It was an ugly performance in many respects, but with a late scoring drive, the Dallas Cowboys were able to come away with a 20-19 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Thanksgiving Day to move to 7-4 on the season.
The Dolphins got the scoring started in the first quarter on a 26-yard field goal from Shayne Graham. Graham missed a 47-yard try in the second quarter, and Dallas responded with their first scoring drive of the day, capped by a 32-yard field goal by Dan Bailey, to tie the game up at 3-3.
The score would remain notched at threes until a botched snap late in the second quarter, recovered by DeMarcus Ware, set Dallas up at the the Miami five-yard line. On the next play, Tony Romo hit Laurent Robinson for a touchdown to take the lead at 10-3. Robinson now has a touchdown in each of the team’s last five games and, as you’ll see momentarily, he wasn’t done making an impact on this one.
Sprung by a lapse in kickoff coverage though--and there were a few of those on Thursday--Miami was able to march down the field on Dallas as time ran out on the half. Graham made his second field goal of the day to bring the score to 10-6.
The third quarter was all Miami. Graham hit on a 27-yard try, and Dolphins’ quarterback Matt Moore hit Brandon Marshall for the team’s first touchdown of the day to give the away team a 16-10 lead.
Dallas answered in the fourth, with a nine-play, 77-yard drive--capped with Robinson’s second touchdown of the day, this time an 18-yard connection between he and Romo--to give Dallas the lead once more at 17-16. But the lead didn’t last for long, as Graham’s third field goal of the day gave Miami the 19-17 advantage--a lead that also wouldn’t stand for long.
Dallas drove 54 yards on their final drive, and in doing so, ate up what little clock remained. Bailey hit a 28-yard field goal as time expired to give Dallas the 20-19 victory. At 7-4, Dallas will travel to Arizona to take on the Cardinals next Sunday.
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