The Dolphins lost their first preseason game of the year last night, at the hands of the Bucs, 31-28. Watch video highlights.

The first drive was a disaster - quick and painful. After a 2 yard loss by Ronnie, Trent Green threw a pick to Cato June that he took 2 yards into the end zone (yes, 2 yards). Though the interception wasn't really Green's fault. Ronnie has to make the catch there, but, it slipped away and that was that.

Even so, the Dolphins got back on track and the first quarter ended with them leading, 14-7. Trent Green threw a 1 yard TD pass to David Martin and Jesse Chatman took in an 11 yard TD run. Green faked a pass (empty handed) while putting the ball behind his back for Chatman to take. He broke a tackle and carried a couple defenders into the end zone. To set this up, Matt Roth intercepted a pass on the line on the 2nd play of the Bucs drive after the Martin TD. With Jeff Garcia trying to throw out into the flat, he plucked the ball out of the air and took it 11 yards to the Tampa Bay 23.

In the second, the Bucs scored 10 unanswered points, allowing them to pull ahead, 17-14. The Dolphins took back the lead early in the 3rd, on a 51 yard TD pass to P.K. Sam from John Beck. Beck threaded the needle between 3 defenders (two of them ran into each other) and Sam ran about 25 yards after the catch for the score.

But, Tampa struck again at the start of the 4th to take the lead back once again. This came on a 6 yard TD pass to Earnest Graham from Bruce Gradkowski and gave them a 24-21 lead. Just 4 minutes later, the Dolphins would answer with a Beck (another good pass) to Hagan 31 yard TD reception. Dolphins 28, Bucs 24.

Unfortunately, that is not where it would end. With just under 5 minutes left, the Bucs would score last on a 1 yard Paris Warren TD catch that would put the score at it's final - 31-28.

Beck finished 11 of 22 for 162 yards and 2 TD (and a fumble that was recovered by Tala Esera), Lemon was 8 of 12 for 77 yards and Green was 7 of 11 for 42 yards, 1 INT and 1 TD. Ronnie had 18 yards on 6 carries, Ray Perkins had 17 yards on 4 carries, Cleo had a single run for 17 yards and Chatman had 4 carries on 9 yards (even with the 11 yard TD run, he had 3 other carries that netted -2 yards). Patrick Cobbs had a fumble.

P.K. Sam had 2 catches for 60 yards and a TD, Lorenzo Booker had 6 catches for 41 yards, Chris Chambers had 2 catches for 32 yards, Hagan had 1 catch for 31 yards and a TD, Ted Ginn had 3 catches for 29 yards, Courtney Anderson had 1 catch for 28 yards and David Martin had 1 catch for 1 yard and 1 TD.

Jay Feely missed his only field goal attempt, a 54 yarder at the end of the 2nd quarter. Brandon Fields had 2 punts, averaging 45.5 yards and Ryan Flinn had 1 punt for 44 yards. Ginn didn't contribute in the return game, with 2 punts being kicked out of bounds, 1 being downed by the Bucs, 1 being fair caught by Ginn and 1 being taken 16 yards by Lorenzo Booker. On kickoff returns, Booker had 3 for 64 yards, Ronnie had 2 for 53 and Cobbs had 1 for 24.

Defensively, Steve Fifita led the defense with 5 tackles, followed by Derrick Pope with 4 and Tuff Harris and Kelvin Smith with 3. Akbar Gbaja-Biamila had a sack (and 1 tackle) while Vonnie Holiday (1 assisted tackle) and Matt Roth (2 assisted tackles) split one.

The Dolphins next and final preseason game comes on August 30 at 8:00 PM in New Orleans.

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