The Top 100 Plays of the First Quarter of the Century: 36-40

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

Miami Dolphins punter Thomas Morstead (4) punts a ball off of the rear end of teammate Trent Sheffield (14) during the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium in 2022. | JIM RASSOL/THE PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK

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 continue the countdown with plays 36-40:

40. Xavien Howard’s fumble return for TD vs. Baltimore in 2021

Setting the stage: The Dolphins have had their problems with Lamar Jackson in recent years, but they shut him down in this Thursday night matchup in Miami. Jacoby Brissett started at quarterback for the Dolphins and they led 6-3 when Tua Tagovailoa replaced him in the third quarter, but the offense produced only a field goal in the next three drives for a tenuous 9-3 lead heading the fourth quarter.

The play: Three plays after Xavien Howard was flagged for pass interference, the Ravens were forcing a third-and-10 from their 42 when Jackson threw to Sammy Watkins over the middle around midfield. Howard was trailing on the play, but immediately reached for the ball and was able to knock it loose before Watkins went to the ground. Howard then grabbed the ball, proceeded toward the left sideline and ran into the end zone for the biggest play in the 22-10 victory.

39. Vontae Davis INT vs. New England in 2009

Setting the stage: The Dolphins weren’t able to follow their 2008 AFC East title with another playoff appearance, but they did record a memorable December victory against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots despite giving up touchdown passes of 58 and 81 yards.

The play: The 58-yard touchdown pass went to Randy Moss, and Brady looked for him again on a second-and-goal from the 5 in the fourth quarter with New England leading 21-19. But Vontae Davis, the rookie first-round pick from Illinois, got inside position on Moss from the jump and made the leaping grab for the pick in front of the future Hall of Famer to end the threat. It would prove a gigantic play in the 22-21 victory.

38. Thomas Morstead’s free punt vs. Buffalo in 2022

Setting the stage: We don’t need to tell Dolphins fans they haven’t had a lot of success against Buffalo in recent years, the lone win since 2019 being a 21-19 decision at Hard Rock Stadium in Week 3 of the 2022 season. Buffalo dominated that game statistically, but the Dolphins made enough big plays to pull it out, including a sack-strip to set up a touchdown, a bomb from Tua to Jaylen Waddle to set up another, and this special teams play.

The play: The Dolphins looked to be in trouble when they gave up a safety on the infamous “butt punt” that cut their lead to 21-19 with 1:33 left. Even though Buffalo didn’t have any timeouts left, the Bills had moved the ball at will — they finished with 497 yards of offense — and figured to get good field position after the free kick. But Morstead unleashed a booming punt that Jamison Crowder fielded at the 6 and was able to return only to the 23. That yardage made the difference in the end when the Bills couldn’t advance past the Miami 43 on their final drive.

37. Andrew Franks’ long field goal at Buffalo in 2016

Setting the stage: The 2016 season was filled with highlights for the Dolphins, who bounced back from a 1-4 start in Adam Gase's first year as head coach to put themselves at 9-5 heading into their Week 16 game at Buffalo to be played on Saturday, Dec. 24. The Dolphins appeared in control when they led 28-14 late in the third quarter, but quarterback Tyrod Taylor brought the Bills back and gave Buffalo a 31-28 lead with 1:20 left in regulation with a 7-yard touchdown pass to former Dolphins tight end Charles Clay. With the Dolphins needing a win to put themselves in position to clinch a playoff spot later in the weekend, Matt Moore engineered a last-minute drive that put kicker Andrew Franks in the role of hero.

The play: Out of timeouts, the Dolphins began their final drive at their 39 following a long kickoff return by Kenyan Drake and moved to the Buffalo 44 on a 17-yard hook-up between Moore and Kenny Stills. On third-and-10 from the Bills 44, Moore threw a short completion to running back Damien Williams, who was tackled in bounds at the 37. It was time for Franks to trot onto the field and for the Dolphins to quickly set up for a 55-yard field goal attempt. Franks' kick was a bit of a line drive, but it snuck inside the right upright as time expired to send the game to overtime. The Dolphins won the game in overtime and clinched a playoff berth the next day when Kansas City defeated Denver.

36. Jay Ajayi’s game-clinching TD run vs. Pittsburgh in 2016

Setting the stage: Gase's first season as Dolphins head coach didn't get off to a particularly impressive start, with the team going 1-4 in its first five games. But things turned around dramatically after that point, with the team winning nine of its final 11 games to earn a playoff spot. The catalyst for the run was an inspiring 30-15 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Miami in Week 6 that featured a 200-yard rushing performance by Jay Ajayi.

The play: Ajayi already had rushed for over 100 yards and a touchdown when the Dolphins recovered an onside kick after Pittsburgh scored with 1:08 left to cut Miami's lead to 23-15. The kickoff came from midfield after a penalty on the Pittsburgh extra point for leverage, so Miami took over at its 38-yard line. Regardless, the Dolphins needed a first down to clinch the victory, and it was clear it was Ajayi who would get the ball. As expected, he took a deep handoff from quarterback Ryan Tannehill, then burst through a big hole on the right side of the line of scrimmage, made a quick cut, avoided a diving tackle and raced down the sideline for a 62-yard touchdown. The run put him at 204 yards on the day, and he would have a 200-yard rushing day the following week against Buffalo and again in Week 16 in the second game against the Bills.