When the Dallas Cowboys play Miami on Thanksgiving Day, a lot of familiar faces will be on the Dolphins side of the field. A total of 12 former Dallas Cowboys currently work or play for the Dolphins.

Jeff Ireland – When Bill Parcells left Dallas and headed to Miami, the first person he hired was Cowboys scouting director Jeff Ireland. Starting in 2001 at Dallas, he scouted players such as Roy Williams, Andre Gurode(notes), Terrence Newman and Jason Witten(notes). In 2005, he received a promotion to the head of scouting and served there until Parcells hired him away in 2008 to be the new Miami general manager, a position he has held since.

Tony Sparano – The first hire that Ireland made as general manager was Tony Sparano as head coach. Sparano worked for Parcells in Dallas, originally as the tight ends coach in 2003 and eventually becoming the team’s assistant head coach. Sparano called the plays in 2006 and eventually gave that up to Jason Garrett in 2007. In 2008, he took over as the head coach at Miami.

Anthony Fasano(notes) – Dallas drafted Anthony Fasano in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft, despite the fact that Jason Witten was already a star at the tight end position. Fasano played alongside Witten in the Cowboys lineup but was nothing more than a luxury. Dallas traded Fasano to Miami in 2008 where he has caught 121 passes for 1,579 yards and 17 touchdowns since arriving in Miami.

Marc Colombo(notes) – Marc Colombo began his career in Chicago but signed with Dallas as a free agent in 2005. A powerful offensive tackle, he stepped right into the starting right tackle role and blocked for an offense that scored 425 points, the fourth most in the NFL, and averaged 360.8 yards a game, the most for Dallas since 1995. After breaking his left fibula in 2010, Dallas released him after the season. He signed with Miami this year.

Igor Olshansky(notes) – Defensive end Igor Olshansky signed a four-year deal in 2009. In his first two years, he accumulated 78 tackles before they released Olshansky after the 2010 season. He signed with Miami in the off-season and has played in eight games for Miami, not starting a game.

Kevin Burnett(notes) – Dallas drafted linebacker Kevin Burnett in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. In his four years with Dallas, Burnett was strictly a role player and backup but still finished with 146 tackles, four sacks and one interceptions. He went to San Diego for two seasons after that, where he finally developed into a starter before joining Miami in 2011. He has started all ten games and has 56 tackles on the season.

Matt Moore(notes) – When Tony Romo(notes) was named quarterback, a youngster named Matt Moore was part of the quarterback roster and looked great in preseason, trying to earn a spot as the backup. Dallas waived him despite the solid play and he was quickly claimed by Carolina. Since that time, Moore has bounced between starter and backup at Carolina and now starts at Miami.

Brian Gaine (player personnel assistant director), Todd Bowles (secondary), Kacy Rodgers (defensive line coach) and Dan Campbell(notes) (tight ends coach) also used to work for the Cowboys and Will Barker(notes) played for Dallas as an undrafted free agent in 2010.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has followed the Dallas Cowboys since he was a child, his favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s. Through the great years of the ’90s and the hard times of the ’80s, Shawn never turned his back on America’s Team.

Source: dallascowboys.com

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MIAMI GARDENS—

Quarterback Matt Moore proved Thursday night he’ll likely be ready when needed.

Moore showed flashes of potential in the exhibition season opener, leading the Dolphins to a come-from-behind victory over the Atlanta Falcons three weeks ago.

During Thursday night’s exhibition season finale Chad Henne’s backup showed he knows how to effectively drive the Dolphins’ offense downfield. Moore led the Dolphins on a four-play, 59-yard drive that concluded with him finding a wide open Jeron Mastrud for a 18-yard touchdown.

It was the second touchdown drive he led the Dolphins on in the game.

Moore, who completed 9-of-11 passes for 142 yards, wasn’t sacked and didn’t turn the ball over in his three quarters of work.

His quarterback rating was 149.1, which exceeded Henne’s stellar 143.9 quarterback rating in last Saturday’s 17-13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Kevin O’Connell took over for Moore in the fourth quarter. Pat Devlin also played.

MOST STARTERS SIT

For the first time in his exhibition season coaching career Tony Sparano sat the bulk of his starters.

The only first-teamers who played were receiver Brian Hartline, linebacker Koa Misi and safety Chris Clemons, and their roles were limited.

Hartline, who was replaced by Marlon Moore as a starter, served as the slot receiver, a role he usually doesn’t play. Hartline caught two passes for 37 yards.

Koa Misi came onto the field as the outside linebacker on clear passing downs, filling the role Jason Taylor will be used in this season. Taylor, Misi’s backup, didn’t play one snap.

Reshad Jones started his second straight game at free safety, but Clemons, who is fighting to retain his starting free safety spot, played in the first half. The two safeties rotated series like they had all preseason..

Sparano had Clemons and Jones rotate snaps and starts to determine which of these two former fifth-round picks deserves the starting spot. A decision will likely be made next week.

WILL ALLEN MAKES CASE TO STAY

For the first time in his 11-year the final exhibition game meant something to cornerback Will Allen, who entered Thursday night’s game on the bubble to make the 53-man roster.

Allen, who been nursing a hamstring injury most of camp, clearly played like it. He was active in the secondary, making a number of tackles in his one half of work. On the first series he deflected an end zone pass intended for Martin Rucker and Tyrone Culver caught it for a interception that kept Dallas off the scoreboard.

“Will’s done a nice job in the first half, made a few plays, got his hands on the ball,” Sparano said. “That’s what we wanted to see.”

Allen’s slated due $1.5 million this season, and if the Dolphins plan to only keep five cornerbacks the evaluators must decide between him and Nolan Carroll, a 2010 fifth round pick.

SAY GOODBYE TO DIRT

Dolphins CEO Mike Dee said Thursday night’s exhibition will be the last game ever where the infield dirt stays for a Dolphins home game in Sun Life Stadium. The Dolphins plan to cover the field with grass in the Sept. 12 home opener against the New England Patriots.

The Florida Marlins will be moving into its new downtown Miami stadium in April when the 2012 baseball season begins. Once the Marlins leave the Dolphins and Miami Hurricanes will become the only tenant at Sun Life Stadium, which is owned by Dolphins owner Steve Ross.

okelly@tribune.com Follow him at twitter.com/omarkelly.