1996: Last-Play FG Lifts Dolphins Past Oilers

The Miami Dolphins were struggling with a 5-5 record as they traveled to Houston to face the Oilers on November 17, 1996. Having replaced long-time Head Coach Don Shula with Jimmy Johnson, whose Dallas teams won two Super Bowls, the Dolphins had won their first three games before dropping five of their next six. 35-year-old QB Dan Marino (pictured at right) was still at the helm of the offense, although he was proving to be increasingly brittle and had missed three games. The passing game was assisted by the arrival of WR Fred Barnett, signed away from the Eagles as a free agent and who had made an astonishing recovery from a preseason knee injury that required surgery.  Rookie RB Karim Abdul-Jabbar provided a boost to the ground game.

The Oilers, coached by Jeff Fisher, were also facing a transition as they were scheduled to leave Houston for Nashville.  The club was also retooling on the field, with rookie RB Eddie George having an immediate impact and QB Steve McNair in development while veteran Chris Chandler directed the offense. The defense was rugged, particularly against the run. Houston got off to a 5-2 start before suffering two tough losses and the Oilers were at 6-4 as they hosted the Dolphins.

There were 47,358 fans in attendance at the Astrodome. Miami’s Coach Johnson was from nearby Port Arthur, Texas, and there was a cheering section in attendance for him. The Oilers had the first possession and drove 65 yards in eight plays. Chris Chandler started off with a pass to Eddie George (pictured below) for 17 yards and WR Willie Davis ran around left end for another 15. Chandler had completions to RB Ronnie Harmon for eight yards and George for seven and, while losses on two plays had Houston facing third-and-18, Chandler connected with WR Derek Russell for an 18-yard touchdown. Al Del Greco added the extra point for the early 7-0 advantage.

The Dolphins went three-and-out and, following their punt, the Oilers again drove to another score, advancing 61 yards in eight plays. Chandler completed three passes along the way and a fourth was to TE Frank Wycheck for a 15-yard TD. Del Greco again converted and the home team was ahead by 14-0.

Miami responded with a series that was helped along by an 18-yard pass interference call on the Oilers, but after reaching the Houston 21, Joe Nedney missed on a 39-yard field goal as the first quarter came to an end. As the game headed into the second quarter, the teams exchanged punts. The Oilers reached the Miami 49 on their next possession but a punt by ex-Dolphin Reggie Roby was blocked and recovered by RB Robert Wilson at the Houston 31. Five plays later, Dan Marino threw to RB Irving Spikes for a 10-yard touchdown and, with Nedney adding the point after, Houston’s lead was cut to 14-7.

The Oilers punted following a short series and the Dolphins regained possession with 3:35 remaining in the first half. Two defensive penalties helped move Miami’s series along. Karim Abdul-Jabbar had a 12-yard carry and Marino connected on two short passes to set up Nedney’s 34-yard field goal on the last play of the half, making the score 14-10 at the intermission.

Both teams went three-and-out and punted to start the third quarter. The Dolphins, on their second series of the half, drove 37 yards in eight plays. Marino completed three passes, the longest to Fred Barnett for 25 yards to the Houston 26, and Nedney kicked a 44-yard field goal to make it a one-point game at 14-13.

The Oilers came back alive on offense to advance 67 yards in 12 plays. Chandler completed four passes but, following a 10-yard run by George to get the ball to the Miami 12, three passes were incomplete and the home team settled for a 30-yard Del Greco field goal and an extended lead of 17-13.

The Dolphins had the ball as the game headed into the fourth quarter, helped along by a fake punt in which LB Larry Izzo took a direct snap and ran for 26 yards to the Houston 42. But after reaching the five, Abdul-Jabbar fumbled just short of the goal line and CB Cris Dishman recovered for the Oilers in the end zone. However, Chandler immediately went to the air and his pass intended for Wycheck was intercepted by LB Zach Thomas, who returned it 26 yards for a touchdown. Nedney added the extra point and the visitors were in front for the first time at 20-17.

The Oilers went three-and-out and punted, but they got the ball back at their 35 after Miami WR O.J. McDuffie fumbled when stripped by LB Barron Wortham after catching a pass and CB Steve Jackson recovered. George took off for a 24-yard gain on first down and Chandler threw to Wycheck for eight yards. The drive stalled at the Miami 16 and Del Greco came on to tie the score at 20-20 with a 33-yard field goal.

Miami took over on offense with 3:20 left in regulation. Two runs by Abdul-Jabbar netted a loss of two yards, but facing third-and-12, Marino passed to McDuffie for 20 yards to keep the series alive. Two plays later, he threw to TE Troy Drayton for a pickup of 51 yards to the Houston five. From there the Dolphins were able to run the clock down and Nedney kicked a 29-yard field goal on the game’s last play to give Miami a 23-20 win.  

The Dolphins had the edge in total yards (303 to 261) while the teams were even in first downs with 17 apiece. Miami turned the ball over twice, to one suffered by the Oilers. Houston accounted for three sacks, to two by the Dolphins, and Miami drew six penalties to four flags thrown on the Oilers.

