NFL Recap (New England-Miami)
Posted: Sun October 25, 1998 at 8:58 p.m. EST
MIAMI 12, NEW ENGLAND 9 (OT)
MIAMI (Ticker) -- It started out as another frustrating day for Dan Marino against the New
England defense. It ended with Marino orchestrating the 34th game-winning
drive of his career.
Olindo Mare's
fourth field goal of the game, a 43-yarder 4:36 into overtime, lifted the
Miami Dolphins to a
12-9 victory over the New
England Patriots and into sole possession of first place in the AFC
East.
"When I get out there, I just concentrate and try to do the same thing
whether it's a game winning kick or not," said Mare, who enjoyed the fourth
game-winning field goal of his career. "I don't know what I did when the
ball went through. It just feels good to celebrate."
The most prolific passer in NFL history, Marino shook off three
interceptions and boos from the hometown crowd with clutch passing to set
up Mare's tying and winning kicks. It marked the 34th time in his 16-year
career that Marino has brought Miami back from a fourth-quarter deficit to
victory. John Elway of
the Denver Broncos is
the all-time leader with 43 game-winning fourth quarter or overtime drives.
After Adam
Vinatieri kicked his third field goal of the game to give New England a
9-6 lead with 2:13 remaining in the fourth quarter, Marino directed a
nine-play, 52-yard drive in 84 seconds.
Following a 37-yard kickoff return by John Avery to the Miami
41, Marino hit tight end Ed
Perry with a 10-yard pass and then connected with Oronde Gadsden on a
28-yard pass to the Patriots 21.
A 16-yard pass from Marino to running back Bernie Parmalee put Miami
at the 5. However, after a two-yard loss by Parmalee on a running play and
two incompletions, Miami settled for a 25-yard field goal by Mare with 49
seconds left.
Miami then won the overtime coin toss and Marino engineered a 10-play,
59-yard drive. A 16-yard interference penalty on cornerback Ty Law on a 3rd-and-10
kept alive the drive. Two plays later, Marino rifled a 25-yard pass to O.J. McDuffie to the New
England 40. Following a two-yard run by Karim Abdul-Jabbar, Marino
hit Gadsden with a 10-yard pass to the 28 to set up Mare's winning field
goal.
"We have a great kicker," said Marino. "Olindo's a clutch guy. We
knew if we got into position he would win it for us."
Marino finished 23-of-42 for 279 yards and was sacked three times.
McDuffie had six catches for 77 yards.
In Miami's three losses to New England last season, Marino was
intercepted six times, three of which were returned for touchdowns. He was
picked off three more times today, but was saved by a Dolphins defense that
kept the Patriots out of the end zone. Miami has allowed just 79 points
this season, fewest in the NFL.
Vinatieri kicked field goals of 41, 30 and 36 yards to account for the
Patriots' scoring.
The Dolphins (5-2) snapped a four-game losing streak against New
England (4-3) and moved a game ahead of the Patriots in the AFC East. The
teams meet again at New England on Monday, November 23rd.
"We haven't beaten New England in a while," said Dolphins middle
linebacker Zach Thomas.
"They've been on top of this division fpr a long time. It's good to be back
on top and have them chasing us."
New England's injury-depleted receiving corps was a major factor in
its inability to reach the end zone. Top receiver Terry Glenn did not make
the trip to Miami due to a nagging hamstring injury and the Patriots were
also without veteran wideouts Vincent Brisby (broken
finger) and Troy Brown
(sprained ankle).
"I hesitate to say things would have been different with the
experienced guys," said Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe. "Those guys
had been playmakers for awhile, Terry, Troy and Bris. It does hurt to lose
those guys."
Realizing that Bledsoe would be hampered by the lack of experienced
receivers, the Dolphins stacked the line to stop the run and held Robert Edwards to 27 yards
on 19 carries. It marked the first time Edwards failed to score a touchdown
in his rookie year. He is the only player in NFL history to score a TD in
his first six games.
Meanwhile, Bledsoe completed just 13-of-33 passes for 240 yards with
an interception. Shawn
Jefferson, the Pats' only experienced wide receiver, had four catches
for 116 yards and tight end Ben Coates added four
receptions for 49 yards.
"Although we only sacked Bledsoe a couple of times, we put him under
tremendous pressure and made him throw it away a couple of times," said
Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson.
As a result of the injuries, the Patriots were forced to start Tony Simmons, a
second-round pick in the 1998 draft, and used Anthony Ladd, who was signed
from the practice squad on Tuesday, as the third receiver.
Both players were shut out until Simmons beat cornerback Terrell Buckley on a fly
pattern down the right sideline and caught a 47-yard pass at the Miami 17
with 2:38 left in the fourth quarter to set up Vinatieri's third field
goal. It was the first NFL catch for Simmons.
The Patriots also played without star defensive end Willie McGinest (groin)
and fullback Tony
Carter (knee).
Miami was also unable to establish a running game as Abdul-Jabbar was
held to 56 yards on 21 carries.
Marino was intercepted by Lary Whigham and Willie Clay in the first
quarter, but the Patriots could not capitalize on the turnovers.
"The real frustrating thing is early in the game we had great field
position and weren't able to capitalize," said Bledsoe. "We had an
opportunity to put some points on the board and couldnt do it."
Mare kicked a 48-yard field goal 4:34 into the second quarter to open
the scoring. Marino completed 5-of-6 passes for 61 yards in the 12-play,
59-yard drive.
Vinatieri missed a 45-yard field goal later in the quarter, leaving
Miami with a 3-0 halftime lead.
The Dolphins had not allowed any points in 12 full quarters at home
before Vinatieri kicked a 41-yard field goal with 6:10 left in the third
quarter. And that field goal came after cornerback Ty Law made a diving
interception at the Miami 29.
The Patriots took their first lead of the game when Vinatieri kicked a
30-yard field goal with 9:10 left in the fourth quarter. The kick was set
up by a 37-yard pass interference penalty against Buckley.
Avery returned the ensuing kickoff 32 yards to the Miami 46. An
18-yard pass from Marino to tight end Troy Drayton to the New
England 23 set up a 38-yard field goal by Mare, tying the game at 6-6.
© 1998 Sportsticker Enterprises, LP
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