The 75 Best Dolphins Games of the 2000s: Nos. 21-25

The 2022 season was a memorable one for the Miami Dolphins not only because it produced the franchise's first playoff appearance in six years but did so with style.

The proof comes in our ranking of the top 75 Dolphins games of the 2000s, which featured more from 2022 than any other season.

We ended up with seven games from last season in our countdown, two more than 2002, 2013, 2014 and 2016.

Of course, this is all subjective and every Dolphins fan might have a different view of each game. For us, it was about the entertainment value of the game combined with the significance of it, with bonus points awarded for anything unusual that happened like, say, a ridiculous three-lateral finish or a team being called back from the locker room 30 minutes after everybody thought the game was over.

And, yes, the list includes some Dolphins losses purely on the entertainment value and quality of the game.

So here it is, our countdown of the top 75 Dolphins games of the 2000s, continuing with numbers 21-25:

25. 2014 vs. New England — Dolphins 33, Patriots 20

If the 2015 home game against Houston (59 on the countdown) featured the best Dolphins first half in memory, it's difficult to find a more impressive second half than what they did in their 2014 season opener. Things didn't look good after New England took a 20-10 into halftime after racking 248 yards of offense, but the defense held the Patriots to two first downs on their first six second-half possessions. The Dolphins outscored New England 23-0 in that second half, taking the lead for good on a Caleb Sturgis field goal late in the third quarter and slamming the door when Knowshon Moreno put the capper on his 134-yard rushing performance with a fourth-quarter touchdown.

24. 2017 at Atlanta — Dolphins 20, Falcons 17

The Dolphins were 2-2 when they prepared to face the 3-1 defending NFC champion Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and things sure didn't look good when Atlanta took a 17-0 lead into halftime. But Jay Cutler led the offense on scoring drives all four times Miami had the ball in the second half and the Dolphins came up with a huge defensive stand to clinch the victory when safety Reshad Jones picked off a Matt Ryan pass on a first-and-10 from the Miami 26 — well within field goal range.

23. 2001 at Tennessee — Dolphins 31, Titans 23

This Sunday night opener was highlighted by one of new Dolphins Hall of Famer Zach Thomas' signature plays, his 34-yard pick-six punctuated by his forward flip into the end zone. But this was an overall great opening performance by the Dolphins, who also got two touchdowns from running back Lamar Smith, including a 65-yard pass on a screen from Jay Fiedler. The final score didn't do justice to Miami's performance because Thomas' touchdown made it 31-14 before Tennessee scored nine points in the final 6:09.

22. 2000 at N.Y. Jets — Jets 40, Dolphins 37 (OT)

This is the last Dolphins loss in the countdown, and painful as it was, it was just a wild and crazy game that always will be remembered. For those who don't remember or have chosen to forget, the Dolphins led 30-7 heading into the fourth quarter and it didn't seem like a big deal when Sam Madison let a potential interception slip through his fingers into the hands of Laveranues Coles to make it 30-13 early in the fourth quarter. Another strange aspect of this game (among many) is that the Jets got not one but two interceptions in overtime, as Marcus Coleman fumbled on the return of his first pick before intercepted Jay Fiedler again on a first-and-10 from the Jets 43.

21. 2002 vs. N.Y. Jets — Dolphins 30, Jets 3

We'll go quickly from the most painful loss against the Jets to the most satisfying in recent memory. And while there was nothing overly remarkable about this game itself, it deserves a high ranking because it was an emphatic way to end an eight-game losing streak against the rival Jets. Ricky Williams was the star of this game with 151 rushing yards, including a 53-yard touchdown that madeit 23-3 in the fourth quarter. The defense, meanwhile, came up with three picks and three sacks against Vinny Testaverde (who had engineered the 2000 comeback) and future Dolphins QB Chad Pennington.

