Jason Sanders drilled a 29-yard field goal as time expired and the Miami Dolphins clinched an AFC playoff spot with a 22-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Sanders kicked five field goals — three of over 50 yards — and Tua Tagovailoa was 24-of-37 passing for 293 yards and one touchdown for the Dolphins (11-4). Raheem Mostert caught a scoring pass and Tyreek Hill had nine catches for 99 yards for Miami.
Dak Prescott threw two touchdown passes for Dallas, including an 8-yarder to Brandin Cooks with 3:27 remaining to give the Cowboys a one-point lead.
But Miami answered by driving 64 yards on 12 plays to set up Sanders’ decisive field goal.
CeeDee Lamb caught six passes for 118 yards and one touchdown for the Cowboys (10-5), who dropped to 3-5 on the road.
Sanders booted field goals of 54 and 35 in the third quarter to stretch Miami’s lead to 19-10. Brandon Aubrey kicked a 43-yarder in the third for the Cowboys and later made a 33-yarder with 12:31 remaining in the game to trim the Dallas deficit to six.
The Cowboys traveled 69 yards on 17 plays in a drive that lasted 7:39 to take the 20-19 edge. A fourth-down defensive holding call on Miami’s DeShon Elliott gave the Cowboys first-and-goal at the 1-yard line three plays prior to Cooks’ touchdown catch.
Mostert caught a 4-yard scoring pass from Tagovailoa with 17 seconds left in the first half to give the Dolphins a 13-7 lead. It raised his single-season franchise record to 21 total touchdowns.
Dallas put together a dominating 15-play, 73-yard drive to open the contest but came up empty due to the game’s only turnover.
First, Elliott made an outstanding tackle to keep Tony Pollard out of the end zone. On the next play, the Cowboys’ Hunter Luepke fumbled with Brandon Jones of the Dolphins recovering at his own 2-yard line.
Sanders kicked a 57-yard field goal with 2:50 left in the quarter to put Miami ahead. But Dallas answered 80 seconds later when Lamb caught a short pass from Prescott and turned it into a 49-yard touchdown play.
Less than four minutes into the second quarter, the Dolphins went for it on fourth-and-goal from the 5 but Tagovailoa’s pass for Cedrick Wilson Jr. was incomplete.
Miami moved within 7-6 on a 52-yard field goal by Sanders with 4:31 left in the half.
–Field Level Media
