NY Jets - Miami Dolphins rivalry stands alone as truly one of a kind

It isn't the NFL's longest standing rivalry, but in a class of most bizarre and strange happenings, the Miami Dolphins - New York Jets rivalry stands alone as truly one of a kind. This rivalry has produced some of the most memorable moments, dramatic finishes, miraculous comebacks, and exciting classic shootouts the NFL has ever seen.

The Dolphins face the Jets tonight on Monday Night Football in an AFC East rivalry that throws off intensity that you don't often find in the NFL. It's more like a great college football rivalry. Sure the Patriots have been the class of the AFC East for some time now, but if you grew up as a Dolphins or Jets fan the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, the Jets vs. Dolphins rivalry is where it’s at.

The Jets hold the all-time series lead in this rivalry at 46-40-1. As for tonight, Miami and their Wildcat offense will wear their orange jerseys for only the fourth time in team history and the first time since 2004. They will be going up against one of the best defenses in the NFL and see the debut of Braylon Edwards as NY Jet.

The game is has sub-stories all around. Pennington out for the year, Parcells at the helm, Mark Sanchez responding to adversity, the Chad Henne era, Braylon Edwards, the Wildcat, the Seminole, and it goes on and on.

Let’s take a look at just a few of the memories this rivalry has produced. I could mention sub-stories for every year, you may have other games prominent in your head, but here are what I think are the top 15 Jets / Dolphins moments / games (in chronological order).

Dec. 2, 1969 in NY: - Joe Namath out-slugs Bob Griese:

In a game featuring two Hall of Fame quarterbacks, Joe Namath and Bob Griese put on a show that would catapult this rivalry for years to come. This game had six lead changes from two high powered offenses as both defensives struggled tremendously. But in the end, it was "Broadway" Joe and the Jets that prevailed by a small margin.     Result: New York 34 Miami 31

Nov. 19, 1972 in MIA: - Dolphins beat Jets to keep perfect season intact:

Miami was down during the entire game, but they still managed to keep up with the Jets. Miami scored the final touchdown of the game with less than 1:30 on the clock to keep their undefeated season intact. Miami went on to win Super Bowl VII and finish with an unprecedented, untouched 17-0 undefeated season. The NFL's only perfect season.     Result: Miami 28 New York 24

Jan. 23, 1983 in MIA: - A.J. Duhe stars in AFC Championship Mud Bowl:

Probably the biggest game in this rivalry to date was the 1983 AFC Championship, more appropriately known as "The Mud Bowl". After sweeping the Jets during the regular season by scores of 45-28 and 20-19, the two teams would meet again, this time with a trip to Super Bowl XVII on the line. A slippery, sloppy, muddy field kept both teams scoreless in the first half, however that would all change in the second half. All game, it was a classic defensive battle that featured ten turnovers, eight of them were quarterback interceptions. The star of the game was undoubtedly Dolphins linebacker A.J. Duhe who picked off three of Jets quarterback Richard Todd's five interceptions, returning one 35 yards for a touchdown which helped seal the win and sending Miami to Super Bowl XVII. It also marked the third time in Dolphins history that they shutout the Jets and the first time Miami defeated the Jets three times in one season.     Result: Miami 14 New York 0

Nov. 10, 1985 in MIA: - "Super" Duper's last minute heroic 50 yard touchdown catch:

After being sidelined for seven weeks with a broken leg, Mark "Super" Duper had the game of his life when he came back on this day to play the Jets. He set a Dolphins club single game record with 217 receiving yards, but not before helping Miami catapult to victory. Down 17-14 with less than a minute to play, Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino fired a 50 yard touchdown pass to "Super" Duper for the win.     Result: Miami 21 New York 17

Sept. 21, 1986 in NY: - Ken O' Brien outguns Dan Marino:

In one of the greatest, classic shootouts in NFL history, quarterbacks Ken O' Brien and Dan Marino put on an offensive performance no Dolphin or Jet fan should ever forget. Both defenses looked absolutely foolish as the two quarterbacks combined set NFL single game records of 884 net passing yards and ten touchdown passes, records that still stand to this day. Marino completed 30 of 50 passes for 448 yards and six touchdown passes. Mark Duper and Mark Clayton had big games each having over 100 yards receiving (Duper with 154, Clayton with 174). Ken O' Brien threw four touchdown passes all to wide receiver Wesley Walker, including the one in OT for the win.     Result: New York 51 Miami 45 / OT

Dec. 7, 1987 in MIA: - Marty Lyons clips Dwight Stephenson:

No Dolphin fan will ever forget. Mention the name Marty Lyons to any Dolphin fan, and emotion bordering on hatred will emerge. Miami won the game that night but came out of it with a HUGE loss. Marty Lyons and Dwight Stephenson were teammates at the University of Alabama and were good close friends up until that faithful night in Miami. The hit came on a fumble return when Marty Lyons took a cheap shot by going low and doing an illegal chop block right at the right knee of Dwight. Dwight's knee turned into a mangled mess with permanent ligament and nerve damage, forcing him to retire early. After the game, Marty Lyons so distraught over what he did, went to the Dolphins locker room to apologize, but Dolphins head coach Don Shula chased him out in one of the most ugly profanity-laced tirades in NFL history. Dwight Stephenson is known to many as the greatest center of all time when he was elected to the pro football hall of fame in 1998.     Result: Miami 37 New York 28

