. With 1:23 left, Thompson corralled a 21-yard pass from quarterback A.J. Feeley for a dramatic game-winning touchdown.
When his feet left the ground, Miami's abysmal season was highlighted by Ricky Williams' unexpected retirement and head coach Dave Wannstedt's resignation nine games into the season.
When they came down, none of it seemed to matter.
But Thompson no longer plays for Miami, or in theNFL, yet his short tenure in South Florida may be the epitome of what the Dolphins are all about. With two Super Bowl championships and the only undefeated season in league history, the 'Phins have had their shining moments. But nestled among stat sheets and game logs lie the pain and suffering Miami's fans have too often endured.
Though he stood on top of the sports world late that December evening, Derrius Thompson's two-year stop in Dade County was nothing spectacular. The fans' tears, though brought on by the excitement of his catch, were powered by feelings of relief, emotions awaiting an opportunity to escape and then settling for a game-winning play in an otherwise meaningless game.
The Dolphins have provided success and excitement over the years, but the heartbreaking losses still ring clear in fans' minds. Though Dol-fans remember the timeless performances that brought two Lombardi Trophies to Miami, the disappointing seasons and heart-wrenching losses contribute to their identity.
Here are the 10 most painful losses inMiami Dolphinshistory.
Miami, which had just completed the biggest turnaround season in NFL history, was eager to prove to fans and critics that its 11-5 record and AFC East title were more than just results of the easiest schedule in the league.
The two teams had met earlier in the year, a 27-13 Raven victory in Week 7, but after winning nine of its last 10 regular season games, Miami seemed like a different team.
Baltimore led the league in takeaways that season (34), but the Dolphins, anchored by quarterbackChad Pennington's accurate arm, finished the season with only 13 turnovers. Pennington threw only seven interceptions while setting new career highs in passing yards (3,653) and completions (321). His 19 touchdowns and 67.4 completion percentage earned the Marshall University graduate his second Comeback Player of the Year Award.
But after a fantastic regular season, Pennington struggled in the team's playoff game. Though he threw for 252 yards and a touchdown, the Dolphin quarterback was intercepted four times, one returned for a touchdown by safety Ed Reed.
In his first career playoff game, Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco completed only nine passes for 135 yards, but an anemic Dolphin offense couldn't capitalize, scoring only one touchdown and turning the ball over five times.
The Dolphins and their fans were anxious to prove that they were the real deal, but instead they were embarrassed on their home turf and have not returned to the playoffs since.
After surrendering an 80-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage, the Dolphins rallied to take the lead four separate times before falling short againstPeyton Manningand theColts.
The Dolphins played the perfect game against Indy, meticulously dissecting the Colt defense on the ground to keep Manning on the sideline for as long as possible. Running back Ronnie Brown, who twice found the end zone, combined with Ricky Williams for 205 yards, draining the clock as Miami held possession for more than 45 minutes.
But even with the ball in his hands for less than 15 minutes, Manning and his troops struck quickly, and struck often. After the Dolphins took a 23-20 lead with 3:50 remaining on the clock, the Colts quickly drove down the field and, in seemingly the blink of an eye, took a 27-23 lead via a 48-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Pierre Garcon.
With 3:18 left on the clock, Miami had a chance to retake the lead, but an inefficient two-minute drill left the Dolphins on the Colt 30-yard line with only six seconds remaining. Chad Pennington's desperation heave wound up in the arms of Colt safety Antoine Bethea, and Indianapolis escaped South Florida with a 27-23 victory.
Miami played a nearly flawless game, but a few crucial mistakes had fans blaming the Dolphins for the loss, not the Colts. Ted Ginn Jr., who finished the night with 11 receptions for 108 yards, dropped a sure touchdown late in the game, and Miami's defense put on a clinic for poor and deficient tackling.
The Dolphins followed up a thrilling overtime victory over the Colts in the Wild Card Round with an abysmal performance against theOakland Raiders.
Miami seemed poised to take the lead early in the first quarter, but a 90-yard interception return for a touchdown by Oakland cornerback Tory James put the Raiders on the board, and they never looked back.
The Dolphins had beaten Oakland in the regular season 18-15, fueled by a last-second touchdown run by quarterback Jay Fiedler. But in the postseason, it was a different story.
In a game that saw more than a handful of sloppy plays and turnovers, Dolphin receiver Oronde Gadsden made an unbelievable one-handed catch for a 34-yard gain late in the third quarter, possibly the only bright spot of an otherwise dismal performance.
Chad Henne completed 23 of 36 pass attempts for 257 yards, and the Dolphin rushing attack added 64 more on the ground. Handling the stingySteelersdefense wasn't the problem for Miami. But dealing with the officials was.
After Miami failed to capitalize on turnovers and struggled to find the end zone, Dan Carpenter's five field goals and a Davone Bess touchdown reception put the Dolphins in the lead, but they failed to put the game out of reach.
With less than three minutes remaining and trailing 22-20, Pittsburgh quarterbackBen Roethlisbergerextended across the goal line on a 3rd-and-2 quarterback draw. The ball was jarred lose, and players scrambled to recover the ball in the end zone.
