Worst Dolphins Non Super Bowl Playoff Loss?

[jtex316]

As with the previous threads, use your discretion to cast your vote and do us a favor and explain your reasoning.

[jtex316]

As you can see, I provided a list of memorable playoff losses. Not all of the playoff losses are listed here, so vote for the last option and explain if your worst playoff loss does not appear here. I'm definitely expecting some of you to get the historical significance of some of these games (For example, 1974 and 1985).

I voted for the 1999 season's playoff loss at Jacksonville. Not only was the score unbelievable lopsided, it was both Dan Marino's and Jimmy Johnson's last NFL football game played or coached, which was a significant "turn of the page" point in Miami Dolphins history.

The Dolphins had just come off a highly emotional win at Seattle the week before, and if they could have capitalized in Jacksonville, would have played Tennessee for the AFC title (I never thought much of Tennessee back then - after all, this was the season of the Music City Miracle, so they were extremely lucky to be there in the first place. If the Dolphins could have beaten the Jags and went on to face the Rams...maybe Marino could have engineered the come from behind win that Steve McNair was one yard short of doing?)

By the way, that Miami win against Seattle was the last NFL game ever played at the Kingdome.

That loss was a missed opportunity for a Wild Card team like Miami to come off an emotional big win on the road and ride Dan Marino one final time before the sunset of his career - but instead, they completely flopped against a team with an inflated 14-2 record.

[Jim Gray]

^Joe has made the case that I would have made.  The Jax game was not only humiliating, it was the end of the Marino era and broke JJ.  It was the last time that I felt Miami had the team that could win it all.  It opened the door for Wanny and all the misery that came after.  IMHO, in hindsight, it was the worst day in franchise history, even worse than our SB loses. 

Thanks Joe, for bringing up such a horrible memory.

[Pappy13]

New England in '85.  No way the Patriots should have been in the SuperBowl that year.  If the Dolphins don't screw that game and have like 8 turnovers or something, it would have been a rematch of the Monday night game that prevented Chicago from going unbeaten that year.  The lead up to that game would have been huge.  Even if Chicago would have blown out Miami in the rematch (maybe), it would have been fun to watch as opposed to Wild Card New England getting stomped.  That was Dan's really only other shot at a SuperBowl as the defense fell apart after that year. 

Really, Really, Really wish we could have that game back.

[jtex316]

Even though it's early in the voting, I'm already surprised that no-one has selected the 1994 game.

That was a game where Miami was up 21-3 at halftime (i think that was the score). But they were destroying San Diego. They completely fell apart and lost when Stoyanovich couldn't convert from 40+. If my memory serves me correctly, they would have faced Pittsburgh and then probably beaten their sorry asses and moved on to the Super Bowl, where I know that the Dolphins would have put up a much better fight than the Chargers did over the 49ers.

That was also a team that could have gone deeper than they did.

[JVides]

How about the 29-10 loss to the Bills, where our defense acted like it had never before seen a screen pass?  We had just beaten San Diego 31-0 and were looking quite solid.  That sucked bad...

[Brian Fein]

I picked the Oakland game.

Coming off a huge Wild Card win over the Colts, they travel across the country.  Hopes were high.  But alas, Wanny showed up unprepared and got stomped. 

I think that game was the beginning of the end for the Dolphins.  I consider the Baltimore game in 2008 to be an anomaly.

[AZ Fins Fan 55]

I went with the Jacksonville game for many of the same reasons listed above....while watching that game I knew it was Dan's last and the Phins would never be the same. I was excited that it was Jimmy's last as I hated him but if I only knew what was in store with the Stache I probably would not have been near as excited.

That San Diego game killed me.....I still remember that Natrone Means stepped out of bounds at the two yard line. Then watching Stoyo miss that kick was devastating. Most of those losses in the 90's just killed me. I knew we had SuperBowl potential with all of those teams.

[Dave Gray]

I picked the San Diego game.  While the Jax loss was a huge disappointment, I didn't feel like we really had a shot of going anywhere that year.  Against the Chargers, it felt like our year.  And to miss the kick....what a gut-wrenching loss.  I remember being in high school and being totally devastated.

The losses later, though painful, came during the years where we were on the decline.

[Frimp]

Jax

[dolphins4life]

The Denver 38-3 was painful for me.

[CF DolFan]

The Jax game seemed to last forever. In fact .... I think they just scored on us again!! 

[jtex316]

No one taking the "Sea of Hands" game? Missed shot at a 3-peat of Super Bowls by a miracle catch at the end of the game?

[Phishfan]

^^^ Most of this board can't remember it or wasn't alive. It is tough to be scarred by something you don't remember. Getting shelled 62-7 (until today I didn't even know what the final score was) will scar you forever.

[norad34]

No one taking the "Sea of Hands" game? Missed shot at a 3-peat of Super Bowls by a miracle catch at the end of the game?

I'm old enough to remember that game and to me, the way that Oakland won the game just tore my heart out. You're right Jtex, Miami would have been the first team to go to the Super Bowl four consecutive seasons and the first to try for a three peat. I can't understand how Stabler got the ball off and it went to Clarence Davis through three Dolphin players. Mike Kolen the LB had the best shot at intercepting the ball.

There are two playoff games that stand out as classics...the Longest game on Christmas Day 1971 when Miami beat Kansas City in Overtime and the Sea of Hands Game.

That game took something out of the Dolphins. Even though they continued to win (with the exception of a 6-8 record in 76), that game was like a dark shadow over the franchise until Marino came to town.