Dan Marino completed 21 of 28 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. O.J. McDuffie (pictured at right) had 8 catches for 86 yards. Thanks to his long fourth quarter reception, Troy Drayton gained 63 yards on two catches and Fred Barnett contributed 5 receptions for 53 yards. Karim Abdul-Jabbar topped Miami’s rushers with 59 yards on 18 carries.

For the Oilers, Chris Chandler was successful on 15 of 27 throws for 167 yards and two TDs while giving up one interception. Eddie George rushed for 60 yards on 15 attempts and caught three passes for 34 yards. Frank Wycheck topped the receivers with 5 catches for 54 yards and a touchdown.

The win put the Dolphins above .500 but they lost their next three games before finishing out the season with two wins for an 8-8 record that placed fourth in the AFC East. Houston lost three of its last five contests to also end up at 8-8 and fourth in the AFC Central.

Due to wear and tear, Dan Marino had one of his least productive seasons, passing for 2795 yards and 17 touchdowns, although his 87.8 passer rating and 7.5 yards per attempt ranked among the league leaders. Fred Barnett managed to catch 36 passes for 562 yards (15.6 avg.) and three TDs in nine games while O.J. McDuffie led the club with 74 receptions for 918 yards (12.4 avg.) and eight touchdowns.

1991: McMahon Spurs Eagles from 23-0 Deficit to Defeat Browns

The Philadelphia Eagles, with their top-ranked defense, were at 4-5 as they faced the Cleveland Browns on November 10, 1991. Head Coach Rich Kotite’s first season at the helm had gotten off to a rough start when star QB Randall Cunningham was lost for the year in the opening week. Backup QB Jim McMahon (pictured at right), once a title-winner with the Bears, performed ably when healthy, but that was not the case for several games when lesser performers were behind center and the offense struggled. The team lost four straight games after starting off at 3-1 before beating the Giants the previous week. McMahon was available but playing with an assortment of injuries, most notably to his throwing elbow.

Cleveland also had a first-year head coach in Bill Belichick and was in transition. Seventh-year QB Bernie Kosar was still in place from the winning years in the late ‘80s, as were FB Kevin Mack and the corps of wide receivers led by Webster Slaughter. However, the Browns were hampered by some key injuries. Anthony Blaylock was starting at cornerback in place of the aging but capable Frank Minnifield and all-purpose HB Eric Metcalf, who returned punts, was also out.

It was a cool, dry day at Cleveland Municipal Stadium with 72,086 fans in attendance. The Browns took the opening kickoff and drove 37 yards in seven plays, helped along by four penalties on the defense. Matt Stover kicked a 50-yard field goal for the early 3-0 lead. Three plays after the ensuing kickoff, the Browns scored again when FS Eric Turner intercepted a Jim McMahon pass and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown. Stover converted and the home team led by 10-0 with four minutes elapsed.

The Eagles were forced to punt after their next series and the Browns struck quickly. Kevin Mack ran for four yards and then Bernie Kosar threw to RB Leroy Hoard, who rambled 65 yards for a TD. Stover’s extra point attempt hit the left upright and was no good, but Cleveland was now up by 16-0.

Once again Philadelphia had to punt and, as the game headed into the second quarter, the Browns were on the move. Kosar completed passes to Webster Slaughter for 14 yards, TE Scott Galbraith for 13, and WR Reggie Langhorne for nine yards to reach the Philadelphia 20 and, four plays later he connected with Slaughter for an 18-yard touchdown. Stover’s point after was successful this time and, following the nine-play, 54-yard possession, Cleveland held a commanding 23-0 lead.

Now in a deep hole, the Eagles responded by advancing 80 yards in seven plays. McMahon completed two passes before RB James Joseph (pictured above) broke away for a 23-yard run. Facing third-and-seven at the Cleveland 38, the visitors benefited from a pass interference penalty on CB Anthony Blaylock that gave them a first down at the 19 and, two plays after that, McMahon threw to TE Keith Jackson for a 16-yard TD. Roger Ruzek converted and the Eagles were on the board, although still down by 23-7.

The Browns had to punt following their series and Philadelphia quickly narrowed the score further when, on first down, McMahon passed to WR Fred Barnett for a 70-yard touchdown. Ruzek again made good on the extra point and the score was 23-14 with 6:47 left in the first half.

WR Danny Peebles returned the ensuing kickoff 32 yards to give the Browns good starting field position at their 44, but two plays later a Kosar pass intended for Langhorne was intercepted by CB Ben Smith, who returned it six yards to midfield. McMahon immediately threw to Jackson for a gain of 33 yards to the Cleveland 17, but Philadelphia was moved back by a holding penalty on the next play. While McMahon completed his next three passes, the drive stalled at the four and Ruzek kicked a 21-yard field goal. The once-formidable Cleveland lead was narrowed to six points at 23-17.

