Dolphins beat Cowboys: The Tape Don't Lie, a Review | Schad

MIAMI GARDENS - The Dolphins made a statement with a 22-20 defeat of the Cowboys on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.

Miami is still alive to win the AFC East and to take the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs.

A game at Baltimore on Sunday is another massive one indeed.

Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Andrew Van Ginkel and Bradley Chubb all stood out for Miami.

And Jason Sanders was the deciding factor, going 5-for-5 on field goals.

Many coaches believe "The Tape Don't Lie," and that list includes coach Mike McDaniel.

"The game tape survives time," McDaniel says.

Here are some things we noticed from Sunday's film:

Will Andrew Van Ginkel price himself out?

Andrew Van Ginkel has had an amazing season.

When the Dolphins saw Jaelan Phillips go down with an Achilles injury, they could not have hoped that AVG would play any better with increased repetitions.

On Sunday, Van Ginkel was all over the field. Once again.

The Dolphins got Van Ginkel back on a bargain 1-year deal. But he may have played so well it could be hard to re-sign him in the offseason.

Take a look at Pro Football Focus' edge rusher pass rush grades for 2023:

1. Myles Garrett 2. Micah Parsons 3. Nick Bosa 4. T.J. Watt 5. Andrew Van Ginkel.

That is absolutely remarkable company.

Miami has so many offseason priorities, such as: Christian Wilkins and Robert Hunt.

And, perhaps, Tua Tagovailoa.

Perhaps AVG becomes too pricey to retain. We'll see.

DeShon Elliott exemplifies effort D

The Dolphins have lot of talent on defense. And they have an excellent defensive coordinator in Vic Fangio.

But what separates good from great is often effort.

DeShon Elliott could have easily conceded a touchdown run by Tony Pollard on the Cowboys' first drive, but the safety found a way - somehow - to drag the running back down, backwards, at the goal line on Sunday.

That effort set up a Cowboys' fumble at the Dolphins' 1-yard line and it was a pivotal play in the game, as it was recovered by safety Brandon Jones.

Miami has some players - such as, for example, Van Ginkel, Zach Sieler, David Long and Christian Wilkins - who give relentless and consistent effort.

That inspires teammates. That stuff is contagious.

Tua and the explosive plays

When Tua Tagovailoa loaded up and hit Jaylen Waddle from a few yards into his end zone all the way out to the 45-yards line, it was all on display.

I don't care what Tua says about this or anyone else says about this - his arm strength and torque are better in 2023 than in past years.

He is healthier and stronger and it's OK for everyone to acknowledge it.

Also, Tua steps up into the pocket as pressure emerges. He is so good at sensing pressure.

Look, the Dolphins lead the NFL in explosive passing plays for several reasons.

Yes, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are incredibly fast and talented.

Yes, opposing defensive backs fear speed so much they often leave cushion.

But, yes, Tua's arm is stronger. And combined with innate accuracy and timing, it's a lethal quarterback package right now.

Mike McDaniel play design

Nobody is better at play design than McDaniel and we saw it once on a touchdown near the end of the first half.

Raheem Mostert lined up in the back field to Tua's left.

Mostert began to move right. As the play begins to develop, Mostert just slips uncovered into the middle of the field for an easy pitch and catch.

McDaniel creates mismatches. McDaniel creates space.

The Ravens can go into this game on Sunday thinking they're just going to smash Miami, but they're going to have to put on their thinking caps, too.

McDaniel has been working on some red zone tweaks and on Sunday, this one worked. He is as advertised.

Everything looks the same - until it's not.

And he's not afraid to try new things and scrap the plays that aren't working.

With about two minutes to play, McDaniel had Tua throw a screen pass to Tyreek Hill on a third-and-3 from Dallas' 33-yard line that helped set up the game-winning kick from Jason Sanders.

McDaniel also trusted running back Jeff Wilson to pick up a key first down on two carries on that drive, allowing Miami to make the kick as time expired.

This & That

Miami's linebacker production has taken a really nice step forward. David Long is the NFL's #1 graded linebacker against the run, according to PFF. Duke Riley is the NFL's #13 graded linebacker against the pass, according to PFF. And the unit will get even stronger when Jerome Baker returns for Week 18 or the NFL playoffs... Not sure if it's good or bad that Melvin Ingram was on the field for Miami on Dallas' first offensive drive. It must mean he's in decent shape. But it also is an indication Miami is lacking at pass rusher depth at the moment... Fullback Alec Ingold, guard Robert Jones, tight end Durham Smythe and tackle Terron Armstead all have positive effects on effective rushing plays... It was surprising McDaniel went to a fade to Cedrick Wilson on fourth down and goal. Why? Well, McDaniel had criticized himself - in a segment seen on Hard Knocks - for calling a fade in a goal to go situation of a previous game... Eichenberg had a low snap hit the grass that goes overlooked because Tua picked it up and threw a third-quarter strike to Smythe.... Baltimore? New Year's Eve day? Bring it on.

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: The Tape Don't Lie as Dolphins and Tua, Tyreek beat Cowboys, Joe Schad