Ok, raise your hand if you saw that performance by Miami Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders coming. If your hand is up, I think you’re kidding yourself. I’m not surprised by Sanders going 5 for 5, but hitting three field goals from beyond 50 yards in one game, I didn’t think so. Sanders, since he got his contract extension in 2020, has been anything but consistent, especially from beyond 45 yards. In one game this year against the Las Vegas Raiders, Sanders missed a 50-yard field goal. Then, later in the game, the home fans booed when Sanders was sent out for a 51-yard field goal in a close game, but he made that kick.  

 

Prior to Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sanders was 6 for 16 in his career from 50 yards or beyond. That’s not exactly confidence-building. I’ve seen Sanders hit long kicks in the preseason, but when the regular season comes around, he doesn’t make them often.  The Dolphins have scored a lot of touchdowns this and haven’t needed Sanders to make a lot of field goals, but Sunday was one of those games and he delivered. I thought Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel lost his mind sending Sanders out for a 57-yard field goal in the first quarter when Sanders’s career-long was 56 yards four years ago. McDaniel sent him out, and he made it. Then he hit from 54 and 52 yards. Three field goals from over 50 yards in one game has not been done before with this franchise. 

With Sanders having some inconsistencies, some wondered if the Dolphins could count on him in clutch situations. Well, Sunday proved he could, but can he carry this over the rest of the way? I think he can after watching Sunday’s game. Most playoff teams, such as the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs, have reliable kickers in Justin Tucker and Harrison Butker, respectively, who have made clutch kicks over the years, especially from long distances. I know Sanders can make them from less than 45 yards, but has shown me nothing prior to Sunday, and now that he has made 3 in one game, it makes me believe he can do it. 

 

Some have said the Dolphins need to move on from Sanders, especially after the season, when most of his guaranteed money is no longer on his contract, and the team can save some money. However, if Sanders can continue to have performances like Sunday, then maybe the Dolphin’s front office must think about it twice. It’s good to have a reliable kicker in big moments. The Dolphins, in my lifetime, have had, for the most part, stability at the kicker position with guys like Pete Stoyanovich and Olindo Mare. Since Mare left in 2007, they went through Dan Carpenter and Caleb Sturgis for a few years each. Sanders got the job in 2018 and was very consistent til 2020 but hasn’t been since. Sunday’s performance should put some ease to fans, but Sanders must keep it up. Sunday’s game was a start that Sanders could do it from a long distance but needed to be consistent.Â