The Dallas Cowboys were unable to stop the Miami Dolphins on Christmas Eve. The Cowboys’ 22-20 defeat brings the team to a 10-5 record on the season and books the second consecutive playoff berth for Miami. Dallas already earned a spot in the postseason, but the loss makes any chance of taking the NFC’s top seed much more difficult.
Things got off to a rocky start for Dallas after a promising drive ended in a red-zone fumble that the Dolphins recovered. Miami put the game’s first points on the board after the turnover on a massive 57-yard field goal. The Dolphins Jason Sanders would go on to hit five field goals in the game, including a 29-yard buzzer-beater for the come-back win.
“It was a juggernaut game, and what we expected — situational football,” said head coach Mike McCarthy. “We have to play better than we did today. We have to play above it on the road. Road warriors we will be.”
The Cowboys are 7-0 at home but have just three wins outside of AT&T Field.
Dallas kicker Brandon Aubrey continued his perfect season, hitting field goals from 44 and 33 yards out, but Sanders stole the show. Sanders hit from 57, 52, 54, and 33 before knocking in the game-winner. Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott connected with top-target CeeDee Lamb six times but only connected for one score. Brandin Cooks hooked up for his sixth TD of the season but caught just two passes. In all, Prescott passed for just 253 yards on 20 completions as the Dolphins defense brought tough sledding.
The Cowboys currently hold the No.5 seed behind the San Fransisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Dallas held the top spot up to the point of the loss on Sunday. With just two games remaining in the season, the Cowboys’ chances of retaking the No.1 seed and home-field advantage are dwindling fast.
The Cowboys will look to reset against the Detroit Lions on December 30 in one of the most important games of the final stretch that will determine playoff-seeding possibilities for numerous teams due to tie-breaker rules. The Cowboys have now lost two straight games but maintain one of the league’s most feared defenses.
