Miami Dolphins: Top 5 moments of the 1990s

4. Marino Returns, Week 1 1994

After a tumultuous and eventful 1993 season for the Miami Dolphins, things felt a little more comfortable during the opening week of the 1994 season.

Dan Marino had missed the final 11 games of the previous season with an achilles injury, derailing a Miami team that was off to a hot start while Marino was still teetering on his prime years. The once 9-2 Dolphins stumbled down the stretch, losing their last five games without their proven leader underneath center. But he was back in a big way against the Patriots on September 4th, 1994.

In what ended up being a shootout and a 10-point Dolphins’ comeback, Miami and New England went back and forth trading touchdowns, making both defenses look helpless on the muddy South Florida turf. Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe threw for 421 yards to go with four touchdowns, but he was outdone by Marino, who put up a 473-yard, 5-touchdown performance.

There was a bona fide signature moment in the game as well. With time running out, the Dolphins trailed by three points but possessed the ball at the New England 35-yard line, facing a 4th and 5 situation. Unfortunately for Miami’s kicking team, the ball was placed in the mud from the baseball diamond that used to grace the field at Joe Robbie Stadium, making a 50-yard game tying field goal an extremely risky move. Instead, the Dolphins went for it, and Marino found Irving Fryar streaking down the right sideline for the game winning touchdown.

Dan was back.