards to earn the next set of downs on a slant route over the middle of the field.
Miami get a penalty in their favour as Goldson is flagged for unnecessary roughness and adds 15 yards onto a 12-yard gain from Miller on the ground after he removed the helmet of the running back with a late hit out of bounds to move Miami to the Bucs' 45.
Tannehill drops back in the pocket and drills the ball deep on a post route to Hartline who finds space in the zone coverage between the safeties and linebackers to get a gain of 19 yards to move them to the 28.
Tannehill goes back to Matthews on back-to-back plays to earn 15 yards first on a crossing route over the middle then a curl route for 11 yards to earn the first down at the 13.
TOUCHDOWN DOLPHINS!
The Dolphins respond to the pressure with an excellent drive and it's finished off with a touchdown as Tannehill fires the ball to the endzone and Matthews makes the catch for the six-yard score on a slant route behind Goldson.
Glennon takes a knee to end the half.
HALF TIME: Miami Dolphins 7-15 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The half that began so badly for the Dolphins ends on a positive note and they will be delighted to be down by only eight at the break as the situation could have been so much worse.
Tampa Bay will be kicking themselves with that last drive by the Dolphins. It was far too easy for Tannehill and co to move the ball downfield and the play of safety Dashon Goldson was abysmal. Not only did he give away a costly penalty but his coverage was extremely poor and at fault for leaving Matthews wide open in the endzone.
The Bucs left a lot of points on the field as well as they seemed to lose some momentum after James was knocked out of the game, they will need to find it again if they want to end their winless run this season.
Miami will start at the 13 as Thigpen returned Koenen's kick 20 yards from inside the endzone.
That man Matthews comes up big for the Dolphins again as Tannehill fires to him on third and nine and he makes the grab on a curl route from the slot for 14 yards to move the chains.
Hartline this time makes the grab to move the chains for the Dolphins as Tannehill fakes the handoff to Miller and he drives the ball downfield to the receiver on the in cut and he makes the grab for 14 yards at the Miami 42.
Tannehill looks for Matthews again on third and nine but this time his pass falls short of the receiver after Miller could only get one yard on the ground on first and second down. Fields punts the ball to the one-yard line to put the Bucs under pressure.
The Bucs can do nothing with the ball on their own one-yard line as Glennon's pass to Underwood falls incomplete and Leonard could get nothing going on the ground. Koenen punts to Thigpen who gets a good return and takes it to the Bucs 29.
The Dolphins can only get eight yards on the series following Thigpen's returns as Tannehill fires to Wallace on a slant but he's decked by a tackle by Barron, that will force Sturgis into a 40-yard field goal attempt.
FIELD GOAL GOOD!
Sturgis kicks the ball through the posts and the Dolphins are well and truly back in this game.
Dawson collects Sturgis's kick and returns the ball to the 19.
Glennon helps his side get the first down as he fires to Wright for 19 yards to get them out of a hole following a holding penalty and Leonard gets the remaining yard on the ground to move the chains.
Another holding penalty this time costs the Bucs as Glennon can't get the yardage this time on a deep throw to Wright as his pass falls incomplete forcing Koenen to punt, but he shanks his effort and the Dolphins will have the ball at the Bucs' 41.
Matthews helps his move the chains working from the slot as he does a quick move on Goldson and Tannehill fires the ball to him on an out route and it's good enough for 10 yards.
Tannehill fakes the handoff to Miller and shifts to the right on play-action and fires the ball to Hartline on a crossing route, which is good enough for the first down as the receiver makes the catch for 11 yards at the Bucs 19.
TOUCHDOWN DOLPHINS!
The Dolphins take the lead as Tannehill fakes the ball to Miller again and throws to Matthews on a flanker screen and he runs all the way to the endzone unopposed for the 19-yard score, for his second touchdown of the game. Terrible defense by the Bucs. Tannehill tries to make it a three-point game but his pass to Wallace is incomplete on the two-point conversion.
Glennon will start at the 20 for the Bucs.
INTERCEPTION DOLPHINS!
Glennon looks for Jackson on an out route but under pressure from the blitz underthrows the ball and Wilson gets the interception and takes the ball to the Bucs 7 for a 23-yard return. Meltdown from the home side.
The Buccaneers make a crucial stand inside the 10 as they manage to keep Tannehill at bay as his pass on second into the endzone falls incomplete looking for Hartline and his screen to Clay is snuffed out for a loss by McCoy. Sturgis will attempt a 30 yarder for the visitors.
FIELD GOAL GOOD!
Sturgis kicks the ball through the posts and the Dolphins lead by four points.
