I don't want this to turn but in the AFC Championship game you guys fumbled, we recoevered but they gave it back to you and that was w/ the game tied at 0 on your lone offensive TD drive so sometimes the calls go for you and sometimes they go against you.
Dolphins-Redskins Superbowl XVII - 30 years ago today.
- Thread starter Roman529
- Start date
I don't want this to turn but in the AFC Championship game you guys fumbled, we recoevered but they gave it back to you and that was w/ the game tied at 0 on your lone offensive TD drive so sometimes the calls go for you and sometimes they go against you.
Kudos for posting this. I remember this game all too well. In fact, I often tell people it was one of the most underrated SBs of all time. The game was a great match-up of mis-matches if you follow. For one, we made a couple of big plays - opening driven Jimmy Cefalo takes a mid range pass and goes 76 yds to paydirt. Fulton Walker breaks SB records for KO return yardage and brings one to the house right after the Skins tie the game at 10 in the first half. There were so many interesting things about this game and all you ever really see/hear about was how Riggins dominated this one and his 44 yd TD run on 4th-1 in the 4th quarter was the play of the game. True Riggins was the MVP. But what's left out are the following:
1. Other than Riggins big run and a trick play reverse by Alvin Garrett, the Skins running game was the only offense they had that day - and it moved the chains - but painfully and slowly. 3 yards, 2 yards, 5 yards, first down; rinse, repeat. The Killer B's were a great D that year - but the Skins O'Line was just too big and physical for us. This game marked the beginning of an era of dominance by the NFC where they would win 13 of the next 14 SBs using the same formula - big O'Lines, ground and pound and physical D.
2. The best play Theisman made all day was on defense. His passing was modest at best - under 150 yards. You would think with the running game going, it would have opened up the air for the skins but Miami repeatedly stymied the passing attack for most of the game which is what kept the game close. In fact we picked him twice. AJ Duhe got a pick in the 2nd half around the Skins 40 yd line but we failed to move the ball any closer. Still, the play of the game was not Riggins' run on 4th-1. It was Theisman tracking his own deflection and jarring it from Bokampers arms as Kim hauled in the would-be interception and ballgame (he would have caught it on the goal line stepping into the EZ). The significance of that play was it that it essentially decided the game. Bokamper hands on, Miami goes up 24-13 and there is not enough time left in that game for the skins to keep running 3.3 yards per clip. They couldn't move it through the air. We win. But it wasn't meant to be. So close...
3. David Woodley's performance and the backstory - may DW rest in peace. Years later the story broke from his at-the-time wife - who claimed Woodley suffered from terrible anxiety and depression / social phobia that he turned to drinking - so much so it eventually killed him - after 1 liver transplant to boot. She claims Woodley drank a case of beer the night before the game - apparently so nervous about playing on the big stage - players say that he reeked of alcohol in the huddle. Whatever the deal was, he should have been pulled at halftime. He was woefully ineffective and in the 2nd half failed to complete a single pass. In fact, he only completed 3 or 4 balls all game! In both '81 and '82 it was the "Woodstrock" combo that led the Dolphins to winning seasons and the playoffs. I'll never understand while Shula didn't yank Woodley (heck, he did it quite a bit in that era) that game which leads to number 4.
4. I truly believe '82 was Don's best coaching season ever. We had no passing attack, lousy QB play, a great D and a terrific FB named Andra Franklin - how we got to the SB (and nearly won) against a superior Washington team is pretty impressive. Still, not making the move earlier to Strock (he got in down by 10 and just had 1 series) is arguably the only blemish on what was a "genius" of a season in terms of coaching.
5. The Special Teams were special that day - we all know about Fulton Walker breaking the yardage record on KOs but I believe Mike Nelms did the same on punt returns for the skins.
I was so upset after this game that I kicked a whole through my bedroom "cheapo" luan fiber door. So I got punished to boot. It was only after many, many years can I objectively look at it and say, "wow - this was a great game" - especially in an era where most of the SBs were / would be blowouts. This one was tense and kept you on edge pretty much all game.
actually, you lost that game because Mark Gastineau was so busy dancing after sacking Woodley - on our 2 yard line - that he didn't realize he had forced Woodley to fumble. As Gasti-douche was doing his stupid dance, an alert Miami lineman fell on the ball - which was lying between Gasti-douche's feet. Had he not been so preoccupied with himself, he recovers that ball on our 2 yd line at a minimum - heck he probably picks it up and scores and you guys win. Blame him not the refs.
