With so much quarterback talk around the Miami Dolphins, we take a look back at the best-to-ever play the position for the franchise.
We have reached the dead point in the Miami Dolphins offseason. We still have a few weeks to go until training camp begins, while the free agency and the draft feel like they happened longer than 3 months ago.
There is no better time than now to take our walks down memory lane or open up the history vault. With all of the quarterback talk in Miami lately, I can’t help but remember Dan Marino and the glory that he brought to the Dolphins franchise and the fan base.
Perhaps the greatest pure passer ever, Marino’s lack of a Super Bowl win will hurt his legacy for as long as people remember him. But that didn’t take away from the record-breaking skill that he possessed, and he had some of the finest games that a quarterback has ever played.
Here are the ten best single-game performances by Dan Marino over the course of his career:
#10: December 2nd, 1984 vs. Raiders
35 of 57/ 470 yards/ 4TD/ 2INT/ 96.4 rating
It was one of only two losses on the season for the 1984 Miami Dolphins, and the defense deserves much of the blame for not being able to stop Marcus Allen and the Raiders’ rushing attack. But it was one of Marino’s finest games in what was his finest season and was the third-highest yard total of his career.
#9: September 21st, 1986 @ Jets
30 of 50/ 448 yards/ 6TD/ 2INT/ 112.3 rating
Marino’s career-high six-touchdown game came in 1986 in an early-season matchup with the New York Jets, but the game resulted in a loss and doesn’t rank in the top 40 of his best QB rating games. His 448 yards were actually less than Ken O’Brien’s 479 for the Jets, and his two interceptions proved costly as the Dolphins fell in overtime.
But it was one of the most underrated quarterback duels of all time and was one of the best games of Marino’s career.
#8: October 8th, 1992 vs. Patriots
21 of 30/ 294 yards/ 4TD/ 1INT/ 126.9 rating
The numbers don’t jump off of the page, but Dan Marino had one of his most efficient days during Miami’s Week 7 game against the Patriots in 1992. His 21 for 30, four-touchdown performance was enough to keep the Dolphins undefeated and rank as the 10th best in terms of QB rating. The only blemish on the day was a single interception.
#7: November 1st, 1987 vs. Steelers
25 of 31/ 332 yards/ 4TD/ 2INT/ 124 rating
Arguably the most efficient game of his career, Marino couldn’t miss against the Steelers in 1987. His completion percentage of 80.65 was the second-best of his career, and he was able to throw for four scores as well. He had just six passes that didn’t reach the hands of his receivers, two of them being interceptions, meaning that the ball hit the ground just four times all day.
#6: September 30th, 1984 @ Cardinals
24 of 36/ 429 yards/ 3TD/ 0INT/ 135.1 rating
It was the 5th game of Marino’s historic 1984 season, and the Dolphins defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in order to remain undefeated. The game ranked 5th in QBR and 7th in yards in a single game, and his completion percentage of 66 was an impressive cherry on top of the day.
#5: December 4th, 1988 vs. Colts
26 of 32/ 304 yards/ 3TD/ 1INT/124.5 rating
The most accurate day of Marino’s career somehow resulted in a loss, but that doesn’t take away from the eye-popping numbers he had that day. 26 completions on 32 attempts were good enough for the highest completion percentage he ever achieved, and he added over 300 yards as well as 3 touchdowns. If it weren’t for the one interception, it would have an argument for the best game of Marino’s career.
#4: November 24th, 1986 vs. Jets
29 of 36/ 288 yards/ 4TD/ 0INT/137 rating
Another one at the top of the list of efficient games, Marino completed 80.56 of his passes against the Jets in Week 12 of the 1986 season and was one of his many four-touchdown performances. It was his 4th best in QB rating, which was aided heavily by his mistake-free day in the interception department. The Dolphins won 45-3.
#3: October 14th, 1984 vs. Oilers
25 of 32/ 321 yards/ 3TD/ 0INT/ 139.7 rating
Much like some of the other games on this list, Marino’s stats for the 1984 matchup with the Houston Oilers don’t jump off of the page. His 321 yards and 3 touchdowns were impressive, but it was the sheer volume at which he achieved those numbers. Marino threw the ball 32 times
#2: September 4th, 1994 vs. Patriots
23 for 42/ 473 yards/ 5TD/ 1INT/124.3 rating
This was the game that stuck out in my head when creating this list, and it took a seriously stellar performance to knock this one out of the top spot.
It was the first game of the 1994 season, the year after Marino missed 11 games with an Achilles injury. He wasted no time getting back to his original form, as he began the campaign with the best statistical game of his career. His 473 yards and 5 touchdowns are both the second most for Marino in any single game.
It took every ounce that Marino had. Drew Bledsoe had a heck of a day for the Patriots, throwing for over 400 yards and putting up an impressive 4 touchdowns himself. The Dolphins would win 39-35. Had he not thrown the one interception and had a completion percentage better than 54, it would have been Marino’s finest day as a pro.
#1: September 2nd, 1984 @ Redskins
21 for 28/ 311 yards/ 5TD/ 0INT/ 150.4 rating
What a way to kick off what would be one of the best quarterback seasons in NFL history.
Dan Marino was beginning his first season as the full-time starter after showing promise during the latter portion of his rookie year. He started off the year with a bang as the Dolphins traveled to Washington to play the Redskins. He completed 75 percent of his passes and accumulated 311 yards, but it was his touchdown to interception ratio that truly stood out.
Marino threw for five scores that day and made nary a mistake, starting off the season with a blistering 5:0 TD/INT ratio. That combined with his completion percentage was good enough for a QB rating of 150.4, the highest mark of his career. His 11.11 yards per attempt was his fifth-most ever.