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Sometimes you just have to have a player decide that he’s going to break some tackles and kind of make it on his own. I mean, that was probably what, a seven or eight yard completion, I don’t have the tape…it wasn’t a long pass, but he made it [a touchdown].
That's Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin, talking about Clay's memorable 39-yard catch-and-run that put Miami ahead on Sunday night. In the moment, it seemed that one player resolved to put the team on his back and make a huge play to propel his team to a win.
It turned out to be the deciding score.
In addition to the big touchdown, Clay was a consistent, impactful part of the Dolphins' passing attack the entire night. Of his 90 total receiving yards, 77 came after the catch. He forced five missed tackles, displaying a tough running ability to go along with his unique athleticism. He caught six of his seven targets and achieved a first down four times.
Quietly, Clay's become Miami's third leading receiver and now has the team lead in touchdown receptions. His development into a viable option at tight end/split receiver is a huge credit to a player who had a disastrous 2012 season.
For your viewing pleasure, here's a (hopefully working) GIF of Clay truck-sticking Chargers safety Marcus Gilchrist on his way to the endzone:
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All player data is courtesy of Pro Football Focus and all contract info is courtesy of OverTheCap.com.