---------- Post added at 08:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:10 PM ----------
agreed - but that's how they called those back then. If you shoved the guy while in the air it was usually ruled a force-out.
I was 8 years old when this game was played. My Mom's cousin Steve was a HUGE Dolphins fan, and he got me into watching throughout the playoffs that year. After we shut out the Jerts in the AFC Championship, I was hooked. I can still remember watching the Super Bowl with him, both of us agonizing after that Riggins run. I've been a fan ever since.
LOL - love the Sean Smith reference - nearly fell out of my chair!
jlfin
old pro
I was in college and remember wishing we had an NFL caliber QB. Woodley was 0-8 in the 2nd half. The football gods answered my prayers when the Fins drafted Marino 3 months later.
jlfin
old pro
Agree. Shula is the best coach of all time. He got the most out of his talent. No coach in NFL history could have taken a team QB'd by Woodley to a SB. He was a poor man's Tim Tebow.
Its tragic that the defense was decimated by the untimely deaths of Larry Gordon (1983) and Rusty Chambers (1981). Had they not died, the Phins may have been able to beat the 49'ers 2 yrs later. I recall an interview about 15 yrs ago with Bill Walsh and he said that their offensive game plan was to attack Miami's young LB's (Jackie Shipp, Jay Brophy). Shula reached and drafted those 2 guys 2 replace Gordon and Chambers. Gordon was one of the fastest and best pass rushing OLB's in the league. Chambers was a tough, above average MLB.
Its tragic that the defense was decimated by the untimely deaths of Larry Gordon (1983) and Rusty Chambers (1981). Had they not died, the Phins may have been able to beat the 49'ers 2 yrs later. I recall an interview about 15 yrs ago with Bill Walsh and he said that their offensive game plan was to attack Miami's young LB's (Jackie Shipp, Jay Brophy). Shula reached and drafted those 2 guys 2 replace Gordon and Chambers. Gordon was one of the fastest and best pass rushing OLB's in the league. Chambers was a tough, above average MLB.
Damn, I did not know that.
jlfin
old pro
Rusty Chambers died in a car accident. Gordon died while jogging back home in Arizona (he was diagnosed with idiopathic cardiomyopathy). It really affected the quality of the defense for most of the 80's. Maybe Marino could have won a SB in that time frame.
Gordon was a tremendous athlete and Chambers was hard-nosed. I never knew they identified the cause of death other than to say he died of a heart attack while jogging in the desert. Tragic and a shame that most people forget about these guys as time goes by.
Speaking of the niner's game plan, have you ever seen that documentary of the game that shows just how easy it was for SF to accomplish this? Their backs were quicker than our LBs (Craig, Tyler) and they would run little flare passes to them which we couldn't stop. So the LBs adjusted by running to the flat areas at the snap of the ball in anticipation that the pass was coming that way - and when Montana saw the middle of the field vacated he'd just pull the ball down and run 8-9 yds. I believe - and I'm too lazy to go check the stats - but in that game SF only completed 1 pass to a WR. They dinked and dunked us with backs and TEs all game - we couldn't get off the field.
Roman529
Moon Runner / The 3 AM Crew
Yeah we definitely had our chances. That is what made the game so frustrating. Also, I somehow thought Walker's kickoff TD return was at the start of the game....maybe I had this confused with Ted Ginn running back an opening kick in some game.
Your mind plays tricks on you over the years, but I will never forget how Bokamper got the sure pick and TD slapped out of his hands by Theismann. Thanks to the poster for posting the Theismann-Bokamper play. Then a few years later Dan Marino and the Phins played San Fran in the Superbowl and we got beat again 
...and we haven't been back to the SB since. I just hope we can get back soon and win it. The Dolphins have had 5 trips to the SB....2 wins back to back, and three losses....to the Cowboys, Redskins and Niners. Some teams have NEVER played in a SB so you have to take the good with the bad.
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Roman529
Moon Runner / The 3 AM Crew
Thanks for posting the Kickoff return for a TD.....I miss those aqua uniforms. The Rose Bowl is also probably the nicest stadium around. Don Shula still looked pretty young. It just seems like yesterday.
That wasn't the play, it was earlier where he did recover a clear fumble but they gave it back to you.
To be fair Rex grossman made a SB and as great as Don was he never won a SB w/ a guy who is arguably the best QB of all time who he had for 12-13 years.