The Browns regained possession with 1:32 remaining in the half. Mack ran for 10 yards and Kosar then threw to WR Brian Brennan for 11 yards and Slaughter for 17 in a play that cost the Eagles Ben Smith (for the remainder of the season with a serious knee injury, it turned out). Kosar then connected on two passes to Langhorne, first for 23 yards and then for 24 yards and a TD. Stover kicked the point after and Cleveland took a 30-17 lead into halftime.

The Eagles had the first possession in the third quarter and drove 60 yards in 11 plays. Joseph handled the bulk of the running and McMahon completed three passes, the longest to WR Calvin Williams for 30 yards. Ruzek booted a 37-yard field goal to make the score 30-20.

The Browns went three-and-out, but Brian Hansen’s punt traveled 65 yards and went out of bounds at the Philadelphia four. McMahon quickly got the Eagles out of the hole with a pass to Barnett (pictured below) for 38 yards and a throw to Jackson had them nearly to midfield. Tosses to Barnett and Williams gained another 14 yards and, after Joseph ran for five yards, McMahon connected with RB Keith Byars for seven yards. A defensive pass interference penalty gave Philadelphia a first down at the Cleveland seven, but the drive stalled as three passes fell incomplete and Ruzek kicked a 24-yard field goal.

The Browns punted after their next series and the Eagles had the ball as the game headed into the fourth quarter. They moved methodically and converted a third-and-12 situation with a 16-yard McMahon-to-Williams pass play. Joseph had a 21-yard carry to the Cleveland 22 but Jackson dropped McMahon’s next toss and another fell incomplete to set up third-and-10. Once again the Browns were flagged for pass interference and once again the Eagles were unable to reach the end zone after getting first-and-goal inside the ten. A 19-yard Ruzek field goal finished off the 13-play, 78-yard drive and narrowed the score to 30-26.

Kosar completed a 14-yard pass to Slaughter to start Cleveland’s next series, but two sacks with an incompletion in between forced the Browns to punt. The Eagles had good field position at their 48 but moved backward thanks to a penalty and a sack and were forced to punt in turn. However, Slaughter, who typically didn’t return punts and unwisely fielded the ball at the one when it appeared certain to be a touchback, ran laterally and fumbled when hit by RB Robert Drummond. LB Britt Hager recovered at the Cleveland two.

Joseph was dropped for a three-yard loss on first down, but two plays later McMahon completed a five-yard touchdown pass to Williams. DE Rob Burnett blocked Ruzek’s kick but the Eagles were in front by two points with 5:19 remaining in regulation.

Another short series by the Browns resulted in a punt and Philadelphia, taking over with 4:28 to play, managed to control the ball for nearly the remainder of the game. McMahon threw to WR Roy Green for nine yards on a third-and-four play and yet another defensive pass interference penalty converted a third down. The Eagles finally had to punt, but there were only ten seconds remaining for the Browns to work with from their own 20 and two Kosar passes fell incomplete. Philadelphia won by a final score of 32-30.

The Eagles, in overcoming the 23-point deficit, led in total yards (418 to 258), first downs (24 to 16), and time of possession (41:14 to 18:46) with Cleveland managing just 24 total yards in the second half as the Eagles adjusted and dominated on defense. The Browns turned the ball over twice, to one by Philadelphia, and while the Eagles drew 10 penalties, at a cost of 72 yards to 7 penalties for 86 yards on Cleveland, the Browns were flagged five times for defensive pass interference to significant effect.

Jim McMahon completed 26 of 43 passes for 341 yards and three touchdowns while giving up the one early interception. Fred Barnett had 8 catches for 146 yards and a TD and Calvin Williams and Keith Jackson had identical totals of 6 receptions for 76 yards and a score apiece. James Joseph rushed for 89 yards on 20 attempts.

For the Browns, Bernie Kosar was successful on just 14 of 33 throws for 246 yards and three TDs with one interception, completing only two of 13 in the second half. Webster Slaughter caught five passes for 74 yards and a TD, but his critical misplay of the punt in the fourth quarter drew the most comments. Reggie Langhorne (pictured above) was right behind in pass receiving yards with 73 on his four receptions that included a score. Cleveland gained just 25 yards on the ground and Kevin Mack accounted for 23 of them on 10 carries.

“You guys don’t know how bad Jim McMahon felt last night and this morning,” said Philadelphia’s Coach Kotite. “He could barely move his arm. I just can’t get over this guy.”

The dramatic win against the Browns was the second of six straight, and seven in their last eight games, for the Eagles. Injuries continued to plague McMahon and, while the formidable defense was able to keep them in games, they finished third in the NFC East at 10-6, just missing a playoff berth. Cleveland placed third in the AFC Central with a 6-10 record.

Jim McMahon started 11 games, with the Eagles winning eight of them, and completed 60.1 percent of his passes for 2239 yards and 12 touchdowns while giving up 11 interceptions. The 341-yard passing total against the Browns was the second-highest of his 15-season career. Fred Barnett caught 62 passes for 948 yards (15.3 avg.) and four touchdowns. Rookie James Joseph’s 89-yard rushing performance against Cleveland was his best of the year as he led the club with just 440 yards on 135 carries, averaging 3.3 yards-per-attempt.