The Associated Press unveiled Friday the 2020 NFL All-Pro teams. The Dolphins have a pair of first team All-Pros in cornerback Xavien Howard and kicker Jason Sanders. They're the first first-team All-Pro selections for Miami since Cameron Wake in 2012. The last time Miami had two first-team All-Pros in the same season was 2006, when Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor both made the team.
It's the second All-Pro honor in Howard's career, who was named second-team All-Pro in 2018 when he tied for the NFL lead with seven interceptions. This season, Howard became the first NFL player in 13 years to intercept double-digit passes in a single season (Antonio Cromartie, 2007) and his 22 interceptions since 2017 are the most in the NFL.
Howard also led the NFL in passes defensed (20), the most by a Dolphin since 2000 when Patrick Surtain had 21. According to Pro Football Focus, opposing quarterbacks completed just 52.2 percent of their passes when targeting Howard. The 53.0 passer rating when targeting the All-Pro was the best among all cornerbacks with at least 40 pass targets.
It's the first All-Pro selection for Sanders, who tied Olindo Mare's (1999) franchise record with 144 points scored. His 36 field goals made were the second-most in Dolphins history and were the second-most in the NFL in 2020. He was 36-of-39 overall, giving him the best field goal percentage (92.3) in a season in Dolphins history. His 20 made field goals from 40-plus yards led the league and he was a perfect 36-of-36 on extra points.
Sanders made a pair of game-winning field goals in 2020. His 50-yard kick in the final minute proved to be the difference in the Dolphins' 34-31 Week 9 win in Arizona and his 44-yard boot with one second on the clock gave Miami its 10th win of the season in the Week 16 victory in Las Vegas. His 92.3 (77-of-89) career field goal percentage is the best in franchise history (min. 50 attempts).
