Hill’s presence is a welcome sight for a Dolphins squad that has routinely underperformed against top-tier opponents this year, a category Dallas certainly belongs to despite being recently blown out by the Buffalo Bills.
The Cowboys own the NFL’s second-ranked scoring offense, behind only the Dolphins, and their opportunistic fifth-ranked defense is more than capable of slowing Miami.
After missing a game, Hill still enters Sunday with 1,542 receiving yards on the season, more than 200 yards clear of any other player, but his goal of becoming the league’s first 2,000-yard receiver has taken on a higher degree of difficulty.
He now needs to average 152.7 yards per game over the final three weeks of the regular season, a feat he’s surpassed five times thus far in 2023.
He’ll aim to do it again alongside a strong cast of playmakers such as Raheem Mostert, De’Von Achane and Jaylen Waddle, who stepped up as the team’s WR1 in Hill’s absence to connect with Tua Tagovailoa for eight catches, 142 yards and a touchdown last week.
A win for Hill and Co. would clinch a second straight playoff berth, and it would certainly help correct the narrative on Miami’s ability to hang with the NFL’s other top teams a few weeks ahead of the playoffs.
The Dolphins (10-4) and Cowboys (10-4) kick off today at 4:25 p.m. ET.