Needing a victory to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Miami Dolphins found a way to win in Week 16.
Miami entered the weekend needing help, but the only thing they could control was stopping the San Francisco 49ers, who also entered the weekend needing a win to stay alive. The 49ers were eliminated before kickoff after the early afternoon games.
There is still work to be done, but for now, Miami will enter Week 17 with hopes of a miracle finish to the season. It was a total team effort this week, and some shined brighter than others.
Winners and losers for Dolphins in season-saving win over 49ers
Winner: Jonnu Smith
Smith once again kept the offense moving in critical situations, providing Tua Tagovailoa the outlet he needed to keep drives alive and eat the clock. Smith has become the go-to tight end threat the Dolphins have needed for more than a decade.
On Sunday, he broke the Dolphins' team record for receptions by a tight end when he caught his 74th pass of the season. There are still two games left for him to pad that stat. He finished the day with 62 yards on six catches.
Loser: Jevon Holland
Deebo Samuel is a hard player to bring down, but when he is already stumbling and you can't wrap him all up, it's a problem. Holland missed a critical early tackle that gave the 49ers a touchdown, and throughout the game, he wasn't playing the way he had in his previous three seasons.
Instead, Holland continued to play as poorly as he has all year. That is surprising, considering this is a contract season.
Winner: De'Von Achane
At some point, the Dolphins will need to give Achane a rest. They tried on Sunday by giving Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson more reps, but when they need a play, they either call Jonnu or Achane.
Achane was electric on Sunday, again, picking up tough yards and making first downs when they needed them the most. The Dolphins rushed for over 100 yards for the first time in six weeks. Achane led Miami in rushing and receiving, putting up 190 total yards (120 rushing, 70 receiving) while scoring on a 50-yard rush. He averaged 7.1 yards per carry.
Loser: Tyreek Hill
Hill had his opportunities, and he didn't play poorly. He had a touchdown, but he also dropped a couple of passes (not the tipped would-be touchdown) that he could have caught. Targeted quite a bit, Hill has to do better when in those positions.
Winner: Jason Sanders
Sanders is quietly having a great season. On Sunday, he was perfect once again, including another big kick of 54 yards. Sanders made all five field goals and two extra points, contributing 17 points to the Dolphins' tally. He also made some history.
Jason Sanders breaks his own Dolphins record with a 23rd consecutive field goal
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) December 23, 2024
Winner: Calais Campbell
Kader Kohou sealed the game for Miami when he intercepted Brock Purdy, but Campbell's pressure forced the errant throw. Campbell continued to get pressure on Purdy the entire game. In the first half, he tipped what would have been a touchdown pass to George Kittle, but instead, it fell incomplete. Any talk about his future can wait at least one more week.