Glennon will begin at his own 20 again.
Leonard rips of a big gain of eight yards on first down, which will leave the Bucs with a second and two at their 28 when the fourth quarter begins.
END OF THIRD QUARTER: Miami Dolphins 19-15 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Leonard gets the first down as he patiently waits for the play to develop and then sees the gap and runs through it for a gain of 11 yards.
Leonard moves the chains again as he reels of a run of three yards followed by six, he then gets a tough couple running right through the middle of the line to get another set of downs. Good hard running by the back.
Glennon fakes the handoff to Rainey and he drills the ball downfield to the left-hand sideline and Underwood makes a brilliant acrobatic catch to get the first down with a 17-yard reception.
Rainey finds space over the left-hand side of the line and then cuts back inside and sprints towards the endzone before he's brought down at the one-yard line for a gain of 31 yards. A great solo run by the back.
TOUCHDOWN BUCCANEERS!
Rainey gets the handoff again and he runs out wide to the left on the angle and goes over on the edge to get the one-yard score to hand his side the lead again. An excellent drive from the Bucs and boy did they need it.
Koenen kicks the ball out of the endzone and Tannehill will start at the 20.
The Dolphins move the chains to start the drive as Tannehill keeps the ball himself on third and one on a quarterback sneak and gets the one yard he needs after he found Wallace for six yards on a curl route on second.
Tannehill can't keep the drive going as he throws two incompletions on second and third looking for Clay then Hartline on the sideline but neither could make the grabs. Fields punts the ball to the Bucs' 22 then Page gets the award for the dumbest penalty of the night as he clatters the Dolphins gunner for no apparent reason costing his side 11 yards. That was just pure stupidity and that could really hurt his team, Page gets a really good talking to from Schiano on the sideline.
The Buccaneers get a break as Wheeler is penalised for roughing the passer that gives life to the drive which would have ended after Glennon's throw to Underwood fell incomplete. That 15-yard penalty moves the Bucs to their 30.
Rainey shows up big for the Buccaneers again as he breaks out on an out pattern and Glennon finds him with a short pass, which he turns into an 11-yard gain which is enough for the first down.
Rainey gets nine yards on first down but he gets stuffed on second. On third and one Glennon keeps the ball himself and for some reason runs out of bounds which kills the clock and doesn't earn his side a first down. A really poor play by the quarterback. Koenen punts the ball to the nine where Tannehill will begin.
Tannehill drills the ball to Clay on second down for a 14-yard gain over the middle to get his side moving. A score here is a must for the Dolphins, a field goal to tie and the touchdown to win.
Another first down and the Dolphins move to their 33 with an 11-yard completion to Wallace on a curl route. We're at the two-minute warning with this drive to decide the game, the Bucs need a play from someone.
SACKS! The Bucs do get the plays as Gholston and Bowers come up with the sack on first down for a loss of eight yards then McCoy comes in on second and beats Jerry to knock down the quarterback for a loss of 10. An incompletion on third leaves the Dolphins on a four and 28. They need a completion here.
INTERCEPTION BUCCANEERS!
Revis comes up with a play for the Bucs as Tannehill throws deep looking for Wallace and the cornerback is in good coverage and picks the ball off with ease. Game over surely.
The Bucs are trying to figure out the best way to kill the clock with the timing just not quite right to kneel it out for the win.
Glennon cunningly runs back with the ball and goes down and that allows the clock to run down and the Buccaneers win their first game of the season.
FULL TIME: Miami Dolphins 19-22 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers win their first game of the season and we have no winless teams left in the NFL after week 10.
It wasn't pretty but after going eight games without a win this season I'm sure Greg Schiano will take it. His side committed some of the most foolish penalties you will ever see in the NFL and came away with the victory, I'm not sure whether that's testament to the Bucs or how badly the Dolphins played in this game.
The Dolphins came out the blocks terribly and if you give up 15 cheap points in the NFL you aren't going to win many games. They managed to take the lead somehow in the second half but couldn't stop the run despite the Bucs being down to their third and fourth choice backs which cost them a late touchdown.
A lot will be made of how the Dolphins responded to situation regarding Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito and being without both players for this game. They didn't lose because of those players being absent, they lost because they didn't execute well enough in the game. The sacks at the end were on the right-hand side of the line where neither Martin or Incognito would be anyway.
Thanks for joining our commentary this morning. We'll be back for Thursday Night Football when the Tennessee Titans face the Indianapolis Colts. Until then, goodbye.
Written by
Simon Sinclair
Simon Sinclair
