A kicker. A punter. A wild Dolphins touchdown pass. The result: NFL’s play of the year
It was one of the most spectacular plays of the Miami Dolphins’ season.
Evidently, the NFL thought it was the league’s best play of the year.
A touchdown pass from punter to kicker, from Matt Haack to Jason Sanders, on a wild trick play during the Dolphins’ upset victory of the Philadelphia Eagles was named the Bridgestone Clutch Performance Play.
Haack and Sanders officially received the honor Saturday at the NFL Honor ceremony hosted at Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center.
“It’s not everyday a punter and a kicker get to be part of something like that,” Haack said.
“I don’t know the next time we’re going to see that,” Sanders said.
A quick synopsis of the play, called the “Mountaineer Shot”:
It was fourth and goal from the Eagles’ 1-yard line as the Dolphins trotted out their field-goal unit. Quickly before the snap, everyone scrambled out of position.
Five players ran left to bunch near one sideline. Four others ran right to bunch up near the other. Haack stood alone behind center Daniel Kilgore with two Eagles defenders staring him down from across the line of scrimmage.
Haack took the snap and faked a toss to his right and then he darted left. Four of the five players moved left, too. The only exception was Sanders, who hesitated, found a gap in Philadelphia’s defense and sneaked through. Three Eagles defenders rushed toward Haack and the punter could float Sanders a pass so easy he was beaming from ear to ear even before it left his hand.
This story was originally published February 1, 2020 at 6:36 PM.
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