Dolphins lock up playoff berth
Sanders’s fifth FG finishes Cowboys
Dolphins 22 Cowboys 20
waited all season MIAMI for this Sanders Fla. moment. GARDENS, — had Jason On more a Dolphins touchdowns team than that any scores other in kicker the hadn’t NFL, the needed former to attempt All-Pro many Sanders field goals. entered Sunday’s matchup against the Cowboys with just 21 field goal attempts on the year, but Miami needed his booming right leg in its biggest game of the season, and he delivered. He kicked his fifth field goal of the day, a 29-yarder as time expired, and the Dolphins secured a playoff berth with a 22-20 victory.
“Not every year can be an AllPro year,” said Sanders, who is 22 of 26 on field goals and 5 of 7 from 50-plus yards. “I think I’m still hitting the kicks. I’m still right where I need to be.”
Tua Tagovailoa threw for 293 yards and a touchdown for the AFC East-leading Dolphins (11-4), who beat a team with a winning record for the first time this season. He connected with Tyreek Hill twice on the decisive drive, which covered 64 yards and took the final 3:27 off the clock.
Hill, who leads the NFL in receiving yards, had nine catches for 99 yards after missing the previous game with an ankle injury.
Miami has the NFL’s top passing and scoring offense, as well as a top-five rushing attack and an ascending defense. However, all the Dolphins’ wins entering Week 16 came against teams that were .500 or worse.
“It’s always big when you do something that, internally, you know that you’re capable of,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. “When it comes to fruition, it’s pretty satisfying.”
Dak Prescott went 20 of 32 for 253 yards and two touchdowns for Dallas (10-5), which has already clinched a playoff spot but fell a half-game behind Philadelphia in the NFC East.
Prescott put the Cowboys in front 20-19 with an 8-yard touchdown pass to a leaping Brandin Cooks in the corner of the end zone. But they were haunted by their red-zone struggles earlier in the game, including a fumble by Prescott on first and goal from inside the 1 on the first possession.
“We’re not taking any moral victories from this,” Prescott said.
Sanders’s first field goal was a career-long 57-yarder in the first quarter. He added kicks of 52, 54, and 35 yards to help the Dolphins take a 19-10 lead late in the third.
Dallas got back into the red zone early in the fourth quarter, but Miami’s defense held and the Cowboys settled for a field goal to get within 19-13.
On Dallas’s go-ahead drive, Miami’s DeShon Elliott was flagged for defensive holding in the end zone on fourth and goal. Prescott then got the ball to Cooks, who hauled it in over All-Pro Jalen Ramsey.
CeeDee Lamb caught six passes for 118 yards for the Cowboys, including a 49-yard score.
Raheem Mostert scored his NFL-leading 21st touchdown of the season on a grab from Tagovailoa just before halftime. Mostert had 46 yards rushing Sunday to put him over 1,000 yards for the first time in his nine-year career. He’s the Dolphins’ first 1,000-yard rusher since Jay Ajayi in 2016.
After giving up more than 150 yards on Dallas’ first two drives, Miami’s defense settled in. The Dolphins sacked Prescott four times, which gave them a franchise-best 50 on the season.