Marcel Louis-JacquesESPNOct 29, 2023, 2:34 PM ET2 minute read
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Miami Dolphins fans have waited seven months for this moment.
In his season debut, Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey intercepted New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones, drawing wild applause at Hard Rock Stadium.
Ramsey missed the team’s first seven games of the season after injuring his left meniscus on the second day of training camp in July. He returned to the practice field last week and was officially activated before Sunday’s game.
The first half was largely quiet for Ramsey; He wasn’t targeted until the second quarter with two minutes remaining. The former All-Pro lured Jones into attempting a pass to wide receiver Kendrick Bourne in the flat, then jumped the route and returned it 49 yards to the Patriots’ 40-yard line.
Miami would settle for a 30-yard field goal on the ensuing drive to take a 17-7 lead in the first half.
Before that, the Dolphins took the field for the first time with their bread-and-butter game, “Tyreek Go Deep.”
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa hit NFL leading receiver Tyreek Hill for a 42-yard touchdown at the end of the first quarter against the Patriots, his best eighth receiving touchdown of the season.
Hill scored from the Patriots’ 42-yard line on second-and-6 and ran right past cornerback JC Jackson and safety Marte Mapu, reaching a top speed of 20.7 mph, according to Next Gen Stats. Hill tracked the ball into the end zone and caught it over his shoulder to tie the game.
The score was a comeback attempt by Tagovailoa, who intercepted Miami’s previous drive, resulting in a Patriots touchdown. Hill had 944 receiving yards after the touchdown this season and needed just 56 yards to become the first receiver in the league to reach 1,000 yards.