ATLANTA FALCONS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS
HARD ROCK STADIUM
OCT. 24, 2021 | 1 PM ET
POSTGAME NOTES
GESICKI MOVES INTO FOURTH PLACE ON TEAM TIGHT END CHARTS
• TE Mike Gesicki led all Dolphins players with 85 receiving yards on seven receptions today.
• He also caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from QB Tua Tagovailoa in the third quarter.
• His 85 receiving yards gives him 1,902 career receiving yards, which moves him into fourth place in team history
among tight ends:
DOLPHINS ALL-TIME RECEIVING YARDS LEADERS (TIGHT ENDS)
Rk Name Years Rec. Yds. TDs
- Randy McMichael 2002-06 283 3,096 18
- Bruce Hardy 1978-89 256 2,455 25
- Anthony Fasano 2008-12; 2017 189 2,211 24
- Mike Gesicki 2018-21 163 1,902 13
- Keith Jackson 1992-94 146 1,880 18
• His seven receptions also moved him into fourth place on the team’s all-time receptions chart for tight ends:
DOLPHINS ALL-TIME RECEPTIONS LEADERS (TIGHT ENDS)
Rk Name Years Rec. Yds. TDs
- Randy McMichael 2002-06 283 3,096 18
- Bruce Hardy 1978-89 256 2,455 25
- Anthony Fasano 2008-12; 2017 189 2,211 24
- Mike Gesicki 2018-21 163 1,902 13
- Charles Clay 2011-14 161 1,809 14
• At the end of today’s 1 p.m. games, Gesicki is tied for second among NFL tight ends in receptions and fourth in receiving yards:
NFL RECEPTIONS LEADERS (TIGHT ENDS)
Rk Name Team Rec. Yds. TDs - Travis Kelce KC 45 533 4
- Mike Gesicki Mia. 37 427 2
Mark Andrews Bal. 37 516 3 - Noah Fant Den. 35 312 3
- Darren Waller LV 33 378 2
ATLANTA FALCONS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS
HARD ROCK STADIUM
OCT. 24, 2021 | 1 PM ET
POSTGAME NOTES
HOWARD RECORDS 24TH CAREER INTERCEPTION
• CB Xavien Howard intercepted his second pass of the year after picking off QB Matt Ryan early in the fourth
quarter.
• It was the 24th interception of Howard’s career, moving him into a tie for sixth place (Louis Oliver, Terrell Buckley
and William Judson) in team history.
• Howard led the NFL with 10 interceptions in 2020, becoming the first NFL player since 2007 (Antonio Cromartie) to
record double-digit sacks.
• Howard also had three passes defensed in the contest.
• Howard’s 24 interceptions since 2017 are the most in the NFL as of the end of today’s 1 p.m. games:
INTERCEPTION LEADERS (SINCE 2017)
Rk Name Team Interceptions
- Xavien Howard Mia. 24
- Kevin Byard Ten. 21
- J.C. Jackson NE 20
- Marcus Peters KC/LAR/Bal. 17
- Harrison Smith Min. 16
Tyrann Mathieu Ari./Hou./KC 16
Quandre Diggs Det./Sea. 16
Darius Slay Det./Phi. 16
TAGOVAILOA PASSES FOR CAREER – HIGH FOUR TOUCHDOWNS
• QB Tua Tagovailoa threw for four touchdowns today, doubling his previous career high of two. He completed 32-of40 passes (80.0 pct.) for 291 yards, four touchdowns, two interceptions and a QB rating of 109.5.
• Tagovailoa’s first touchdown came on the opening drive on a 10-yard pass to WR Isaiah Ford.
• He followed it up with a 6-yard scoring throw to TE Mike Gesicki in the third quarter.
• Tagovailoa threw two touchdowns in the fourth quarter – the first to RB Myles Gaskin on a 7-yard play and the second to WR Mack Hollins on a 4-yard pass.
• Tagovailoa became the 13th different NFL player to throw for 4+ touchdowns in a game this season.
DOLPHINS O PEN GAME WITH 14 – PLAY TOUCHDOWN DRIVE
• The Dolphins received the opening kickoff and went 75 yards on 14 plays in 7:07 to take an early 7-0 lead.
• QB Tua Tagovailoa completed 7-of-8 passes for 52 yards on the drive, including a 10-yard strike to WR Isaiah Ford for the score.
o It was the first touchdown of Ford’s career.
ATLANTA FALCONS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS
HARD ROCK STADIUM
OCT. 24, 2021 | 1 PM ET
POSTGAME NOTES
• The drive follows a game-opening drive last week at Jacksonville (in London) that totaled 13 plays for 75 yards and took 7:15 off the clock, giving Miami back-to-back games with long touchdown drives to begin the game.
• It is the third opening drive touchdown by the offense in QB Tua Tagovailoa’s four starts this season.
• The Dolphins have now scored 48 points in the first quarter this season, the second-most in the NFL at the end of today’s 1 p.m. games.
• The drive was tied for the fifth-longest game-opening drive (by plays) the Dolphins have had since 2000 and tied for the longest game-opening touchdown drive:
DOLPHINS LONGEST GAME-OPENING DRIVES (SINCE 2000)
Date Opponent Result Plays Time Yards
9/27/09 at San Diego Fumble 17 9:29 94
12/08/19 at N.Y. Jets FG 16 8:11 92
12/01/13 at N.Y. Jets Missed FG 15 9:10 69
10/23/16 Buffalo FG 15 7:32 64
10/14/01 at N.Y. Jets Fumble 14 8:49 60
12/03/06 Jacksonville TD 14 7:20 80
10/24/21 Atlanta TD 14 7:07 75
INJURIES REPORTED IN THE PRESS BOX
MIAMI DOLPHINS
• RB Malcolm Brown, first quarter – quad (questionable downgraded to out)
• LB Jerome Baker, second quarter – knee (questionable downgraded to out)
• DB Jason McCourty, fourth quarter – foot (questionable)
ATLANTA FALCONS
• CB AJ Terrell, fourth quarter – being evaluated for a possible head injury
• S Erik Harris, fourth quarter – shoulder (questionable)
CAPTAINS
MIAMI DOLPHINS
• S Clayton Fejedelem, WR Mack Hollins and LB Elandon Roberts.
QUICK HITS
• There were 62,739 tickets distributed to today’s game.
• DE Emmanuel Ogbah recorded his first forced fumble of the season and fourth in his two years (2020-21) with the Dolphins when he knocked the ball away from Atlanta QB Matt Ryan in the fourth quarter. It was recovered by CB Nik Needham.
ATLANTA FALCONS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS
HARD ROCK STADIUM
OCT. 24, 2021 | 1 PM ET
POSTGAME NOTES
o The fumble recovery was the sixth of the season for Miami.
• Miami recorded six quarterback hits and seven passes defensed today. The Dolphins entered Week 7 in the top 10 of the NFL in both – tied for second with 45 QBHs and tied for fifth with 28 passes defensed.
• S Jevon Howard recorded his first career sack – an 11-yard drop of QB Matt Ryan in the first quarter.
• WR Jaylen Waddle had seven more receptions today. His 44 receptions this season are the most by any NFL rookie,at the end of today’s 1 p.m. games.
o His 83 receiving yards today were a career high.
-DOLPHINS-
