Phinsider Hump Day Flashback and Live Thread

Tonight’s Hump Day Flashback game is one that most of the older guys on the site will remember vividly. It was the 1994 NFL season the the then 7 and 4 Miami Dolphins were facing off against the 6 and 5 hated New York Jets. Miami at the time had the lead in the AFC east entering the game with the Jets just one game back and with the Buffalo Bills at 6 and 6 and both the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots close behind at 5 and 6. This of course made this game an important one for Miami to win in an effort to put some distance between them and the rest of the division. In addition to the fact that the other teams in the division were bunched up right behind Miami the Dolphins were coming off of back to back losses.

Things started out poorly that day for Miami as the Jets quickly took a 17 to 0 lead over the Dolphins. Marino then threw a touchdown to Mark Ingram but missed on the two point conversion try, leaving Miami still 11 points in the hole. The Jets followed up Miami’s score with another touchdown of their own but Marino being Marino came right back finding Ingram in the end-zone again for 6. This time Miami was able to convert their 2 point conversion on a pass to Irving Fryer making the score 24-14 in favor of the Jets.

Miami entered the 4th quarter down ten points before then Jets starter Boomer Esiason was intercepted setting up another chance for Marino. Marino cashed in on his opportunity throwing his third touchdown of the day to Ingram pushing the Dolphins closer but with the Jets still leading 24 to 21. On the Jets ensuring drive the Miami defense blitzed resulting in Tim Bowens forcing an Esiason fumble. The fumble was recovered by the Jets but it forced a punt giving the Dolphins the ball back as time ran down.

Unfortunately for Miami then wide-out O.J. McDuffie fumbled the punt giving the ball right back to the Jets. As time continued to run down what looked like a possible comeback seemed to have turned in the Jets favor for a win as New York had the ball at the Miami 38 yard line. As fortune would have it Boomer threw his second interception of the game but Miami was not able to capitalize on the turnover and were forced to punt the ball back to the Jets.

Then, with only 2:34 left on the clock Esiason threw his third pick of the day to former Dolphin J.B. Brown. Miami took the ball and drove to the Jets 8 yard line but were still trailing 24 to 21 and with only 38 seconds left in the game. On a play that then backup quarterback and former University Of Miami standout Bernie Kosar had introduced to the team when he was signed, the Dolphins ran up on the line of scrimmage as time continued to run. Marino gave a nod to Mark Ingram and yelled “Clock, Clock, Clock” indicating to the Jets defense that he was going to spike the ball to stop the clock, presumably to kick a field goal and force the game into overtime.

With the signal that he was going to spike the ball the Jets defense took a normal relaxed posture with some of the players barely lining up for the play. Marino then took the snap and instead of spiking the ball and stopping the clock dropped back. Ingram ran to the corner of the end-zone as the Jets corner-back at the time, Aaron Glenn bit on the fake leaving Ingram open. With most of the Jets defense caught flat footed Marino easily completed the touchdown pass to Ingram and thus handed Miami the 28 to 24 victory on which to this day is one of the most famous plays in NFL history.