Regular season wins that still delight you

[Adam Strange]

As a counterpart to the recent thread about regular season losses that still irk you, I thought I'd start a thread about regular season wins that still delight you (since I, for one, spend a lot more time reminiscing about the happy Dolphins memories than the mountain of sorry ones that have been the last fifteen years or so) . . .

NY Jets @ Miami, 11/10/ 1985

-- One of my favorite wins during one of my favorite seasons. The Dolphins' season was hanging by a thread after losing to NE the week before, and they were down by three to the Jets late in the game. Enter Marino to Duper, 50 yard bomb, one-handed catch, Dolphins win 21-17 and they don't lose again until the AFC championship.

[This thread could consist solely of Dolphins/Jets games, so I won't mention any more, but certainly the 1994 game at the Meadowlands, and another game won by Marino to Duper heroics in Miami in 1990 would be on the list.]

Philadelphia @ Miami, 12/9/1990

-- My family had season tickets in 1990, so I was in attendance at this Sunday night clash. This game is now on Youtube in its entirety, but I suggest just watching the fourth quarter. Despite an early lead, the Eagles came back to score 20 unanswered points to leave the Dolphins down by 10 with about seven minutes left in the game. Then it was Marino time. He led the Dolphins on two drives to erase the deficit before the end of regulation, then one final drive in overtime (aided by a Philadelphia special teams miscue) that lead to Stoyanovich's game winning FG (Stoyo was automatic back then). Dolphins win 23-20 in OT.

NE @ Miami, 9/4/1994

-- I'll never get over my good fortune to have been present at this game as well. Although I wasn't harboring any doubts that Marino could still be effective post-injury, it was still amazing to be there at the beginning of his last great season. And boy did he pull out all the stops: 23/42, 473 yards, 5 TDs, 124.3 QB rating. I was in section 155, end zone, when Marino's last bomb found Irving Fryar on 4th and 5 with the game on the line. Dolphins win, 39-35.

Those are some of my favorites, slanted to the 80s/90s because that's just the era I prefer. There have been some good wins post-Marino but the stakes have been so low since 2003 or so. My favorite post-Marino win is probably taking out the Jets in NY in 2008 to win the division.

What are some of your favorites?

 

[Yessir]

This was a real good one.

 

[Dolph N.Fan]

Here are a few of mine:


2002 Miami 24 Denver 22
Olindo Mare hits a 53 yard FG with 6 seconds to stun the broncos in Denver.

2003 Miami 40 Dallas 21
Dolphins in their throwbacks embarrass Dallas on Thanksgiving in Big D.

2004 Miami 29 Patriots 28
Miami as significant heavy dogs with Feely at the helm do the unthinkable on MNF.

2006 Miami 31 Bears 13
Underdog Miami goes in to Chicago with Joey freaking Harrington and dominate the undefeated Bears lol

2008 Miami 38 New England 13
Wildcat is unleashed as Miami gets a rare easy win in Cheatsboro.

 

[Adam Strange]

Here are a few of mine:


2002 Miami 24 Denver 22
Olindo Mare hits a 53 yard FG with 6 seconds to stun the broncos in Denver.

2003 Miami 40 Dallas 21
Dolphins in their throwbacks embarrass Dallas on Thanksgiving in Big D.

2004 Miami 29 Patriots 28
Miami as significant heavy dogs with Feely at the helm do the unthinkable on MNF.

2006 Miami 31 Bears 13
Underdog Miami goes in to Chicago with Joey freaking Harrington and dominate the undefeated Bears lol

2008 Miami 38 New England 13
Wildcat is unleashed as Miami gets a rare easy win in Cheatsboro.

Loved the Dallas and Denver wins, and the NE win looked even better at the end of the season.

That Dallas win in 2003 may have been the last big win for that group of guys before the franchise's wheels fell off. The next week the Patriots completed the sweep and the Dolphins didn't seriously challenge for the division again until 2008 and rarely since then. And while their 2003 season record was decent-- despite missing the playoffs-- the 2004 season started ugly and got worse. And that was only the beginning of the slide . . . . Still, they looked like they were going places on Thanksgiving in 2003.

 

[spiral]

Anybody remember the '85 Bears only loss?

 

[SF Dolphin Fan]

Anybody remember the '85 Bears only loss?

That's the first one that comes to mind for me. I have never seen a more electric crowd for Miami. It was on a Monday night, big stage and the team was absolutely on fire. The Dolphins first half was a thing of beauty as Dan Marino and the offense took the Bears apart.

 

[Wishfishin]

Anybody remember the '85 Bears only loss?

This

 

[J. David Wannyheimer]

Bills 25 @ Dolphins 28 - October 23, 2016

Not as close as the score, as the Bills picked up a last second touchdown to keep things respectable. Miami simply beat the stuffing out of Buffalo all day and then stuck in the dagger with that 66 yard TD by Kenny Stills.

What makes this game so satisfying for me is the look I remember on Rex Ryan's face after the game. He was completely humiliated, defeated, and on the verge of tears. I think that was when he realized that he was done as an NFL head coach. I've see that guy get emotional after a football game, but I don't think I've ever seen him look that completely and utterly crushed as a human being. His team got physically manhandled and it hurt him at his core.

