Most accurate kicker in Dolphins history is last in NFL in attempts and makes this season
MIAMI GARDENS - Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders leads the NFL in extra points made.
"You want more extra points than field goals," Sanders said this week. "Field goals, you're settling. So if we're scoring more touchdowns, you know that's a good thing."
Sanders is last among NFL kickers in field goal attempts and field goals made.
"I've been the same guy since I got here," Sanders said. "Every kick is the same to me. So I mean, we're very aggressive on offense, whether it's fourth and 1, fourth and short. You know, so, you know, whatever opportunity I get, I'm always going to be ready."
Miami is first in the NFL in red zone offense, scoring a touchdown 75 percent of trips.
The Dolphins have also run an offensive play on fourth down 13 times, converting five.
"From my understanding it's been all game situations," Sanders said. "If our defense is playing well, there's no reason to give the other team the ball back at the 50-yard line, by chance. Just depends on the game. If our offense is going, I mean, how are you going to take our offense off the field?"
Jason Sanders has made clutch kicks
There will come a moment this season where Sanders is needed.
Recall that in the final game of last season, he booted a 50-yarder with 18 seconds left, as Miami defeated the Jets to clinch a playoff spot.
"We feel very confident about Jason, anytime we run them out there we expect to get points," Dolphins special teams coach Danny Crossman said this week.
Sanders is the most accurate kicker in Dolphins history, at 82.6 percent.
He's been lights-out on extra points and field goals of 49 yards or shorter.
But since an All Pro season in 2020, in which he made 8 of 9 from 50 yards or more, he's been less successful from distance.
Jason Sanders on leg strength
In the last three seasons, Sanders is 4 of 13 from 50 yards or more.
"Leg-strength wise, I feel good. I don't feel like I'm getting up there or whatnot," said Sanders, who turned 28 on Thursday. "I mean, to me, I'm still relatively young.
"I still believe in myself. It's not like I think things are going sideways. I still think I'm hitting the ball well."
It turns out there have only been a few times this year where coach Mike McDaniel passed on a field goal attempt of 50-59 yards in favor of an offensive play or punt.
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One instance was punting instead of a trying a 57-yarder in the first quarter of a game against the Patriots.
This season, Sanders' only attempt from 50+ came against the Patriots, and he missed a 55-yarder. Sanders also had a 49-yarder blocked by New England.
NFL kickers are better than ever
In today's NFL, making field goals of 50-60 yards is more routine than ever.
This year, four kickers have made 60+ yarders and 17 kickers have made 55+ field goals.
How confident would McDaniel and Crossman be to call upon Sanders to try a 50-59-yarder over the final nine games of the season, or the playoffs?
"He's the same guy," Crossman said of Sanders' 2020 All Pro campaign. "And again, we feel very comfortable."
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Joe Schad is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on social media platforms @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Jason Sanders of Dolphins leads the NFL in extra points but is last in FG's. Here's why