Oct. 23, 1988 in MIA: - Dan Marino throws for 500 yards...but loses:

Dan Marino put on another great performance however he came up short. On this day, Dan Marino joined a small, select few of quarterbacks to throw for more than 500 yards in a single game. Marino threw for a career high 521 yards (NFL record: 554 by Norm Van Brocklin). Marino completed 35 0f 60 passes, threw for three touchdown passes, but five interceptions led to his demise.     Result: New York 44 Miami 30

Nov. 12, 1989 in NY: - Pete Stoyanovich's 59 yard field goal:

The second longest field goal in NFL history at the time was made in this game when Miami kicker Pete Stoyanovich nailed a 59 yard field goal with less than 2:30 on the clock to help seal the win.     Result: Miami 31 New York 23

Dec. 22, 1991 in MIA: - Season Finale - Winner takes all, Loser goes home:

The season finale in 1991 between the Jets and Dolphins had so much on the line. The winners would clinch the final AFC Wildcard spot in the playoffs, and the losers would have their season come to an end. It was a seesaw battle all game, but in the end it would be another chapter in this storied rivalry. Miami took the lead 20-17 with 44 seconds remaining, however when the Jets got the ball, they drove down the field, and tied the game to force OT on Paul Allegre's 44 yard field goal. Allegre came through for the Jets once again in OT with a 30 yard field goal, sending the Jets in the playoffs, and sending Miami home.     Result: New York 23 Miami 20 / OT

Nov. 27, 1994 in NY: - Dan Marino's infamous "fake spike":

Undoubtedly the single greatest play in Dan Marino's glorious career. What Dan Marino did on this play absolutely tortured the Jets and their fans so bad, it would haunt them for years to come. Heading into the fourth quarter, Miami was down 24-6 and were simply being outplayed. Marino, however never gave up. He drove the Dolphins to two scores, thus making the score 24-21. Marino got the ball one last time and on this drive, single handedly changed the course of history for the entire Jets franchise. Marino drove the Dolphins down the field and within the Jets five yard line. With 30 seconds remaining, and the clock continuing to wind down, it appeared Marino was going to spike the ball to stop the clock and send out the field goal unit to tie the game. But the kick was never needed. Instead, Marino took the snap from center, and fired the ball in the corner of the end zone, passed Aaron Glenn and into the hands of Mark Ingram. When the snap happened, the entire Jets defense froze thinking Marino spiked the ball. It was Mark Ingram's fourth touchdown catch of the game, which tied a club record with former Dolphins wide receiver Paul Warfield. Miami went on to win and as for the Jets, after that play, for the rest of that year and the following two years, the Jets compiled a record of 4-32. The "fake spike" destroyed the Jets franchise for two years, while during that time, Miami won one AFC East Division title and made the playoffs both years.     Result: Miami 28 New York 24

Dec. 13, 1998 in MIA: Sunday Night Football for the Division lead:

After starting 4-0 only to lose to the 1-2 New York Jets in New York by a score of 20-9, these two teams would meet again, this time with identical 9-4 records with the division lead, and possibly the division title on the line. The Jets walked away from this game with the win, the lead, and ultimately their first AFC East Division Title. The Jets would go all the way to the AFC Championship game, only to lose to Denver 23-10. As far as Miami goes, Miami would make it to the second round of the playoffs, only to get blown out by Denver 38-3. Denver eliminated both New York and Miami from the playoffs that year.     Result: New York 21 Miami 16

Oct. 23, 2000 in NY: - The Monday Midnight Miracle at the Meadowlands:

It wasn't the 1992 AFC Wildcard game where the Bills made up a 32 point deficit to beat the Oilers 41-38 in overtime, but it sure was similar. Many people say it was the greatest Monday Night Football game in NFL history, and also one of the greatest comebacks in NFL History. The Jets and Dolphins waged a war so big, that the game lasted over four hours. In the first half, everything went right for the Dolphins. They had a long touchdown run, a long touchdown pass, and a trio of field goals. As far as the Jets, everything that could go wrong, did. Quarterback Vinny Testaverde threw three interceptions, running back Curtis Martin had 30 yards on the ground, and the Jets could only manage two first downs in the first half. At halftime, the score was 23-7 in favor of Miami. By the end of the 3rd quarter, Miami had a commanding 30-7 lead and ironically, in the most memorable quote during the game, Dolphins quarterback Jay Fiedler walked over to defensive end Jason Taylor and said this: 

Jay: "They ain't coming back on us!"
Jason: "Hell No! You Kidding?! C'mon now."

