The greatest Super Bowl the Miami Dolphins never played in
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins have been in five Super Bowls winning two and losing three. It was the one they didn’t play in that is the best.
On this day in 2008 the Miami Dolphins faithful and every living member of the 1972 Miami Dolphins perfect team sat glued to their televisions as the Patriots faced off against the Giants in the hopes of finishing their own perfect season.
Ahead of the game several versions of a commercial about “Perfectville” were filmed with Dolphins players welcoming the Patriots to the city of one. Another version had them directing the Patriots away.
Miami obviously didn’t play in that game but the football Gods were not about to let the Patriots gain entrance into the small town with a population of one. Perhaps all those decades ago Don Shula made a deal for one season of perfection. A deal that no other team would accomplish. Regular season perfection simply doesn’t count New England.
The game was good and while several plays stood out none stand out more than an escaping Eli Manning who managed to avoid a sack and sling it downfield to David Tyree. Following a pass to Amari Toomer who came up inches short on third down, the Giants faced 4th and 1 with 1:40 seconds left in the game. They ran the ball and picked up the first down.
Inching down field as they continued, the Giants found themselves in a 3rd and five from their own 45 yard line with 1:13 seconds left in the game.
Manning took the snap and avoided the sack of three would be tacklers. If the sack avoiding Manning wasn’t impressive enough on that play the catch by Tyree was.
In coverage Tyree caught the ball and cradled it against his helmet keeping the ball from touching the ground as he fell backwards. A review of the play showed Tyree holding the ball tightly and keeping it off the ground even as the Patriot defender tried in vane to rip it away.
The drive would culminate with a Manning to Plaxico Burress touchdown and a lead change that would put the Giants up by three with 35 seconds left. The Giants defense would put the game away and the Miami Dolphins would remain the only team in the history of the modern-day NFL to finish a season undefeated and making this game the best Super Bowl that the Dolphins never played in.