Stills overcomes crucial mistake, sparks last TD
PLANTATION — Miami Dolphins receiver Kenny Stills did not know the mistake he made until it was too late.
And he was ready to shoulder the blame if his miscue was the reason the Dolphins suffered a disappointing loss that could have had major ramifications on their season.
Instead, Stills believes his sideline prayers were answered when he caught a short pass from Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill to kick-start Miami’s game-winning, 69-yard touchdown as time expired in Sunday’s 34-33 win over the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium.
And the Dolphins (7-6) are able to continue their push for a spot in the AFC playoff race when they visit the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday.
“I’m definitely up and excited about it. I’m getting texts and calls and watching the clips on Instagram and Twitter, but at some point we have to put it behind us,” Stills said Monday night during an event in which he surprised 25 children from the YMCA of South Florida with $100 gift certificates at JCPenney’s in Westfield Broward Mall.
“We want to use it as momentum in the season, but we have to figure out a way to do it next week.”
For the night, Stills helped a number of boys and girls pick out clothes, shoes and toys to sweeten their holiday season, continuing his philanthropy work in the community.
When Stills was younger, he never experienced a famous person or football player partake in an event he was participating in. That’s why he strives to provide an unforgettable experience he wished he could have had as a kid.
“I’m just excited to be here with the kids during the holiday season. It’s tough for some families throughout the year and during the holidays,” Stills said. “I’m just trying to find ways to give back and use my platform to put a smile on other people’s faces and ultimately make change.”
The event, for Stills, was easier to enjoy following the Dolphins’ emotionally charged victory over the Patriots.
Stills led the Dolphins with eight receptions for 135 yards against the Patriots, while six other Dolphins players had only one catch in the game.
It was undoubtedly Stills’ best game of the season, but it could have been remembered for a crucial mistake at an inopportune time for the Dolphins.
Stills caught a pass from Tannehill on second-and-16, made a Patriots defender miss and slid toward the first-down marker before cornerback Jason McCourty could lay a hit on him.
Unfortunately for Stills and the Dolphins, he went down one yard before he needed to.
The 15-yard reception halted Miami’s momentum with the Dolphins up, 28-27, and the offense moving toward midfield with hopes of taking a lead against the Patriots early in the fourth quarter.
“My awareness was bad on that play. I thought I had the first down after I made somebody miss,” Stills said candidly after the game.
“I [was] sitting on the sideline on the bench praying like ‘God, just help me to find a way to help our team, or help us to find a way to win some way somehow.”
On the ensuing third-and-1 play, Dolphins coach Adam Gase would have loved to call a designed run for Tannehill, but his right ankle was injured earlier in the game shortly before halftime limiting Miami’s options. Tannehill was sacked on the next play for a loss of 8 yards.
“I can’t say what I was thinking,” Gase said with a laugh on Monday. “I was a little frustrated because I just knew … I was like, ‘Oh God, all of my plays are with Ryan running and he can’t run. That’s not good.’ ”
Tannehill and Stills also failed to connect on their final thirddown play of the game during Miami’s second-to-last series on offense. The Dolphins fell behind, 33-28, thanks to a Patriots field goal with 17 seconds remaining before executing their game-winning play.