The Top 100 Plays of the First Quarter of the Century: 1-5

Counting down the memorable Miami Dolphins plays of the first 25 years of the 2000s

Miami Dolphins running back Kenyan Drake (32) runs the ball after a latteral play to score a touchdown to defeat the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium in 2018. | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Here's our countdown of the top 100 Miami Dolphins plays of the first 25 seasons of the new century.

For ground rules, the plays were picked on the basis of historical significance, impact on a game or season, and uniqueness.

We complete the countdown with plays 1-5:

5. Lamar Smith’s OT touchdown vs. Indianapolis in 2000

Setting the stage: It has been a while since the Dolphins won a playoff game, more than 20 years to be precise, and that long-ago victory was the result — more than anything else — of a heroic performance by running back Lamar Smith. While the defense did a good job of limiting the damage of Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James, Marvin Harrison and company, the offseason acquisition rushed for 209 yards and put the perfect exclamation point on the greatest rushing performance in team history on Dec. 30, 2000.

The play: The Dolphins got the game to overtime when they scored a touchdown in the final minute on a pass from Jay Fiedler to tight end Jed Weaver, which was followed by the Colts' curious decision to just run the ball after beginning the ensuing drive at their 20 with 28 seconds left and all three timeouts in their possession — again, with Peyton Manning leading the offense. The Dolphins survived another scare in overtime when Mike Vanderjagt missed a 48-yard field goal attempt after the Colts declined an offside penalty that would have given them a third-and-7 from the Miami 37. The Dolphins made sure to make Indy pay for its mistakes, moving from their 39 to the Indy 17 after two third-down conversions. Already in field goal position, the Dolphins instead clinched the victory when Smith took his 40th carry of the day to the end zone, carrying a Colts defender there with him.

4. The “Wake-Off” vs. Cincinnati in 2013

Setting the stage: The 2013 Dolphins season will be remembered for all the wrong reasons, but it did produce one memorable night. It was Halloween night in a Thursday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals that occurred only a few days after the events that would launch the "Bullygate" scandal. The Dolphins were 3-4 heading into the game and facing a very good Cincinnati team that was bringing a 6-2 record to Miami. It was a wildly entertaining game that featured a lot of big plays, none bigger than the very last one.

The play: After Brent Grimes scored on a 94-yard interception return and Cincinnati's Giovani Bernard had an electrifying 35-yard touchdown run, the Dolphins sent the game to overtime with a 44-yard field goal by Caleb Sturgis in the waning seconds. The teams traded three punts in overtime, including one from the Bengals on a fourth-and-8 from the Miami 39, before Cincinnati began a later possession at its 8-yard line. After two incompletions on passes intended for A.J. Green, Andy Dalton dropped back to pass on third down, but Cameron Wake got loose through the middle of the Cincinnati line and planted Dalton into the ground of a game-winning safety, which went on to become known as the "Wake-Off."

3. “Mountaineer Shot” vs. Philadelphia in 2019

Setting the stage: The Dolphins produced some memorable moments in the final weeks of the 2019 season when they found a way to win five of their last nine games after an 0-7 start. But nothing topped what they did late in the second quarter of the Dec. 1 game against the Eagles at Hard Rock Stadium. The play came to be known as "Mountaineer Shot" — named for center Daniel Kilgore's alma mater the Appalachian State Mountaineers — and it was selected as the NFL Play of the Year. For good reason. 

The play: The Dolphins trailed 13-7 when they faced a fourth-and-goal from the Eagles 1-yard line, after their first touchdown had come on a pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick to DeVante Parker on another fourth down. This time, it appeared they would settle for the field goal attempt ... until the Dolphins lined up with five players wide left, four wide right and only Kilgore and punter Matt Haack in the middle in shotgun formation. Christian Wilkins was lined up behind three teammates to the right, while kicker Jason Sanders lined up in the slot to the left and faked as though he was going to block after Haack took the snap and started moving to his left. But Sanders then snuck behind Philly linemen and got down to catch Haack's shovel pass to complete the improbable, remarkable touchdown. 

2. Jay Fiedler’s TD run vs. Oakland in 2001

Setting the stage: In terms of atmosphere at the Dolphins' current stadium, under whatever name, there probably hasn't been a game that matched what happened on Sept. 23, 2001. The place was electric for more than football reasons: It was the return of the NFL after a one-week absence in the aftermath of the events of 9/11. It only made things better that the Dolphins put together one of the best finishes of the 2000s against the Oakland Raiders on that day.

The play: The Dolphins faced that day an Oakland team that was a year removed from reaching the AFC Championship Game and they trailed 15-10 when they decided to punt with 2:32 left in the fourth quarter. The defense produced the three-and-out necessary to stay in the game and the offense then began its final drive at the 20 after a touchback. After converting a fourth-and-3 from the Raiders 18, the Dolphins moved to a third-and-2 with 12 seconds left. After faking a pitch to the left, quarterback Jay Fiedler rolled to his right and then juked inside a Raiders defender at about the 7-yard line and made a beeline toward the end zone. With a couple of defenders converging on him, Fiedler dove head-first into the end zone with the ball extended in front of him, scoring one of the most dramatic touchdowns in franchise history. The picture of Fiedler with the ball tucked in his right arm and his left arm extended with a fist in celebration made the cover of the next issue of Sports Illustrated.

1. “The Miami Miracle” vs. New England in 2018

Setting the stage: Not quite sure what we need to say about this one, other than it happened after New England seemingly had clinched a 33-28 victory when Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 22-yard field goal with 16 seconds left. It felt like a disappointing loss because the field goal came after New England converted three third downs on the drive. But we all know what happened following a 16-yard kickoff return by Kalen Ballage to the 31-yard line.

The play: The play was scored as a 14-yard completion to Kenny Stills to the 45, with a lateral to DeVante Parker and 3 more yards to the 48 and another lateral to Kenyan Drake, who then raced the final 52 yards to the end zone. There were two great moments on the CBS call by Ian Eagle: The first one was, "And this will end it after the shovel ... or will it?" And then there was the classic, "Oh, look out!" Look out indeed.