Miami Dolphins history: Most number of passing TDs in one game
By Chance Horan
In Miami Dolphins history, the feat of throwing six touchdowns has been done three times in franchise history and is the record for most in a game for the franchise. With large intervals of time in between those performances, we will take a look back on them and relive some of the best quarterback performances in team history.
Bob Griese's 6 Touchdown performance in 1977
The first Miami Dolphins six passing touchdowns in a game would happen in 1977 by Miami Dolphins first franchise quarterback Bob Griese. Griese had already been in the league for a decade entering the 1977 season, already having a prestigious career as a two-time Superbowl champion, one-time all-pro (he would be named all pro again in 1977), and a six-time career pro bowler up until that point (he would be named to the Pro Bowl in 1977 and the following year in 1978 as well).
Coming into the game, the Dolphins were 7-3, coming off a loss to the Bengals. The Dolphins would travel to face the 7-3 Cardinals, who would be at the start of their late-season collapse. Griese and the Dolphins would come out of the gates hot, with Griese throwing two touchdowns in the opening quarter and staying hot going into the next quarter, throwing another pair of touchdowns in the second quarter, having four touchdowns at halftime, and being up 28-7. The second half would become a bit quieter, with Griese having two more in the third that would end his touchdown spree, ending his day with a 48-7 lead.
Final Stat Line: 6 Touchdowns 1 Interception 207 passing yards, 65% completion (15/23) Dolphins win 55-14
Dan Marino versus the rival Jets in a shootout in 1986
The next six passing touchdown game by a Miami Dolphins quarterback would happen nine years later by fourth-year quarterback Dan Marino. Marino would come out of the gates blazing in the NFL in his second year in the league, in 1984. He would have the best year of his career and was widely regarded as having one of the best quarterback seasons of all time with 48 touchdowns and 5,084 yards, winning league MVP that year.
Dan would have his most passing touchdowns in a game early in the 1986 season, with six versus the New York Jets. In a week-three game in late September, the Dolphins would travel to East Rutherford to play their longtime division rival. Marino would score a touchdown in the first quarter and then follow it up with two more in the next quarter. Despite those three touchdowns, the Dolphins were down 31-21. The Dolphins and Marino would end up taking the lead after three scoring possessions with two passing TDs and a FG sandwiched in between, making it 38-31. The Jets would fight right back, tying it at 38. But being down in this game, the Dolphins were used to it, so Marino would throw a short passing TD to Mark Clayton, making it 6 on the day and taking a 45-38 lead. Unfortunately, that lead wouldn't stay with the Dolphins defense allowing a last-second touchdown to tie,and in OT, Marino would never have a shot with the Jets scoring on the only overtime drive, ending in a 51-45 Dolphins loss.
Final Stat Line: 6 Touchdowns 2 Interception 448 passing yards, 60% completion (30/50) Dolphins lose 51-45
Tua Tagovailoa's comeback in Baltimore
Finally, the last and most recent six touchdown day by a Dolphins quarterback is the current one, Tua Tagovailoa, and it happened this past year, which was 36 years after the Dan Marino game. Yet again, the Dolphins would have to travel to Baltimore for a Week 2 game, making it three games where the Dolphins were on the road for six passing touchdown games. Young quarterback Tua, after two mixed seasons with the Dolphins, is still trying to make a name for himself in the league, this game would show you what he's made of.
This game, unlike the others, would start out slow for the Dolphins and Tagovailoa, he wouldn't throw his first touchdown until 10 minutes left in the second quarter. With the Dolphins only having seven points and being down twenty-one, a six-point game does not look very likely. Especially after three quarters, Tua would only have two touchdowns, and the Ravens lead would still stand at 35-14. Then in the fourth quarter, something clicked, there was some magic that wasn't shown in the first three quarters. It started with a short passing touchdown to Cracraft. Then on the drive after that, Tua would throw a 48 yard deep bomb touchdown to Tyreek Hill for his first career Dolphins TD to cut the deficit to seven. Deja Vu would strike on the next Dolphins offensive drive after the defense kept it a 7-point game, and Tua would throw another deep touchdown to Tyreek, this time a 60-yard touchdown, tying it at 35. After a Justin Tucker FG, the Ravens would be up 3 and Tua would have 2:18 to score one more touchdown for the win, and you know what? That's exactly what he did, methodically going down the field, picking apart the Ravens defense, and throwing a strike to Star WR Jaylen Waddle, taking a 42-38 lead that would stick for the final seconds.
Final Stat Line: 6 Touchdowns 2 Interception 469 passing yards, 72% completion (36/50) Dolphins win 42-38
All three of the Dolphins six touchdown passing days happened in different ways, like a blowout, a shootout loss,and a massive comeback. In my opinion, I think the most recent one by Tua was the most impressive, bringing the team back from 21 going into the fourth and winning.