So exactly how awful was David Woodley?

[PCmor]

I don't have as negative memories of Woodley as many people seem to. Sure, he was no Marino, but he gave the team a lot of versatility and the Dolphins won with him. Maybe my memory is failing me, but I don't recall scouts saying we needed a quarterback when we drafted Marino ,,, in fact, Joel Buchsbaum, who was one of the early "draft experts" called Woodley "Bob Griese with personality" and thought the Dolphins had found a diamond in the rough.

Comparing him with Tebow because both were able to run is fair. Comparing them on stats isn't. It's an entirely different league now. The West Coast Offense had yet to come into vogue. Pass coverage rules were different. If you'd look at Joe Namath's stats and compare them to today's QBs, you'd think he was a nobody, not one of the elite QBs in the game, which is what he was just a few years earlier. Different game.

Not to get off the subject, but it's hard for me to think of this time and not think about what might have been had David Overstreet not been killed in that accident. He was coming into his own at the end of his rookie year and had such a burst. Had he lived, had Stephenson and Franklin not had their careers shortened by injuries, and the Dolphins still probably would have drafted Marino, considering they got him with the 27th pick, sigh, what might have been ....

 

[Roman529]

Woodley was far from horrible, he was 27-12-1 over his career. I would take him over Ray Lucas, Chad Henne, John Beck, Sage Rosenfels, Joey Harrington, Cleo Lemon, Pat White and a lot of other crappy QB's we had over the years. He did have a horrendous game, and was pulled for Strock, in the epic 41-38 playoff loss to the Chargers. This is still the best game that I have watched in 40 years of watching NFL games. It was not entirely Woodley's fault we lost to the Skins in the Superbowl. We just couldn't stop Riggins, and Woodley couldn't hit anyone in the second half. I just feel bad he had a difficult time handling things and ultimately drank himself to death.

 

[where's th'fish]

So funny hearing all the positive talk about Woodley. He washed out of the league after 6 seasons, he wasn't an NFL QB. Strock played something like 16 seasons. He was an NFL-caliber backup and he should've been the guy all the way. Woodley did have that one season where he didn't mess everything up, but once he found himself in a regular team- Pittsburgh- you could tell just how bad he was.

And the comparisons to Tebow, another guy who didn't make it. Is that about who dragged down their teams the least or what?

 

[BlueFin]

Woodley was up and inconsistent...he was a winning QB because he had a top 5 defense.

 

[The Bopkin]

Overstreet was drafted before Marino, and the two played together in 1983. Overstreet died in the offseason before 1984. Stephenson played with Marino 1983-1987, I believe. Marino's drafting or not being drafted had nothing to do with those other players.

 

[showstopper]

I liked Woodley, was a big fan. No he didn't have Dan'sDan's elite skills but who does? Woodley was decent and had a stronger arm than Griese, but not his intelligence or instincts. Shula used Woodley properly and maximized his skills.

 

[Marino420TD]

Woodley came out of nowhere and showed a lot even as a rookie. He showed a lot of potential his first two years. He did some nice things early in Sueprbowl but one key play seemed to ruin his confidence.
A very close play was called a fumble, I thought arm was in motion but maybe its the Miami fan in me.
After that play he lost all confidence and didn't complete another pass.
Our offense couldn't move the ball and our run defense was shredded that game.
He was never the same player after that play

I remember the fumble/incomplete pass as well, thinking his arm was going forward. I also thought part of the issue was that we kept trying to hit the big pass when we were up 17-10, 17-13 to put the game away. It took Woodley out of his game (scrambling, running, bootlegs, etc). If we were going to try to throw deep, we should have put Strock in. One sustained drive in the second half and the defense probably doesn't tire out.

Final recollection... I always thought that the Redskins last TD was BS. WR was out of bounds and (IMO) never would have been able to get his feet in, even if not pushed (back was to the sideline, momentum carrying him out). I've never seen a replay that changed my mind. Of course, I could be biased... It was 3rd and goal, so if incomplete, Washington kicks a FG and goes up 23-17 with 2min to go. Strock at least has a chance. Would have liked to see him in the game with a chance at the end. Oh well.

