Voting Open For Greatest Game In Miami Dolphins History
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – One of the positives surrounding the Miami Dolphins this year has been the team celebrating its 50th anniversary season.
Last weekend the Dolphins held its 50th Anniversary Gala at the Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood Beach, with legendary players from each of the team's different eras in attendance.
As the celebrations continue, the team announced on Thursday that it has opened voting to fans for the greatest game in Miami Dolphins history.
The voting will remain open through December 29th on the Dolphins official website.
There are seven games on the ballot that were selected based on several factors which include the team's performance, the impact of the outcome and the game's historical significance.
The winning game will be announced during the Dolphins final regular season game on January 3rd against the New England Patriots at Sun Life Stadium.
Here are the seven nominees:
1971 AFC Playoff Game at Kansas City Chiefs -- The Dolphins defeated the Chiefs 27-24 in Kansas City when Garo Yepremian kicked a 37-yard field goal with 7:40 elapsed in the second overtime on Christmas Day in 1971. At 82 minutes and 40 seconds, it remains the longest game in NFL history. The Dolphins battled back three different times to tie the game in regulation, including a touchdown pass from Bob Griese to Marv Fleming with 96 seconds left to send the game into overtime.
Super Bowl VII vs. Washington Redskins -- The Dolphins defeated the Washington Redskins 14-7 on January 14, 1973 at the Coliseum in Los Angeles to finish 17-0, the only perfect season in NFL history. Miami's 14-0 halftime lead held up behind Manny Fernandez' 17 tackles and three interceptions by the defense, including two by game MVP Jake Scott. Washington's only touchdown came off a return of a blocked field goal and attempted pass by Garo Yepremian.
Super Bowl VIII vs. Minnesota Vikings -- The Dolphins won their second successive Super Bowl by defeating the Vikings 24-7 on January 13, 1974 at Rice Stadium in Houston. In a dominant performance, Miami took a 17-0 lead before the Vikings even crossed their 40-yard line and scored all of their 24 points before Minnesota got on the scoreboard. Larry Csonka rushed for a then-Super Bowl record 145 yards and was named as the game's MVP.
1982 AFC Championship Game vs. New York Jets -- On Dec. 23, 1983 in a rainy Orange Bowl the Dolphins defeated the New York Jets 14-0 to win the AFC championship and advanced to Super Bowl XVII. Miami set an AFC Championship Game record by holding the Jets to 139 total yards and A.J. Duhe set an AFC playoff record with three interceptions of Jets QB Richard Todd, one of which he returned 35 yards for a touchdown.
1985 Regular Season Game vs. Chicago Bears -- On Dec. 2, 1985 in a game at the Orange Bowl shown on Monday Night Football, the Dolphins defeated the Chicago Bears 38-24. With Chicago 12-0 at the time, members of the 1972 Dolphins were on the sidelines to urge that current Dolphins team to protect their unique legacy. Miami built a 31-10 halftime lead and Don Shula called it "The best half of offensive football I've ever been associated with." It was Chicago's only loss that year.
1993 Regular Season Game vs. Philadelphia Eagles -- On Nov. 14, 1993 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, the Dolphins defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 19-14. The win was Don Shula's 325th career victory, surpassing George Halas as the winningest coach in NFL history. Trailing 14-13 in the third quarter, Doug Pederson replaced an injured Scott Mitchell at quarterback and guided the Dolphins to a pair of field goals while the defense held the Eagles scoreless the rest of the game, giving the Dolphins the win.
2008 Regular Season game vs. New York Jets -- On Dec. 28, 2008 in the Meadowlands, the Dolphins defeated the New York Jets 24-17 in the regular season finale to win the AFC East and earn a playoff berth. The victory capped Miami's 11-5 regular season and a ten-win improvement from their 1-15 mark a year earlier. Chad Pennington threw two touchdown passes against his former team while Miami's defense intercepted Jets QB Brett Favre three times.
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