Miami Dolphins at 50: Top 10 Games

Honorable Mention – AFC Divisional Round: Miami Dolphins vs. San Diego Chargers; Jan. 2, 1982

San Diego jumped out to a ridiculous 24-0 lead in the first quarter, but Miami quarterback Don Strock would lead an epic comeback.

The Dolphins narrowed the gap to 24-17 in the second quarter alone thanks to two Strock touchdown passes (a one-yarder to TE Joe Rose and a 25-yarder to RB Tony Nathan) and a Uwe von Schamann 34-yard field goal.

More from Dolphins All-Time Lists

• Mount Rushmore of most hated players in Miami Dolphins history
• Every head coach in Miami Dolphins history, ranked
• Miami Dolphins Gerrid Doaks likely competing for practice squad in 2022
• Miami Dolphins: Top 5 games of Ricky Williams’ career
• Five “What If” scenarios in Miami Dolphins history

In the second half, the Chargers and Dolphins would trade scores like two heavyweight boxers exchanging haymakers.

Strock found Rose for a 25-yard touchdown to even the score at 24. But Dan Fouts put together his own quarter long scoring drive when he connected with Kellen Winslow to reclaim the lead for San Diego, 31-24.

However, Strock was in the zone. He found TE Bruce Hardy for a 50-yard score. Then Nathan would give Miami its first lead of the game when he scored on a 12 yard dash to the endzone.

It seemed the Dolphins had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, but Fouts still had another drive left in him. Fouts took the Chargers down the field once again and knotted the scored at 38 when he found James Brooks for a 9-yard touchdown.

Going into overtime, it seemed it was just a matter of who won the coin toss.

Not exactly.

The game went long into the extra period with both teams missing out on game winning field goals until the Chargers won it.

If not for a Andra Franklin fumble with the Dolphins driving and seizing control of the football game and a late fourth quarter von Schamann blocked field goal, this would definitely have been a top 10 game.

Don Strock replaced David Woodley after the young quarterback struggled mightily to get the offense moving. Strock put up 403 passing yards and four touchdowns while Tony Nathan, Duriel Harris, and Bruce Hardy all turned in fantastic efforts in the 41-38 defeat.

Yes, the Dolphins lost but the sheer action and the great comeback in the “Epic in Miami” makes it the best game in franchise history that didn’t quite go their way.