 

[BlueFin]

Woodley was talented inasmuch as he was athletic and could run. As an NFL QB, he was horrid. He was a late rd pick with no expectations. He only became a starter because Griese just couldnt physically play effectively any longer.

Griese was done in 1980 but was a much greater QB than most Dolphin fans give him credit for:

1977 was a rebound year for both Griese and the Dolphins. Bob began to wear eyeglasses on the field.[SUP][12][/SUP] On Thanksgiving, 1977, Griese threw six touchdown passes in three quarters to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals 55-14.[SUP][13][/SUP] Bob again led the AFC in touchdown passes thrown but the Dolphins rebound to a 10-4 record was again not enough to get the team into the playoffs.
The following year, Bob tore ligaments in his knee in a preseason game. However, when he came back, he was just as strong a passer as he had been the previous year. In one game against the Houston Oilers, Griese dueled with Oiler running back Earl Campbell in an offensive slugfest. Griese threw for over 300 yards and Campbell rushed for nearly 200. The Oilers won the game 35-30. For the year, Griese completed a league leading 63% of his passes, as the Dolphins went 11-5, losing again to the Oilers in the playoffs.
In 1979, Bob suffered from some nagging leg injuries that affected his throwing. He was not as effective, and he began to hear some criticism. However, he was able to lead the Dolphins to a 10-6 record. The Dolphins then found themselves dominated by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the playoffs.
In 1980, Griese had found that he had lost his starting spot in the roster to either Don Strock or rookie David Woodley. However, Griese came off the bench for several games in a row to lead comeback wins. Griese won back the starting spot in the fifth game of the season, but was tackled hard by Mike Ozdowski of the Baltimore Colts. The tackle tore up Bob’s shoulder, and he was out for the rest of the year. The injury eventually led to Griese’s decision to retire from the game at the age of 35. Bob was eventually elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.

So unfortunately....Griese didn't last until he was 37 and wouldhave had the Killer Bees....had we had a healthy Griese...I think Superbowl 17 was ours.

 

[Namor]

Those Woodley and Killer B's years were Don Shula's finest coaching job EVER. The revenge game against the Chargers was one of the greatist Dolphin wins ever....Great times.
Orange Bowl rocking....If you missed those years...you really missed what made Don and the Miami Dolphins great...

 

[Geforce]

Woodley was far from horrible, he was 27-12-1 over his career. I would take him over Ray Lucas, Chad Henne, John Beck, Sage Rosenfels, Joey Harrington, Cleo Lemon, Pat White and a lot of other crappy QB's we had over the years. He did have a horrendous game, and was pulled for Strock, in the epic 41-38 playoff loss to the Chargers. This is still the best game that I have watched in 40 years of watching NFL games. It was not entirely Woodley's fault we lost to the Skins in the Superbowl. We just couldn't stop Riggins, and Woodley couldn't hit anyone in the second half. I just feel bad he had a difficult time handling things and ultimately drank himself to death.

Woodley was 0 for 8 and the offense only had 2 or 3 first downs in the second half. The Dolphins offense couldn't stay on the field and the defense couldn't get off it.

With the second half Woodley was having, Shula should have replaced him in the 3rd quarter and not waited until the game was practically over.

 

[PCmor]

Overstreet was drafted before Marino, and the two played together in 1983. Overstreet died in the offseason before 1984. Stephenson played with Marino 1983-1987, I believe. Marino's drafting or not being drafted had nothing to do with those other players.

Sorry for the confusion, but I didn't mean Marino's drafting had anything to do with either Overstreet or Stephenson. I was trying to say that I had Overstreet not died or Stephenson or Franklin's careers ended prematurely that the Dolphins would have been in terrific shape for years. I can see how my post was a little confusing, though. I had forgotten Overstreet played Marino's rookie year. For some reason I thought he died before Marino was drafted.

 

[BlueFin]

I am envious of you guys who remembered the ear just before Dan on an in depth level. I remember watching Woodly and Strock but I wasn't old enough to know the ins and outs about them. I barely remember Griese but I do.

The biggest kick in my nuts is the fact that between Danny Boy and now I have to remember that train wreck until I die.

Yeah the last decade plus has been forgetable.......The Shula years were mostly great because even if we weren't in the superbowl you at at least felt like we had a shot.

