Case Keenum tossed two touchdown passes, both to rookie Terry McLaurin, as the Washington Redskins held off the host Miami Dolphins 17-16 on Sunday afternoon in what was called "The Winless Bowl."
Miami benched starting quarterback Josh Rosen after three quarters, trailing 17-3. Veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick rallied the team to two scores, including an 11-yard touchdown pass to DeVante Parker with six seconds left. But Miami (0-5) went for two points, and running back Kenyan Drake dropped a bubble screen, virtually ending the game.
Keenum and McLaurin also hooked up on a 32-yard deep out when the Redskins (1-5) were pinned at their 1-yard line on second-and-10, with Washington holding a 17-10 lead with 3:59 left in the game.
Adrian Peterson ran 23 times for 118 yards -- his 55th career 100-yard game. The Redskins were 6-1 last season when Peterson got at least 19 carries, and they are now 1-0 under that scenario this year.
Keenum completed 13 of 25 passes for 166 yards. McLaurin, a third-round pick from Ohio State, caught four passes for 100 yards. McLaurin has five touchdown receptions this year.
Rosen was held to 85 yards passing. He completed 15 of 25 passes and had two interceptions. He was also sacked five times.
Fitzpatrick completed 12 of 18 passes for 132 yards and one touchdown with no turnovers.
After a first quarter that featured six punts, no points and just 48 yards on 28 plays between the teams, Washington finally got on the board with 11:34 left in the second.
McLaurin made a double move on a rookie making his first NFL start, Kendarius Webster. McLaurin then grabbed Keenum's 25-yard pass in the end zone, capping an eight-play, 93-yard drive that featured five runs for 60 yards by Peterson.
The Dolphins, after three punts and a Rosen pass intercepted by Washington's Quinton Dunbar, cut its deficit to 7-3 on Jason Sanders' 39-yard field goal. That capped a 10-play, 63-yard drive.
Washington took a 14-3 lead in the third quarter as Keenum hit McLaurin with a 33-yard touchdown pass. Washington lined up with an empty backfield, with McLaurin in the slot and a wide receiver to his left. The Dolphins bit on what was made to look like a bubble screen, and McLaurin ran straight down the field, taking a leading pass from Keenum for the easy score.
The Redskins capped the third-quarter scoring with Dustin Hopkins' 21-yard field goal.
But Miami cut its deficit to 17-10 on Kalen Ballage's 1-yard run with 10:56 left in the fourth.
Prior to that score, Miami had been outscored 91-0 in the second half this season.
--Field Level Media
