MIAMI GARDENS — Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, despite his ankle injury, played in Sunday’s Christmas Eve game against the Dallas Cowboys.
Hill missed the previous week’s game against the New York Jets with the left ankle ailment, but after entering Sunday questionable, he was not listed among the team’s inactive players announced 90 minutes before kickoff at Hard Rock Stadium.
Hill ended up with nine receptions for 99 yards and a key conversion on third-and-3 that helped allow Miami to run out the clock before kicker Jason Sanders’ game-winning field goal in the 22-20 win.
It was expected Hill would be available after coach Mike McDaniel was optimistic about his status speaking ahead of Friday’s practice. Hill practiced on a limited basis Thursday and Friday after sitting out Wednesday’s drills. He tested out the ankle in pregame warmups the previous week against the Jets before deciding he couldn’t go.
Hill entered the matchup with the Cowboys with 97 receptions for 1,542 yards and 12 touchdowns. He had what would’ve been a 92-yard touchdown on the Dolphins’ opening offensive series, but dropped the pass off his fingertips after beating Dallas cornerback DaRon Bland.
While Hill returned, the Dolphins were without safety Jevon Holland for a fourth consecutive game. He was ruled out Sunday as he continues to work back from MCL sprains to both knees suffered Nov. 24 in a road game against the Jets.
“I’m sorry,” Holland posted on X as a message to fans pregame Sunday. “I’m trying y’all!”
Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard and right tackle Austin Jackson were active after entering questionable with hip and oblique injuries, respectively.
Jackson, however, did not start at his usual right tackle post. In pregame warmups Sunday, backup tackle Kendall Lamm was seen with the first team at the position, and then he was out there with the starters once the game commenced.
The Dolphins’ offensive line was already without right guard Robert Hunt, who was ruled out Friday, missing a sixth start in the past seven games with an ailing hamstring.
For the Cowboys, All-Pro right guard Zack Martin played after he was questionable with a thigh injury. Safety Malik Hooker was also good to go. He was questionable with an ankle ailment.
Defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah and cornerback Cam Smith were out after both injured a hamstring last week against the Jets and were questionable against the Cowboys. Defensive back Elijah Campbell, after popping up on the Dolphins’ Friday injury report with a knee injury, was active. In place of Ogbah, Miami had the option of using veteran edge rusher Melvin Ingram, whom the team elevated from the practice squad Saturday, along with cornerback Ethan Bonner.
Healthy Dolphins inactives were wide receiver River Cracraft, tight end Tyler Kroft and quarterback Skylar Thompson, who was available as an emergency third quarterback.
Former Dolphins cornerback and 2020 first-round pick Noah Igbinoghene, whom Miami traded to Dallas in the preseason, was a healthy scratch for the Cowboys. Tackle Tyron Smith (back) was ruled out Saturday, defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins (knee/ankle) on Friday. Other healthy scratches, aside from Igbinoghene, were wide receiver Jalen Brooks, running back Deuce Vaughn, cornerback Eric Scott and quarterback Trey Lance, available in an emergency situation.
Dolphins wide receiver Robbie Chosen was evaluated for concussion in the first half after his helmet hit the ground as he was brought down on a 19-yard reception. He was later ruled out for the reminder of the game.
Milestone watch
In the first quarter Sunday, both quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle hit season milestones. In the third quarter, running back Raheem Mostert got one of his own.
Tagovailoa surpassed 4,000 passing yards on the season, and Waddle eclipsed a 1,000-yard receiving season. Mostert, at 31, notched his first 1,000-yard rushing season.
Waddle, who later had his eye checked out after getting it poked in the second quarter, reached the number on his opening-drive 50-yard catch over the top of the Cowboys defense.
Waddle hit 1,000 receiving yards for the third time in three NFL seasons. He became the first Dolphins player to do so in three consecutive seasons and is the ninth player all-time to accomplish the feat in his first three NFL seasons.
Tagovailoa reached 4,000 yards expanding on a career high in passing he already had in his fourth professional season.
Banged-up O-lines
The Dolphins had Jackson available a week after he hurt the oblique injury he was already trying to play through against New York, but he apparently wasn’t at full strength as Lamm still started over him at right tackle.
McDaniel has done such a maneuver before with center Connor Williams and Hunt in games where they were active but kept from starting, available only if others went down on the line.
Beyond that, aside from having Hunt miss another start with his nagging hamstring, Miami had left tackle Terron Armstead and center Liam Eichenberg good to go as Armstead has been nursing knee and ankle injuries and Eichenberg was dealing with the calf ailment the past two weeks.
“It don’t matter,” Armstead said this past week. “Everybody is dealing with something. It’s just the game. We train in the sense that everybody is available and ready.
“The scoreboard is not going to say that we’re out three O-linemen or four O-linemen. It don’t matter. We got to line up and play, regardless of what you’re dealing with and who’s in the game. You got to go play.”
“It’s all mental,” Eichenberg said. “I think game day, I feel fine every game day. It doesn’t matter what I’m dealing with, I’m going to be out there trying to help the team win.”
Jackson said it was the goal and plan to play when he spoke after a limited practice Friday.
He noted he wasn’t available to re-enter last week’s 30-0 win over the Jets had the score been closer and added he has to manage pain and mobility issues.
“He’s somebody that’s been putting in overtime to be available,” Armstead said of Jackson.
The Cowboys already had Smith out at left tackle, meaning Chuma Edoga started for him. His matchup against Miami right outside linebacker Bradley Chubb, being a key one, as Lamm dealt with Cowboys standout Micah Parsons in part. Parsons moved around on the Dallas defensive front.