The jinx was set. From the start of the fourth quarter, the floor fell out from underneath Miami. Vinny Testaverde threw a pair of touchdown passes, one almost intercepted by Dolphins cornerback Sam Madison but caught by Jets receiver Laverneus Coles. The score now went from 30-7, to 30-13, to 30-20. The Jets kept clicking and Miami kept faltering. After a field goal by John Hall, narrowing the margin even more, Vinny Testaverde fired a touchdown pass to Wayne Chrebet to tie the game 30-30. Before the fourth quarter, the Jets were so bad, their fans were actually leaving the stadium. Now all of a sudden, the Jets tied the game and the fans were piling into the stadium again. After the Wayne Chrebet touchdown, it took only two plays for Miami to respond. Jay Fiedler fired a long touchdown pass to Leslie Shepard to retake the lead 37-30. Vinny Testaverde was then given one last chance to tie the game. With less than a minute left on the clock, and the Jets inside Miami's five yard line, the most memorable play of the game happened when Testaverde hit his offensive tackle Jumbo Elliott for a touchdown pass on a tackle eligible play. The score was now 37-37 going into OT. After playing absolutely miserable in the first three quarters, Vinny Testaverde was 18 for 26 for 235 yards and four touchdowns in the fourth quarter alone. He threw five touchdowns overall. After having only five first downs in the first three quarters, the Jets had a whopping 20 in the fourth. In OT, Jay Fiedler was picked off for the third time which set up the dramatic finish. John Hall nailed a 40 yard field goal capping off a 23-point, fourth quarter deficit forever known to Jet fans as the "Monday Midnight Miracle at the Meadowlands".     Result: New York 40 Miami 37 / OT

Oct. 14, 2001 in NY: - Miracle at the Meadowlands..Part II:

It wasn't as dramatic as one year earlier, but the game ended in similar fashion. Once again, for the second consecutive year in New York, the Jets were able to overcome a Miami deficit and secure a win. At halftime, Miami held a lead of 17-0 and outgained the Jets 250-27 in offensive yardage. That would change once again, and in similar fashion the Jets scored 21 unanswered points, which included two long touchdown passes from Vinny Testaverde to Laveranues Coles, and Curtis Martin rushing for 120 yards, which allowed New York to outgain Miami 159-19 in offensive yardage in the third quarter. In the closing moments of the game, Jay Fiedler was giving a chance to lead Miami to a comeback win, however an ill-advised throw in double coverage caused the pass to be picked off by linebacker Marvin Jones, clinching the win for the Jets by a score of 21-17. However the significance of the game happened at a Miami press conference after the game when Miami middle linebacker Zach Thomas came and spoke out about both teams claiming that both teams "suck", which led to their meeting only four weeks later.     Result: New York 21 Miami 17

Sept. 22, 2002 in MIA: - Miami ends eight game losing streak:

The Jets tortured Miami for eight straight games until this day. Two streaks were on the line. The Jets winning streak against Miami, and Miami had a 16 game home winning streak in the months of Sept. and Oct. However, at this time, guess which team was the last to beat the Dolphins in Miami in the months of Sept. and Oct.? Thats right - the New York Jets 24-14 in 1993. Plus, Miami was 2-0 heading into this game. Miami got a lot of help from their new running back Ricky Williams who rushed for 151 yards on 24 carries, including a 53 yard touchdown run. Miami whopped the Jets in this game and in a ironic twist of fate, it was after this game that Vinny Testaverde got benched and the new starting quarterback for the Jets, would be Chad Pennington.     Result: Miami 30 New York 3

Oct. 15, 2006 in NY: - The Miss - The Comeback that Could of Been:

So close, yet so far. Miami tried to exact some revenge from six years ago and have their own "Miracle at the Meadowlands". It was not meant to be. The Dolphins were heading into this game at 1-4 and searching for answers on offense, while the Jets even though at 2-3 were playing great football and playing in tight games. After a 3-0 halftime score in favor of the Jets, the Jets absolutely blew the Dolphins away when Jets kicker Mike Nugent hit another field goal, and quarterback Chad Pennington hit two long touchdown passes to Laveranues Coles to open the score up 20-3 with less than 13 minutes to play. Miami didn't give up though as Dolphins quarterback Joey Harrington who played miserable in the first three quarters was on fire in the fourth. He finished 27 of 43 for 266 yards with a touchdown strike to wide receiver Chris Chambers, but two interceptions cost him. The touchdown to Chris Chambers happened with less than nine minutes on the clock, narrowing the margin to 20-10. With less than four minutes of play time left, Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown, who had his first 100 yard rushing game of the season, had a one yard touchdown run, to narrow the score to 20-17. Miami got the ball one last time. Joey Harrington got Miami in striking distance by firing a trio of passes to wide receivers Wes Welker, Chris Chambers, and rookie Derek Hagan, as well as a strike to tight end Randy McMichael. Miami got in field goal range and called for their kicker Olindo Mare to attempt a 51 yard field goal with 33 seconds left to force OT. Mare kicked it but it was short and wide right, and the Jets held on to win as Miami will have to wait for its miracle another day.     Result: New York 20 Miami 17

Brain James is an independent sports journalist. Brian has been covering major professional sports for over 25 years.

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