Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields played what looked like Saturday’s matchup between Alabama and Ohio State on Sunday. The team won 35-32 in a game that everyone could only imagine in Chicago in an NCAA football video game. Tua Tagovailoa became the first quarterback in Dolphins history to pass for more than 300 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in consecutive games, thanks to his 302 passing yards and 30 passes 21 points in .
Justin Fields went head-to-head with Tagovailoa and his high-powered passers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in unprecedented performance. Fields became the first player in NFL history to pass three touchdowns and rush for more than 150 yards in the same game. He also broke the NFL record for rushing yards by a quarterback in a regular-season game, with 178 rushing yards against Miami, 61 of which were his only rushing points of the day. Fields’ rushing touchdown marked the longest of his career. Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Wake broke the previous record with 173 rushing yards in Week 13 of the 2002 season against the Minnesota Vikings.
One of the main differences between Tagovailoa and Fields’ afternoon is how Miami’s playmakers can create some magic on their own, because basically everything the Bears do on offense stems from Fields’ extraordinary talent. Hill completed seven catches for 143 yards and three touchdowns, bringing his receiving yards this season to 1,104, the most in the first nine games of a player in the Super Bowl era. Hill broke Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson’s record for 1,083 receiving yards in the first nine games of the 2013 season.
Waddle also showed off his quarterback, recording 85 receiving yards and five touchdowns. The Dolphins’ dynamic duo has 1,916 receiving yards this season, the most by a teammate in nine games in the Super Bowl era. They broke the previous record of 1,878 receiving yards set by Hall of Famers Isaac Bruce and Torrey Holt for “The Greatest Show on the Turf.”
The Dolphins had four touchdowns on their first five possessions, and their fifth of the day came from the Bears’ first punt, blocked on a 25-yard return. With 2:50 left in the game, Fields had one last chance to lead the Bears into overtime or a win, and Chicago got the ball. He could only pick up one first before being fired and a streak of incompletions thwarted their last effort.
The win improves the Dolphins’ overall record to 6-3, which is 6-0 on the season when Tagovailoa starts and ends one game. Chicago has lost five of its final six games after a 2-1 start to the season, dropping to 3-6 overall.
Relive all the action in the live blog below, and stay tuned for takeaways.