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Last Game at Highmark Stadium: Ranking Miami's Five Best Victories There

The Dolphins played their first game at that stadium in 1973
Miami Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi (23) and Buffalo Bills free safety Corey Graham (20) during the game at New Era Field in December 2016.
Miami Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi (23) and Buffalo Bills free safety Corey Graham (20) during the game at New Era Field in December 2016. | Kevin Hoffman-Imagn Images

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The Miami Dolphins haven't had any success at Highmark Stadium recently, but they did have some memorable victories at the Buffalo Bills' home through the years.

With the last game at Highmark Stadium coming up Sunday between the Bills and New York Jets, there have been tributes and salutes to the great moments for the home team.

So we decided to do our own tribute with the five most memorable Dolphins victory at Highmark Stadium, previously known as Rich Stadium, Ralph Wilson Stadium, New Era Field and Bills Stadium before its current name..

FIVE MOST MEMORABLE DOLPHINS VICTORIES AT HIGHMARK STADIUM

1. 2016 — Dolphins 34, Bills 31 (OT)

We'll start off with the Dolphins' most recent road victory against the Bills, a game that featured a remarkable individual performance and carried major playoff implications. The Dolphins survived a tremendous performance by Bills QB Tyrod Taylor and forced overtime when Andrew Franks kicked a 55-yard field goal as the clock was winding down before adding the game-winner in the extra period. Jay Ajayi recorded his third 200-yard rushing performance of the season, highlighted by a 57-yard run to set up Franks' game-winning kick.

2. 1992 — Dolphins 37, Bills 10

This was an early October game, but it was a battle between two undefeated teams and the way the 3-0 Dolphins handled the 4-0 Bills was inspiring. This game marked the debut of tight end Keith Jackson days after a judge made him a free agent in a landmark ruling and Miami signed him, and he responded with four catches and a touchdown. But safety Louis Oliver was the star of this show with three interceptions, including one he returned 103 yards for a touchdown. The blowout victory would wind up getting the Dolphins home-field advantage when the teams met in the AFC Championship Game that season, though it didn't matter as Buffalo won that game 29-10 for their third of four consecutive Super Bowl appearances.

3. 1975 — Dolphins 35, Bills 30

We could have picked any of the Dolphins' eight wins in their first eight games at Rich Stadium, which were part of Miami's 20-0 1970s dominance of the Bills, but settled on this one. The reason is this was a matchup of 5-1 teams and the Dolphins have to overcome a 13-0 first-quarter deficit. The Dolphins also trailed 30-21 in the fourth quarter before rallying behind a touchdown pass from Bob Griese to tight end Jim Mandich and a 1-yard run by Don Nottingham in the final two minutes. The Dolphins clinched the victory on a Vern Den Herder fumble recovery.

4. 2003 — Dolphins 34, Bills 27

This was another impressive comeback as the 6-3 Dolphins found themselves trailing the 1-8 Bills 21-10 after three quarters. The Dolphins' 24-point fourth quarter featured three touchdown passes by Jay Fiedler with two going to wide receiver Chris Chambers, including the game-winning 32-yard hook-up with 48 seconds left. The game-winning score was set up by a fumble recovery by Patrick Surtain on the kickoff return that followed Olindo Mare tying the score 27-27 with a field goal.

5. 1986 — Dolphins 34, Bills 24

The 1986 season was Jim Kelly's first as Bills quarterback after he had come over from the USFL and this game was a rematch of an earlier Dolphins victory in Miami. Like the previous two games on this list, the Dolphins fell behind, trailing 21-7 in the second quarter before Dan Marino went to work. In one of the most spectacular performances of his career, Marino completed 39 of 54 passes for 404 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. The touchdown passes went to four different receivers — Mark Duper, Lorenzo Hampton, Ron Davenport and Dan Johnson.

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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of Miami Dolphins On SI and host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press and the Dolphins team website. In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books, such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.

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