What a football game.

 

[Kdawg954]

My guess is there won't be much on this list from 2009 to 2015 because we just haven't had many meaningful wins in that time period.

I just remember last year at Fort Lauderdale airport at one of those little mini restaurants watching the Cardinals game and Ryan Tannehill goes down after having a pretty damn good game. Cardinals come back and it literally felt hopeless. Matt Moore comes in and throws up this lob to Kenny Stills, while getting absolutely DRILLED and Kenny readjusted, was interfered with, but still came down with it in the pouring rain with 38 seconds left to set up the GW FG. I promise you it would not of surprised me if TSA came into the restaurant the way I got up and said "yea baby lets go".

The clip:

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-...ompletes-pivotal-29-yard-pass-to-Kenny-Stills

Obviously the @ Bills game last year was pretty damn great. That final drive of regulation ending with the Franks kick to send it to OT will forever be one of those moments for me. Insane.

2015 I went to the Fins game at home against the Texans, and we were up like 41-3 at halftime. I lost my voice for a week as it was raining so bad but there was a large group of us in the 300 section up top who refused to leave and got drenched. I think Reshad took a pick 6 back and we all lost it. Unfortunately the 2nd half of that game was as boring as it gets for Dolfans but that may of been the greatest first half of Dolphins football I ever witnessed. Dan Campbells 2nd game as IC. Tannehll had a late incompletion that caused him to go 18 for 19 or something like that . . . perfect game was the one thing to root for. I was in Finheaven chat while at the game and it was pretty cool to share with my finheaven fam while being there also (although my phone almost got water damaged LOL . . . cheap phone).

I know a lot of folks rate the Rams and 49ers games from last year rather high, the games weren't great to me . . . the endings were tho. The San Diego game last year was the game where you started to feel like Miami maybe on to something with the Kiko pick 6.

Can only hope we are in some more meaningful situations in 2017 to create more of these memories.

 

[fish920]

2005 vs the bills. Game was toward end of season I remember, frerotte goes down when we are down 23-3, rosenfels comes in and leads a comeback that ends with a fade to chambers in the end zone with like 4 seconds left. Best dolphins comeback I have ever watched (Im 25).

2015 vs Texans. My first game in Miami and we all know how this one went :thumbsup. I had an absolute blast, first 40+ point game since thanksgiving 2003, before halftime! I Love you dan campbell.

2007 vs ravens. CAMRILLO'S GOT IT! I enjoyed that 1 win probably too much. I was a sophomore in high school and wore my Zach Thomas jersey every Monday win or lose and got a lot of crap for it. I live in Bucs nation so they know all about winless seasons, it was nice to not join them in such infamy. "Take us out of the history books, we're not going in for that one baby!"

2008 VS jets to win division

2004 MNF vs pats

2013 vs bengals. Cam Wake with the walk-off sack in OT on halloween.

 

[ghostface95]

1993 @ Eagles: The victory puts "The Don" past George Halas as the NFL's all-time winningest coach. If or when Belicheat passes Shula; in the hearts of dolfans he gets asterisks. (I think we all know the answer as to why).

1994 week 1 vs NE: Dan's 1st game back from season-ending Achilles injury doesn't miss a beat looking like the #13 of old. Victory was the springboard to Dan winning the comeback player of the year.

1994 @ Jets: I don't know who I despised most during this era albeit Jets or Buffalo. Miami dominated the game for the most part, then suddenly the Jets rally back to take a late 4th quarter lead. Dan is meticulously driving us downfield deep in the red zone. Time is winding down and Dan motions that he's about to spike the football. NOT SO FAST he throws a bullet to Mark Ingram in the end zone corner,touchdown Miami game....set...match.

1993 @ Dallas(Thanksgiving Day): probably the wildest most unusual game I ever watched. Dan lost for the season at this point playoff hopes still alive. Also it was one of Keith Byars' best games in a fins uniform. I'm as nervous as a floozy in church as the Stoyanovich FG attempt is unfolding. The kick is blocked I'm pissed and then out of nowhere Leon Lett has a brainfart of epic proportion in front of millions of TV viewers. Miami recovers football Stoy gets another chance to win game, he succeeds game over.


1998 MNF vs Broncos: Broncos roll into Miami flirting with history as they are the lone undefeated team in the NFL. Numerous players from the perfect team of 1972 are on the sidelines in support. End result NO more undefeated teams.

1985 MNF vs Bears: I beg my parents to allow me to watch the game in its entirety. They agree on the promise that I get up in the morning for school which I oblige. The OB crowd noise that night sounded like you were standing on 2 airport runways with dozens of planes flying overhead simultaneously. I was so stoked about the victory I woke up 30 minutes earlier than normal the next morning. GOOD TIMES!

 

[dolphindan]

The fake spike game and the cowboys snow thanksgiving game stick out in my mind. Also a night game vs chiefs in 95 where T-Buck made a few plays at the end of the game. We won 13-6 or something low scoring