The Miami Dolphins beat the Dallas Cowboys 22-20 on Sunday, as Mike McDaniel’s team clinched the playoffs for the second straight season with the win.
Kicker Jason Sanders lifted the Dolphins to victory with five field goals, three of which were from beyond 50 yards. Miami could clinch the AFC East with a win at Baltimore next weekend.
However, before we look ahead, we took time to grade every position group from the Dolphins’ win, from quarterback to special teams.
Quarterbacks: A-
Tua Tagovailoa was big when it mattered most, as the quarterback drove the Dolphins down the field in the final three minutes to give Sanders an easy kick for the win.
Tagovailoa completed 24 of his 37 pass attempts for 293 yards and a touchdown. He and the rest of the offense did a great job at not turning the ball over.
While Tagovailoa missed a few throws, the most important thing is the Dolphins got a win against a team with a winning record for the first time since last season.
Tagovailoa has kept the offense afloat given all the injuries to his offensive line and skill position players, as the quarterback is sneakily back in the MVP conversation.
Running Backs: B
The running backs were average on Sunday.
Raheem Mostert had the Dolphins only touchdown off a pass from Tagovailoa. He also ran the ball 11 times for 46 yards. He barely played in the second half due to an injury.
De’Von Achane only had seven carries for 24 yards and one reception for seven yards.
Jeff Wilson Jr. provided a much-needed spark on the last drive of the game, as he got the Dolphins a crucial first down to clinch the win.
Wide Receivers: B+
Tyreek Hill returned with nine catches for 99 yards. The superstar receiver could have had many more yards, but Hill and Tagovailoa appeared out of sync. They were unable to connect on a deep ball on their first offensive drive of the game that could’ve gone for a long touchdown.
Unfortunately, Jaylen Waddle suffered another injury, as he continues his brutal injury luck this season. He did have a 50-yard reception at the beginning of the game.
Cedrick Wilson Jr. had three catches for 42 yards, and Robbie Chosen had a nice grab for 19 yards before being forced out of the game with an injury.
Tight Ends: A
Durham Smythe had a career day with five catches for 56 yards, as he constantly found himself open in the middle of the field.
Offensive Line: B+
The offensive line performed well against a great defense. The group only gave up one sack, which is also a product of Tagovailoa’s performance. Tagovailoa did, however, take several hits after he threw the ball.
The group only managed to help the run game average just under four yards per rush. They’re still unable to get healthy, but the backups have done a great job filling in each week.
Defensive Line: A-
Zach Sieler continued his solid season with five tackles, a sack, a pass defensed and two quarterback hits.
Christian Wilkins had four tackles and a quarterback hit.
Wilkins and Sieler have consistently been some of the Dolphins’ best defenders this season, as they play almost every defensive snap, helping stop the run along with causing pressure in the pass game.
Melvin Ingram had two tackles in his first game back.
Linebackers: A
Andrew Van Ginkel was the MVP for the defense on Sunday, as he dominated from start to finish. The linebacker finished with a team-high 10 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a pass defensed and four total quarterback hits.
Bradley Chubb was a force as well, finishing with four tackles, 1.5 sacks and three quarterback hits. He’s been living up to his massive contract.
Duke Riley had five tackles and a quarterback hit. David Long Jr. didn’t do much on the stat sheet, but he was solid in coverage.
Cornerbacks: B-
The cornerbacks were not their best on Sunday, as the secondary had a few breakdowns. CeeDee Lamb had six catches for 118 yards total, including an easy 49-yard touchdown.
Brandin Cooks had an incredible touchdown catch over Jalen Ramsey to give the Cowboys the lead late in the fourth quarter. Xavien Howard also got beat deep by Jalen Tolbert.
Aside from a few coverage issues, the cornerbacks had a solid day.
Safeties: B
DeShon Elliott had an eventful day with a crucial stop at the one-yard line on Tony Pollard.
The Dolphins recovered a Cowboy fumble on the next play. Elliott also had a pass interference called to give the Cowboys a first down at the one-yard line late in the fourth quarter.
Brandon Jones continued to play well in Jevon Holland’s absence with nine tackles and the fumble recovery on the day.
Special Teams: A+
Sanders won the Dolphins the game on Sunday, as the Dolphins kicker made a career-long 57-yard field goal.
He also made his other four kicks, two of which were from beyond 50 yards. His final kick won the Dolphins the game as the clock expired.
