The Top 75 Dolphins Games of the 2000s: Numbers 26-30

Unlikely heroes Michael Thomas, Knowshon Moreno and Ed Perry lead the way in our next set of games

The Miami Dolphins made quarterback Rich Gannon's life miserable when the Oakland Raiders visited South Florida in the early 2000s. / Lou Capozzola-USA TODAY Sports

The last two seasons have been generally good ones and often memorable for the Miami Dolphins, who made the playoffs each time mostly behind one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL.

The proof comes in our ranking of the top 75 Dolphins games of the 2000s, which featured seven games from 2022 (the most of any season) plus four more from last season.

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 26-30:

30. 2005 vs. Buffalo — Dolphins 24, Bills 23

The countdown already has featured one game from the Dolphins' six-game season-ending winning streak in Nick Saban's first season as head coach, but this December game in Miami was the most dramatic. This was the game when Chris Chambers set a franchise record with 15 catches for 238 yards, including the game-winning 4-yard touchdown from Sage Rosenfels with 6 seconds left. Rosenfels came into the game after Gus Frerotte was injured while being sacked for a safety that gave Buffalo a 23-3 lead early in the third quarter. The Bills earlier had stunned the Dolphins with three first-quarter touchdown passes from J.P. Losman to Lee Evans for a quick 21-0 lead.

29. 2013 vs. New England — Dolphins 24, Patriots 20

This December home game had a little bit of everything, including a great performance by Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill and a great defensive stand highlighted by newcomer Michael Thomas, making his Miami debut five days after being signed off the 49ers practice squad. After Tannehill gave the Dolphins the lead with a touchdown pass to Marcus Thigpen, it sure looked like Tom Brady was going to pull off one of his patented comebacks when he drove the Pats from their 20 to the Miami 14 with 16 seconds left. But the defense forced two straight incompletions before Thomas jumped in front of wide receiver Austin Collie in the end zone for the game-clinching interception.

28. 2006 at Chicago — Dolphins 31, Bears 13

Any list of the greatest upset victories in Dolphins history has to include this game when the 1-6 Dolphins shocked the 7-0 Bears at Soldier Field. While Ronnie Brown rushed for 157 yards, this game was about the defense, which came up with three sacks and six takeaways, including Jason Taylor's 20-yard pick-six to make it 14-3 in the second quarter.

27. 2002 vs. Oakland — Dolphins 23, Raiders 17

While the 2002 season ended in disappointment for the Dolphins when they lost their final two games at Minnesota and New England, this Week 15 home victory against the eventual AFC champion Raiders and NFL MVP Rich Gannon showed they could compete with any team. The Dolphins held Gannon to 204 passing yards and a season-low 72.5 passer rating, stopping their final drive when Patrick Surtain intercepted a deep pass down the middle intended for Jerry Rice. The Dolphins, whose game-winning field goal was set up by an Ed Perry recovery of a Tim Brown fumble on a punt return, iced the victory when Ricky Williams rushed for a first down.

26. 2014 vs. New England — Dolphins 33, Patriots 20

If the 2015 home game against Houston (59 on the countdown) featured the best Dolphins first half in memory, it's difficult to find a more impressive second half than what they did in their 2014 season opener. Things didn't look good after New England took a 20-10 lead into halftime after racking 248 yards of offense, but the defense held the Patriots to two first downs on their first six second-half possessions. The Dolphins outscored New England 23-0 in that second half, taking the lead for good on a Caleb Sturgis field goal late in the third quarter and slamming the door when Knowshon Moreno put the capper on his 134-yard rushing performance with a fourth-quarter touchdown.

PREVIOUSLY IN THE COUNTDOWN

-- The Top 75 Dolphins Games of the 2000s: Numbers 71-75

-- The Top 75 Dolphins Games of the 2000s: Numbers 66-70

-- The Top 75 Dolphins Games of the 2000s: Numbers 61-65

-- The Top 75 Dolphins Games of the 2000s: Numbers 56-60

-- The Top 75 Dolphins Games of the 2000s: Numbers 51-55

-- The Top 75 Dolphins Games of the 2000s: Numbers 46-50

-- The Top 75 Dolphins Games of the 2000s: Numbers 41-45

-- The Top 75 Dolphins Games of the 2000s: Numbers 36-40

-- The Top 75 Dolphins Games of the 2000s: Numbers 31-35