Miami’s kicker hasn’t missed a kick in over a month.
It’s been over a month since Jason Sanders missed a kick and the fifth-year pro is heating up when the Miami Dolphins could need him the most.
The Dolphins (8-6) sit one game ahead of the Patriots (7-7) and Jets (7-7) in the AFC playoff race and will play both divisional rivals in the coming weeks. While Miami hit a rough patch with three-straight losses, having a confident kicker goes a long way toward a spot in the postseason.
Sanders was a perfect 3-3 on field goals with a long of 47 yards against the Buffalo Bills. In the previous week against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sanders nailed a 55-yarder. The kick topped his previous season-long of 49 yards, which came in Week 1 against the New England Patriots.
Miami’s kicker converted his last 10 field goals and nine extra points. Seattle’s Jason Myers connected on 26 of 27 field goal attempts and ranks first with a 96 percent completion rate. Sanders is 21-25 on the year and his 84 percent conversion ranks No. 19 in the league.
“He’s been the same guy all year,” special teams coordinator Danny Crossman said of Sanders on Dec. 15. “Just like we talked about last week and the week before that, it’s good to see what we see every single kick in practice on gameday now. So as I’ve said all along, (we have) complete confidence (in him).”
Sanders puts his recent streak to the test again on Sunday as the Dolphins host the Green Bay Packers at Hard Rock Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.