3 Takeaways from Dolphins' Week 16 Win vs. Cowboys
The Miami Dolphins delivered a statement to the rest of the NFL with their 22-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Miami entered Week 16 with some questions about its ability to beat one of the best teams in the NFL.
Miami's four losses came against the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs and Tennessee Titans. Three of those teams are headed for the postseason and the other took advantage of an out-of-sync offense in Week 14.
The Dolphins put in a complete team performance in a close game, which showed they can win games in a different fashion than their typical flashy 30-40-point outbursts.
Miami still has work to do against the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills to confirm its AFC East title and potentially land home-field advantage, but it won't be able to achieve those two things without the confidence gained from Sunday's win.
Dolphins Proved They Can Win Ugly Games
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The Dolphins developed a reputation as the team most likely to score 50 points in a postseason game.
On Sunday, the Dolphins proved they could win a tight, low-scoring contest as well.
The explosive offense that we have come to know and love had to settle for five field goals and it dealt with another injury issue to Jaylen Waddle.
Miami overcame those struggles to continue pushing against the Dallas defense, which has not been easy for any team to play against this season.
The Dolphins' defense also made some critical plays in order to keep the Cowboys out of the end zone.
The first-quarter stop on Tony Pollard was the most notable stop since Dallas fumbled on the next play to squander a scoring opportunity.
Miami proved it could win a close game, but now it has to show that it can do it again with Baltimore and Buffalo next up on the schedule.
A win over Baltimore could place the Dolphins in first place in the AFC and a victory over the Bills will confirm the AFC East title.
Offense Needed Jason Sanders to Bail It Out
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Sanders delivered on every kick he made on Sunday.
The first three of those field goals all came from beyond 50 yards. He nailed kicks from 57, 52 and 54 yards.
Those three field goals helped the Dolphins keep their lead over Dallas going into halftime. Sanders' final first-half kick gave Miami a nine-point advantage at the break.
Sanders finished off his perfect day with a 35-yard field goal in the third quarter and the game-winning kick from 29 yards as time expired.
Miami would love to score touchdowns on every drive, but if it can't achieve that, it needs to have a reliable kicker, like Sanders, behind it to convert on points.
Tua Tagovailoa Was Perfect on Final Drive
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Tua Tagovailoa delivered in the clutch for Miami to set up Sanders' game-winning kick.
Tagovailoa completed four passes, all of which went for 10 yards or fewer, to move the Dolphins into field-goal range.
The Dolphins quarterback used Tyreek Hill twice on that drive, but he also utilized Cedrick Wilson and Alec Ingold to quickly move into Dallas territory.
The game-winning drive showed that the Dolphins can trust their secondary offensive options in a crucial part of the game.
The quick rush into Dallas territory allowed the Dolphins to run the ball to force the Cowboys to call all of their timeouts.
That would not have happened without Tagovailoa's effectiveness at the start of the drive, which Miami will need more of over the next six weeks.
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