The 100 Greatest Plays in Dolphins History: No. 35

Combining the countdown to the start of the Dolphins regular season with the best plays in franchise history

Author:
Alain Poupart
Publish date:
Aug 8, 2021 8:30 AM EDT

To help count down the days to the start of the Miami Dolphins regular season last year, we marked each day with the corresponding jersey number and came up with the three best players to wear that number.

This year, we're counting down to the start of the regular season with a countdown of the top 100 plays in Dolphins history.

Given that the Dolphins have played 849 regular season games and 41 more in the playoffs, it's an awfully difficult task to narrow things down to 100 plays and then rank them. The plays selected were ranked on the basis of difficulty, uniqueness, immediate and long-lasting impact and historical significance.

The countdown initially appeared in Dolphin Digest in 2019 but has been updated.

We continue with No. 35:

No. 35: Charlie Babb's punt block/touchdown vs. Cleveland in the 1972 playoffs

Setting the stage: Our countdown already has featured one play from the 20-14 divisional playoff victory against the Cleveland Browns, linebacker Doug Swift's game-clinching interception. The most memorable play, however, took place in the first quarter and it actually gave the Dolphins their first points during the playoff run that would end with them completing their perfect season.

The play: Charlie Babb was a fifth-round pick in the 1972 draft and he played 14 games as a backup defensive back and special teams contributor as a rookie. The highlight of his first regular season was his first career interception in the Dolphins' 52-0 victory against New England at the Orange Bowl. In his first playoff appearance, Babb gave the Dolphins a 7-0 lead when he blocked Don Cockroft's punt, fell on it around the 2-yard line and rolled into the end zone for a touchdown. The play helped the Dolphins build a 10-0 first-quarter lead.

No. 35: Charlie Babb's punt block/touchdown vs. Cleveland in the 1972 playoffs

Schedule

Latest Dolphins News

Dolphins Adding Poyer to Secondary

Bills BREAKING: Jordan Poyer Signing With Rival

Colts Sign Former Dolphins Run-Stuffing Defensive Tackle to Deal

Davis the Latest D-Lineman to Leave

Free agent cornerback Siran Neal could help improve Miami's special teams unit