Dolphins’ Thomas Morstead performs the ultra-rare butt punt

The Dolphins barely beat the Bills on Sunday, despite Thomas Morstead’s late-game butt punt.

We all remember what happened to then-New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez on November 22, 2012. The Jets were waylaid by the Patriots, 49-19, and Sanchez became a forever meme by running into right guard Brandon Moore with his face, and fumbling the ball.

On Sunday, the Miami Dolphins barely beat the Buffalo Bills, 21-19, in a game that propelled Miami to 3-0 and first place in the AFC East. The win did not come without its challenges. With 1:37 left in the game, the Dolphins were backed up in their own end zone, and veteran punter Thomas Morstead — who had suffered just one blocked punt in his 15-year NFL career — was just trying to avoid a second career block that would allow the Bills to jump on the ball in the end zone for a game-winning touchdown.

Morstead got the punt off, and the ball wasn’t blocked by any Bills player — it was blocked by the butt of teammate Blake Ferguson.

The ball went out of the end zone, giving the Bills a safety and two points, but that was not enough. On Buffalo’s subsequent drive, they progressed to their own 47-yard line before time ran out as Josh Allen tried to get under center to spike the ball and stop the clock.

So, a win for the Dolphins, and a win for anyone who was looking for an expansion of the “Butt-whatever” theme in the National Football League.

To Sanchez’ credit, he’s got a great sense of humor about the whole thing.