The play, which was initially called a touchdown, was overturned and ruled a fumble. But the Dolphins, their coaches and 69,867 fans in Sun Life Stadium were shocked when the referees ruled that they could not determine which team had recovered it. The replays, which seemed to reveal that Miami had recovered, couldn't aid the officials in reaching their decision, and as a result, the Steelers were awarded possession and kicked the game-winning field goal on the very next play.
The controversy loomed large for the rest of the year, and the outcome of the game seemed to be the turning point in Miami's season. The team went on to win four more games but was never able to string together any winning streak. The Dolphins' 7-9 finish kept them out of the postseason for the second consecutive year.
After taking a 21-6 halftime lead over theSan Diego Chargersin the Divisional Round of the playoffs, the Dolphins took the field for the second half as a completely different team.
San Diego cut the lead to 21-8 after forcing a Dolphin safety, and after a 24-yard touchdown by Natrone Means (whose foot clearly came down out of bounds at the 2-yard line) on the ensuing drive, the Chargers only trailed 21-15 after three quarters of play.
In the fourth quarter, Charger quarterback Stan Humphries found Mark Seay in the end zone for an eight-yard touchdown with only 35 seconds left, and with the extra point San Diego took a 22-21 lead.
Marino and the Dolphins put together a drive to line up Pete Stoyanovich for a 48-yard field goal, but the attempt missed wide to the right, and the Chargers escaped with the victory.
San Diego went on to beat the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game but was crushed by the49ersin Super Bowl 29.
After a players' strike reduced the regular season from 16 to nine games, the NFL adopted a unique playoff format for the 1982-83 season, admitting 16 teams into the playoffs for a postseason dubbed "The Super Bowl Tournament."
Miami opened the scoring with a 76-yard touchdown reception by Jimmy Cefalo from quarterback David Woodley. After a late first-half touchdown by theRedskins, Dolphin return man Fulton Walker returned the ensuing kickoff for a 98-yard touchdown. The score, which gave Miami a 17-10 halftime lead, was the first kickoff return for a touchdown in Super Bowl history.
The Dolphins wouldn't score again, as 17 unanswered Redskin points gave Washington the title. The Redskins torched Miami's defense for 276 rushing yards, a mark which by itself was 100 yards more than the Dolphins' offensive total.
The Chargers jumped out to a first quarter 24-0 lead over the Dolphins, but Miami would climb back. Led by quarterback Don Strock, who replaced starter David Woodley, the Dolphins scored 24 unanswered points to tie the game in the third quarter. To end the second half, the 'Phins executed a successful hook and ladder play that ranks among the most notable plays in franchise history.
Miami would hold a seven-point lead late in the fourth quarter, but a San Diego touchdown with less than two minutes remaining knotted the game at 38. The Dolphins lined up for a game-winning field goal as time expired, but the attempt was blocked, and the game headed to overtime.
After Charger placekicker Rolf Benirschke missed a 27-yard field goal attempt early in the overtime period, Miami's fans could sense destiny on their side. But after another Dolphin field goal attempt was blocked, the Chargers drove down the field, lining Benirschke up for the game-winning 29-yard field goal.
The teams combined for 79 points and 1,036 yards of offense, but San Diego ultimately triumphed in the game otherwise known as "The Epic in Miami."
Jacksonville dominated every aspect of the stat sheet. Running back Fred Taylor abused Dolphin defenders for 135 yards and a touchdown, and Mark Brunell, though only completing five passes, finished with 105 yards and two touchdowns. Even little-known quarterback Jay Fiedler had a field day, throwing for 172 yards and two touchdowns.
The game would prove to be the last of Dan Marino's record-breaking career.
With heavy snow falling throughout the game, Miami and New England remained deadlocked at zero. With 4:45 left in the game, New England was set to attempt a 33-yard field goal, but terrible field conditions would make the attempt difficult to convert.
Realizing this, Patriots coach Ron Meyer ordered a snowplow to be sent out onto the field and, to no immediate opposition, cleared a path directly in front of the goalposts for placekicker John Smith.
Dolphin head coach Don Shula was livid, and Miami went on to lose the game by the score of 3-0. Now referred to as "The Snowplow Game," this controversy-filled game only fueled the fire of an already bitter rivalry.
The photographs of the snowplow are infamous among sports fans, and the tractor currently hangs from the ceiling at the Hall at Patriot Place.
After jumping out to an early 20-0 lead, the Dolphins surrendered a touchdown to cut the score to 20-7. But 10 unanswered points put the Dolphins ahead 30-7 at the start of the fourth quarter, and the game seemed all but over.
But as a disappointed crowd began to file out of Giants Stadium, theJetsbegan a furious comeback that, following a 24-yard touchdown catch by Wayne Chrebet from Vinny Testaverde, knotted the game at 30 deep in the fourth quarter.
Miami retook the lead on Jay Fiedler's 46-yard touchdown to Leslie Shepherd, but the Jets again tied the game via a touchdown reception by offensive lineman Jumbo Elliot. The game, now tied at 37, would head to overtime.
In the extra period, Jet kicker John Hall capped the epic comeback, giving the Jets the 40-37 victory with a 40-yard field goal.
In many fans' minds, "The Monday Night Miracle" stands out as the most painful, deflating loss in team history.
Source:
No comments:
Post a Comment