The Dolphins' Top 10 Sunday Night Games
The Miami Dolphins will make their second appearance on Sunday Night Football this season when they face the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium after the game was flexed from its previous 4:05 p.m. ET start time.
The game against the Chargers, following the Week 7 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers, will mark the Dolphins' fourth appearance on SNF since the start of the 2005 season, a season that ended Miami's streak of appearing at least once for 18 consecutive years.
The Dolphins have done well in Sunday night game, posting a 20-9 overall record that includes a 13-3 loss against the Steelers in a September 2004 game that was moved from its 1 p.m. scheduled start because of Hurricane Jeanne.
Along the way, there have been some memorable Sunday evenings, either for what happened in the game or because of a special celebration or moment.
With that in mind, let's count down the top 10 Dolphins Sunday night games.
10. 1999 vs. Tennessee — Dolphins 17, Titans 0
This was a night that current Dolphins cornerbacks coach/pass game coordinator Sam Madison should remember well because he picked off Steve McNair three times in a performance that earned him AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
9. 1987 at Dallas — Dolphins 20, Cowboys 14
This was the Dolphins' first appearance on SNF and it showcased a marvelous performance by rookie running back Troy Stradford, who had 252 yards from scrimmage (169 rushing, 83 receiving).
8. 1994 vs. Detroit — Dolphins 27, Lions 20
The Dolphins used three Bernie Parmalee rushing touchdowns to build a 27-10 lead, then held off a Lions rally to clinch the AFC East title on Christmas night.
7. 1993 vs. Indianapolis — Dolphins 41, Colts 27
This was the Dolphins' first game after Dan Marino sustained his season-ending Achilles injury at Cleveland and it came after the team's second bye — this was the one season the NFL experimented with two byes — and new starting QB Scott Mitchell got all sorts of help. Fullback Keith Byars threw a touchdown pass, Louis Oliver had a pick-six and O.J. McDuffie had a punt return for another score.
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6. 2000 vs. Baltimore — Dolphins 19, Ravens 6
There was nothing particularly exciting about this game, which featured Jason Taylor getting 2.5 of the Dolphins' six sacks against the eventual Super Bowl champion, but it was memorable nonetheless for the halftime ceremony where the team retired Dan Marino's number.
5. 2003 vs. Washington — Dolphins 24, Washington 23
On a night when the Dolphins wore orange jerseys, the Dolphins rallied from a 23-10 fourth-quarter deficit behind quarterback Jay Fiedler, who came off the bench after missing the start because of an injury. Ricky Williams capped both drives with touchdown runs.
4. 1994 at Cincinnati — Dolphins 23, Bengals 7
Like the 2000 game against Baltimore, it wasn't anything that happened on the field that made this game memorable. It was the matchup between Don Shula and David Shula, the first father-son head-coaching matchup in the history of the four major professional sports.
3. 2001 at Tennessee — Dolphins 31, Titans 23
This was the season opener and it offered quite a challenge for the Dolphins against the No. 1 seed in the AFC from the previous season. But the Miami defense dominated Steve McNair and Neil O'Donnell, capped by Zach Thomas' pick-six and famous flip into the end zone. That score made it 31-14 before Tennessee added a late touchdown and field goal to make the final score more respectable.
2. 1992 vs. N.Y. Jets — Dolphins 19, Jets 17
This game in the next-to-last week of the regular season clinched a playoff berth for the Dolphins, who won in dramatic and movie-style fashion. Trailing 17-10, the Dolphins scored a touchdown with 2:30 left before kicker Pete Stoyanovich pushed the extra-point attempt wide right. That prompted Jets defensive coordinator Pete Carroll — yes, that Pete Carroll — to bring both hands to his throat in a choking sign. But the Miami defense produced a three-and-out, the Jets got off only a 29-yard punt and Stoyanovich soon after found himself with a shot at revenge and redemption, and he nailed a 37-yard field goal for the victory.
1. 2002 at Denver — Dolphins 24, Broncos 22
This Week 6 game at what was then called Invesco Field at Mile High had a crazy fourth quarter that began with a Sam Madison interception, a Ricky Williams touchdown run and a Patrick Surtain pick-six that turned a 12-7 Dolphins deficit into a seemingly commanding 21-12 lead. But Denver came back to take a 22-21 lead on a 55-yard field goal by Jason Elam with 45 seconds remaining. No problem. After Jay Fiedler completions of 17 and 22 yards, Olindo Mare kicked a game-winning 53-yard field goal, marking the first time in NFL history a kicker from each team had kicked a 50-plus-yard field goal in the final minute.
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