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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Miami Dolphins | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
| Washington Redskins | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
The Washington Redskins got off to a strong start in their home opener against the Miami Dolphins, scoring 10 points in the first half, including an 88 yard, 17 play drive that took up a huge chunk of the second quarter and gave fans reason to hope. In that half, the defense limited the Dolphins' first downs and impressed with a stout run defense, holding the Dolphins to 2 yards on the ground. The offense held their own, especially with Morgan Moses and Brandon Scherff facing off against Pro Bowl defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, whose impact was limited in the game. Ultimately, though, the good start wasn't enough.
Offensively, Cousins went 21/31 for 196 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. The team backed up their words by showing a commitment to the run, with Alfred Morris earning 121 yards on 25 carries and the other running backs adding 41 yards to the team's total. A healthy Jordan Reed led the team in receptions, catching 7 passes for 63 yards, and Pierre Garcon, who made some tough plays, led the team in receiving yards, earning 74 yards on 6 receptions.
DeAngelo Hall, who left the game temporarily with a rib injury, led the team in tackles, and rookie Preston Smith had a great play with a tackle and fumble recovery after the ball bounced, seemingly, forever down the field in the Redskins' favor. The defense held Tannehill to 226 yards in the air and, even better, only 67 yards on the ground. They missed out, however, on at least two interceptions, including one that went right through Chris Culliver's hands.
On special teams, Kai Forbath made a field goal and missed a field goal, and old problems with punt coverage reared their ugly heads when Jarvis Landry raced down the field on a 69 yards for a touchdown.
Overall, penalties plagued the team, leaving Cousins with impossible third downs, like 3-29 and 3-24, in the second half. The team also failed to escape without major injuries, losing DeSean Jackson (hamstring) and Duke Ihenacho (wrist) for the entire game and temporarily losing Morgan Moses (eye) and, as mentioned earlier, Hall (ribs).