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25-year Phiniversary: Marino’s late drive lifts Miami Dolphins past Lions

By Mike Ferguson

Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino looks for an open receiver during first quarter action of their preseason game against the Green Bay Packers 28 August at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida. AFP PHOTO Rhona WISE (Photo by RHONA WISE / AFP) (Photo by RHONA WISE/AFP via Getty Images)
Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino looks for an open receiver during first quarter action of their preseason game against the Green Bay Packers 28 August at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida. AFP PHOTO Rhona WISE (Photo by RHONA WISE / AFP) (Photo by RHONA WISE/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Although neither ever won a Super Bowl, Dan Marino and Barry Sanders are probably the all-time faces of their franchises. On this day 25 years ago, the two shared the field for the final time in an absolute thriller. In the end, Marino led a last-second field goal drive to lead the Miami Dolphins past the Detroit Lions, 33-30.

The contest had major playoff implications as the teams met on Dec. 7, 1997, at Pro Player Stadium. The Dolphins were 8-5 while Detroit was 7-6. Both legends put on a show.

Marino finished with 310 yards passing and two touchdown passes to tight end Troy Drayton. Sanders rushed for 137 yards and a score on 30 carries.

Trailing 30-22 on the final Detroit possession of the game, Sanders carried the ball seven times as the Lions went 96 yards to tie the game. After Scott Mitchell, a former Dolphins quarterback, hit Herman Moore for a 16-yard touchdown. The two then connected for the two-point conversion with just 1:19 remaining.

As had been the case many times before, that was too much time for Marino. On the game’s final drive, Marino was 4-for-4 passing for 46 yards as the Dolphins marched from their own 22-yard-line to the Detroit 24.

Miami turned to rookie kicker Olindo Mare for what would be a career-long-tying 42-yard field goal attempt. The kick split the uprights as time expired to lift the Dolphins to a 33-30 victory.

The Dolphins never trailed in the contest, leading 17-3 in the first half before Sanders found the end zone. A pair of Mare field goals pushed the lead to 23-10, but Detroit answered with the next 12 points. Mitchell found Johnnie Morton for a score before Bryant Westbrook returned a Marino interception 64 yards for a touchdown. Conversions were failed after each touchdown.

After connecting for a 27-yard touchdown on the game’s opening drive, Miami’s final touchdown came on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Marino to Drayton. Mitchell passed for 288 yards while Morton led all receivers with nine catches for 171 yards.

Box score:
Pro Football Reference

Watch:

Karim Abdul-Jabbar led the Dolphins with 70 yards rushing and a touchdown. Terrell Buckley recorded a pair of interceptions for the Miami defense.

Detroit won its final two regular-season games while Miami lost its last two. Both teams finished 9-7 and were eliminated in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.

Sanders would last just one more season in Detroit while Marino spent two more in Miami. The last time the two league MVPs shared the field, the contest was decided by a last-second field goal. It happened on this day a quarter-century ago.

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