Of course the draft was even more important then than now...there was no free agency for most of Shula's years so you really need t hit in the draft....unfortunately we missed a lot in the 80's.

I wish Shula would have gotten better drafting help...even still we came close to the Superbowl again in the 90's....Buffalo was just too strong during their run.

I really wish we would have kept Shula another 5 years and let him finish the Marino era........JJ's heart really wasn't in it and he really ruined Dan's last couple of prouctive years.

 

[jim1]

So funny hearing all the positive talk about Woodley. He washed out of the league after 6 seasons, he wasn't an NFL QB. Strock played something like 16 seasons. He was an NFL-caliber backup and he should've been the guy all the way. Woodley did have that one season where he didn't mess everything up, but once he found himself in a regular team- Pittsburgh- you could tell just how bad he was.

And the comparisons to Tebow, another guy who didn't make it. Is that about who dragged down their teams the least or what?

Woodley's nerves were shot. He never had the mental makeup to be an NFL starting caliber Quarterback and he didn't last. He became a massive alcoholic and died very young from liver disease. That being said, he was good enough to get us to the Super Bowl and hold the fort down for some solid Dolphins teams. Was he really all that good? No. But he was athletic and had a good arm, just not the best accuracy or mental acuity for the game, not the best decision making, reading defenses, etc. I'd lump him in with Fiedler as very ordinary Dolphins QBs, he bridged the gap between Griese and Marino- btw, if Strock was good enough consistently as a starter that job would have been his, he wasn't. That's why he was a relief pitcher for us.

That being said I prefer to think of him as a guy who helped us make a few good runs during some very good Dolphins years and I look back on him with sympathy, not scorn. His life was hard enough, his memory doesn't need or deserve any unkind words. By the time he was in Pittsburgh he was done, had packed it in. I don't think that his time there was reflective of the talent that he did have.

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-05-07/sports/0305070089_1_david-woodley-suzonne-boos

 

[jlfin]

Random thoughts from an old timer.
No disrespect to Woodley. He played the best he could, but he wasn't an NFL caliber starting QB. He was an 8th rd pick and came to the team with little expectation. He was a pleasant surprise, but he was never going to be the long term answer ( with all due respect to Paul Zimmerman who had a cow when the Phins drafted Marino).
I always wonder how the destiny of the phins would have changed had the team not lost THREE good players over a 3 yr period. MLB Rusty Chambers in1981 (car accident), OLB Larry Gordon in 1982 (sudden death while jogging due to cardiomyopathy) and RB David Overstreet in 1984 (car accident).
Chambers was an under rated, but above average and very smart MLB. Larry Gordon was one of the fastest and best pass rushers in the league. I recall SI ranking the OLB's in the early 80's and Gordon was felt to be in the 2nd tier of OLB's just behind LT and Hugh Green.
Overstreet was a gifted runner, but had some fumbling issues his rookie yr.
I believe had those 3 players not suffered untimely deaths, the phins would have given the 49ers a game and Marino may have won a SB.
Bill Walsh many yrs later stated that the gameplan against the phins defense was to attack the LB'ers (Jackie Shipp and Jay Brophy) with their passing game. Roger Craig and Wendell Tyler exposed the biggest weakness on the Phins defense.
Shula drafted Shipp and Brophy largely to fill the gaps left open by Chambers and Gordon. Neither one came close.

 

[endorPHINS72]

Strock was incapable of playing under center. He was strictly a shotgun QB and never seemed to be able to master the entire offense.
Woodley was a poor man's Tim Tebow. No pocket presence, below average accuracy, slow decision making, but pretty good mobility.
The team went to the SB in spite of Woodley, NOT because of him. Further testament to Shula's greatness. Physical running game and dominant defense.
With an average QB, the Phins beat the Redskins. Woodley was 0/8 in the 2nd half if I recall. The Hogs finally wore down the killer B's in the second half because Woodley could not sustaina drive.
Phins led 17-10 at halftime. Had Marino come out a yr earlier, it would have been an easy win.
Unfortunatey for Marino he ran into a burgeoning dynasty in the 49ers.

Is that right? I seem to have memories of Strock lining up and playing under center, but I could be wrong.