Chris Perkins: Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders proves his value in many ways

In the Dolphins' high-stakes, high-profile game against the Cowboys in which Miami’s league-best offense only produced one touchdown, Jason Sanders was the hero.

MIAMI GARDENS — They call him “7 Dog.”

And if you look at the Miami Dolphins’ victories that secured playoff berths the past two seasons — Sunday’s 22-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys and last season’s 11-6 victory over the New York Jets — you’ll notice the common denominator is the man they call “7 Dog.”

Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders, who happens to be the best golfer and best ping pong player on the team, drilled five field goals in Sunday’s monumental victory over Dallas. Three of Sanders’ field goals were longer than 50 yards.

“We call him ‘7 Dog’ for a reason,” said punter Jake Bailey, who is also Sanders’ holder, of the nickname that is based on Sanders’ jersey number. “He was a dog today.”

But it was Sanders’ shortest field goal, the 29-yarder as time expired, that was the most significant of the day.

He didn’t hear crowd noise. He didn’t feel nervous. He didn’t know the distance.

“You’re locked in,” Sanders said of his mentality before the kick. “It’s between you and the uprights.”

Sanders won that battle all five times against Dallas.

As a result, in Sunday’s high-stakes, high-profile game in which Miami’s league-best offense (411.5 yards per game, 30.9 points per) only produced one touchdown, Sanders was the hero.

“We call him ‘7 Dog’ for a reason,” long snapper Blake Ferguson said.

“We call him ‘7 Dog’ because he’s so even-keeled. Whether he makes one or misses one it doesn’t matter. We don’t feel like it affects him at all so that’s why we coined that nickname, because he’s just a dog.”

Sanders, the 2020 All Pro who is the most accurate kicker in franchise history at 83.1% (148 of 178), etched his name in NFL record books earlier this season by going a league-record 10 of 10 on extra points in the 70-20 victory over Denver.

That was after he became a hero of sorts last season when his 50-yard field goal with 18 seconds left secured Miami’s first playoff berth since the 2016 season.

Sunday was different, though.

Sunday was the Dolphins getting a huge load off their collective back. Miami entered the Dallas game with an 0-3 mark against teams with a winning record this season.

Sanders didn’t blink.

He booted a career-best 57-yard field goal in the first quarter, a 52-yard field goal in the second quarter, and a 54-yard field goal in the third quarter. And just for good measure he added a 35-yarder late in the third quarter.

The 29-yard game winner was easy after those.

Ferguson made sure to secure the ball.

“It’s in his backpack,” he said in the locker room, pointing to Sanders’ locker.

“I ran straight to the ballboy. I said, ‘We’re not getting rid of that one. That one’s going straight to our equipment manager.’

“And now it’s in (Sanders’) backpack. I hope he’s taking it home. If he’s not I’m taking it home. Somebody’s taking it home.”

When this season began, Sanders was 4 of 13 on field goal attempts of 50 yards or more in the previous three seasons. He’s now 5 of 7 this season from 50 yards or more.

He’s gone through his fair share of adversity,” Ferguson said, “and it’s great to see him have a day like today because it reminds you how special his talent really is.”

After every one of those adverse days media members would ask Dolphins special teams coordinator Danny Crossman whether he still had faith in Sanders. Each time Crossman would say he still has faith and that Sanders’ mentality is unshakeable.

That was on display early in the game Sunday. Before Sanders’ 57-yard field goal attempt you could see Bailey counting. Miami eventually called a timeout before Sanders could kick. They only had 10 men on the field.

“It’s just part of the process,” Bailey said. “You’ve got to count. Four on each side of Blake.”

Nothing could shake Sanders on Sunday.

Players tell me that’s how he is on the golf course.

“He’s the best golfer on the team, 100%,” Ferguson said. “It ain’t even close.”

“He has to give everybody strokes,” fullback Alec Ingold said. “He has to play down to the competition. … He’s a killer on the course when he wants to be.”

Apparently, Sanders is a short-game wizard.

“He gets on the green and it’s one putt almost every time,” Ingold said, later adding, “I think it has a lot to do with his kicking game, too. I don’t know how he controls the blood pressure or whatever, but no kick is too big for that man.”

In a sport in which kickers are often an afterthought, Sanders was a big part of the offseason crew that made it out to Florida Panthers playoff games earlier this year.

“He’s chill,” running back Raheem Mostert said of Sanders at hockey games, “but then gets a little rowdy when the time comes.”

Don’t get it twisted. Sanders knows how to have fun.

You might have seen him on the field Sunday counting his made field goals on his fingers — one, two, three, four, five — as teammates were mobbing him.

“I was in the moment,” Sanders said.

Bailey said in the grand scheme of things, Sunday was just one of 17 games, not a  huge deal.

“I don’t think so,” he said. “It’s just the next Sunday, that’s about it.

“It was a fun one though.”

As for Sanders, he’s planning on keeping the good times rolling on the field and off.

You recall how the Dolphins had that ping pong table in the locker room last season and then they removed it largely for superstitious reasons after they went on a losing streak. Sanders, brimming with confidence after the game, was told his teammates liked his performance so much they jokingly discussed bringing the ping pong table back into the locker room.

“If they wanna lose,” he said. “I was the guy so if they want competition, I’ll be there.”