The 75 Best Dolphins Games of the 2000s: Nos. 51-55
The 2022 season was a memorable one for the Miami Dolphins not only because it produced the franchise's first playoff appearance in six years but did so with style.
The proof comes in our ranking of the top 75 Dolphins games of the 2000s, which featured more from 2022 than any other season.
We ended up with seven games from last season in our countdown, two more than 2002, 2013, 2014 and 2016.
Of course, this is all subjective and every Dolphins fan might have a different view of each game. For us, it was about the entertainment value of the game combined with the significance of it, with bonus points awarded for anything unusual that happened like, say, a ridiculous three-lateral finish or a team being called back from the locker room 30 minutes after everybody thought the game was over.
And, yes, the list includes some Dolphins losses purely on the entertainment value and quality of the game.
So here it is, our countdown of the top 75 Dolphins games of the 2000s, continuing with numbers 51-55:
55. 2011 at Buffalo — Dolphins 30, Bills 23
The 2011 season wasn't a lot of fun for Dolphins fans, who saw the team get off to a miserable 0-7 start followed by the firing of head coach Tony Sparano after a loss to Philadelphia in Week 14 dropped the team's record to 4-9. But the biggest highlight of the season came in Todd Bowles' debut as interim head coach on Reggie Bush's most memorable performance as a member of the Dolphins. Bush capped a 203-yard rushing day with a 76-yard touchdown that gave Miami a 30-13 lead with 5:52 left in regulation. Only a late touchdown and field goal, sandwiched around a successful onside kick, made the final score more respectable for the Bills, whose head coach that day was former and future Dolphins offensive coordinator Chan Gailey and whose quarterback was Ryan Fitzpatrick.
54. 2022 at Chicago — Dolphins 35, Bears 32
We had the previous game at Detroit on the countdown earlier, but this one ranked slightly higher because it featured a great QB battle between Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Fields. Each QB threw three touchdown passes, but while Tua had a big edge in passing yards (302-123), Fields compensated by rushing for 178 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown. The Dolphins never trailed after Tua's 3-yard touchdown pass followed by Andrew Van Ginkel's touchdown off Jaelan Phillips' punt block gave them a 21-10 lead, but the Bears kept coming back. The Dolphins escaped Soldier Field with the victory after the Bears turned the ball over on downs on their final drive, and they likely got away with a DPI on the last third-and-10 that would have put the ball at the Miami 22.
53. 2015 vs. New England — Dolphins 20, Patriots 10
The finale of the disappointing 2015 season for the Dolphins truly was bizarre, but it also was oh-so satisfying because it robbed the Patriots of the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. After fighting their way to a 5-7 record under interim head coach Dan Campbell, the Dolphins had lost three in a row heading into this finale in Miami but shockingly manhandled the Patriots, outgaining them 438-196. New England mysteriously stuck to its ground game in this one, with 27 carries compared to 25 pass attempts between Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo (he came in after the two-minute warning). It was a big day for rookie first-round pick DeVante Parker, who had the first 100-yard performance of his NFL career.
52. 2002 at Indianapolis — Dolphins 21, Colts 13
Stopping Peyton Manning and the Colts offense never was an easy task, but the Dolphins had some success doing it at times, this Week 2 game being a good example. The defense picked off Manning three times in the first half — Derrick Rodgers, Jamar Fletcher and Patrick Surtain — and the offense scored on three of its first four possessions for a 21-3 halftime lead. The Dolphins made it hold up with two defensive stands — Tommy Hendricks dropped Edgerrin James for a loss on a fourth-and-goal from the 1, and the defense forced two incompletions on the final two plays of the game from the Miami 6-yard line.
51. 2010 at Green Bay — Dolphins 23, Packers 20 (OT)
This game is topical with Aaron Rodgers moving into the AFC East because it's the only time the Dolphins have defeated the start quarterback. And it took overtime because Rodgers scored on a 1-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal in the final minute of regulation. Rodgers also had an 86-yard touchdown pass to Greg Jennings in the first quarter, but the Dolphins defense was all over him. Cameron Wake led the charge with three of the team's five sacks, including one on third down in overtime to give the Dolphins the ball back for their game-winning field goal drive.
Earlier in the countdown:
75. 2022 vs. New England — Dolphins 20, Patriots 7
74. 2014 vs. Oakland (London, England) — Dolphins 38, Raiders 14
73. 2018 vs. Oakland — Dolphins 28, Raiders 20
72. 2021 vs. N.Y. Jets — Dolphins 31, Jets 24
71. 2005 vs. Carolina — Dolphins 27, Panthers 24
70. 2022 playoffs at Buffalo — Bills 34, Dolphins 31
69. 2004 at San Francisco — Dolphins 24, 49ers 17
68. 2012 at Arizona — Cardinals 24, Dolphins 21 (OT)
67. 2014 at Denver — Broncos 39, Dolphins 36
66. 2022 at Buffalo — Bills 32, Dolphins 29
65. 2017 vs. New England — Dolphins 27, Patriots 20
64. 2014 vs. San Diego — Dolphins 37, Chargers 0
63. 2009 vs. Indianapolis — Colts 27, Dolphins 23
62. 2016 vs. Cleveland — Dolphins 30, Browns 24 (OT)
61. 2008 at Houston — Texans 29, Dolphins 28
60. 2021 at New England — Dolphins 17, Patriots 16
59. 2015 vs. Houston — Dolphins 44, Texans 26
58. 2016 vs. N.Y. Jets — Dolphins 27, Jets 23
57. 2022 at Detroit — Dolphins 31, Lions 27
56. 2011 at Kansas City — Dolphins 31, Chiefs 3
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