Earlier in the countdown:

75. 2022 vs. New England — Dolphins 20, Patriots 7

74. 2014 vs. Oakland (London, England) — Dolphins 38, Raiders 14

73. 2018 vs. Oakland — Dolphins 28, Raiders 20

72. 2021 vs. N.Y. Jets — Dolphins 31, Jets 24

71. 2005 vs. Carolina — Dolphins 27, Panthers 24

70. 2022 playoffs at Buffalo — Bills 34, Dolphins 31

69. 2004 at San Francisco — Dolphins 24, 49ers 17

68. 2012 at Arizona — Cardinals 24, Dolphins 21 (OT)

67. 2014 at Denver — Broncos 39, Dolphins 36

66. 2022 at Buffalo — Bills 32, Dolphins 29

65. 2017 vs. New England — Dolphins 27, Patriots 20

64. 2014 vs. San Diego — Dolphins 37, Chargers 0

63. 2009 vs. Indianapolis — Colts 27, Dolphins 23

62. 2016 vs. Cleveland — Dolphins 30, Browns 24 (OT)

61. 2008 at Houston — Texans 29, Dolphins 28

60. 2021 at New England — Dolphins 17, Patriots 16

59. 2015 vs. Houston — Dolphins 44, Texans 26

58. 2016 vs. N.Y. Jets — Dolphins 27, Jets 23

57. 2022 at Detroit — Dolphins 31, Lions 27

56. 2011 at Kansas City — Dolphins 31, Chiefs 3

55. 2011 at Buffalo — Dolphins 30, Bills 23

54. 2022 at Chicago — Dolphins 35, Bears 32

53. 2015 vs. New England — Dolphins 20, Patriots 10

52. 2002 at Indianapolis — Dolphins 21, Colts 13

51. 2010 at Green Bay — Dolphins 23, Packers 20 (OT)

50. 2006 vs. New England — Dolphins 21, Patriots 0

49. 2005 vs. Denver — Dolphins 34, Broncos 10

48. 2002 vs. Detroit — Dolphins 49, Lions 21

47. 2001 at Indianapolis — Dolphins 27, Colts 24

46. 2005 at San Diego — Dolphins 23, Chargers 21

45. 2020 vs. L.A. Rams — Dolphins 28, Rams 17

44. 2016 vs. Pittsburgh — Dolphins 30, Steelers 15

43. 2013 at Indianapolis — Dolphins 24, Colts 20

42. 2018 vs. Tennessee — Dolphins 27, Titans 20

41. 2014 vs. Minnesota — Dolphins 37, Vikings 35

40. 2000 at Cincinnati — Dolphins 31, Bengals 16

39. 2013 at Pittsburgh — Dolphins 34, Steelers 28

38. 2019 vs. Philadelphia — Dolphins 37, Eagles 31

37. 2017 at Los Angeles — Dolphins 19, Chargers 17

36. 2003 at Dallas — Dolphins 40, Cowboys 21

35. 2013 vs. Atlanta — Dolphins 27, Falcons 23

34. 2007 vs. Baltimore — Dolphins 22, Ravens 16 (OT)

33. 2003 vs. Washington — Dolphins 24, Washington 23

32. 2009 at N.Y. Jets — Dolphins 30, Jets 25

31. 2019 vs. Cincinnati — Dolphins 38, Bengals 35 (OT)

30. 2015 at Tennessee — Dolphins 38, Titans 10

29. 2005 vs. Buffalo — Dolphins 24, Bills 23

28. 2013 vs. New England — Dolphins 24, Patriots 20

27. 2006 at Chicago — Dolphins 31, Bears 13

26. 2002 vs. Oakland — Dolphins 23, Raiders 17

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for reading. Make sure to bookmark this site and check back daily for the latest Dolphins news and analysis year-round. Also, you can follow me on Twitter at @PoupartNFL, and that's where you can ask questions for the regular All Dolphins mailbags. You also can ask questions via email at fnalldolphins@yahoo.com.The 75 Best Dolphins Games of the 2000s: Nos. 36-40