“A great game. Maybe the greatest ever,” legendary coach Don Shula said.
Thirty-eight years later, the game Shula was describing is still considered one of the greatest games in NFL history.
The “Epic in Miami” was the San Diego Chargers’ overtime win against the Miami Dolphins in the divisional round of the playoffs on Jan. 2, 1982.
Coming into the game, the Bolts led the league offensively in points (478), passing yards (4,873) and total yards (6,744). This was the prime of the Air Coryell era.
Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts was taking the league by storm with the help of a dynamic pass-catching trio in wide receivers Charlie Joiner and Wes Chandler and tight end Kellen Winslow, who revolutionized his position.
The Dolphins, on the other hand, were led by a phenomenal defense that ranked No. 5 in points allowed. Their offense wasn’t extraordinary, but they had a strong running game with the duo of Tony Nathan and Andra Franklin, who combined for 1,493 yards that season.
The first quarter was absolute domination by the Chargers in every phase of the game. The Bolts raced to a 24-0 lead with a 32-yard field goal, a 58-yard punt return for a touchdown by Chandler, a one-yard rushing touchdown by Chuck Muncie and an 8-yard passing touchdown from Fouts to James Brooks.
The beginning of the second quarter was no different for the Dolphins, as their first offensive drive resulted in an incompletion, two sacks and a fumble. Shula wasn’t having it anymore, so he made the decision to bench starting quarterback David Woodley in favor of Don Strock.
Strock led Miami to 17 points in the second quarter, including a memorable hook-and-lateral play near the end of the half.
By halftime, the Dolphins cut the deficit to just seven points after being down by 24 in the first-quarter.
Coming out of the locker room, Miami’s momentum carried, as Strock connected with wide receiver Joe Rose in the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown pass to tie the game, 24-24.
The Chargers were stunned with the Dolphins’ remarkable comeback, but they didn’t let up. Fouts found Winslow for a 25-yard touchdown to take a 31-24 lead. But Miami answered with a 50-yard touchdown pass from Strock to tight end Bruce Hardy late in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Fouts was intercepted by safety Lyle Blackwood, which set up the Dolphins for a 15-yard touchdown run and a 38-31 lead. The Chargers would tie the score at 38 when Fouts hooked up with Brooks on a 9-yard touchdown pass.
The two teams exchanged drives after the score, but Miami was in position to win the game after recovering a fumble by Muncie. The Dolphins drove down to San Diego’s 26-yard line with time about to expire.
It seemed that kicker Uwe von Schamann was going to punch Miami’s ticket to the AFC Championship Game, but Winslow blocked the kick to force overtime.
The Dolphins were another position to win after they drove down into Chargers’ territory once again, but von Schamann’s attempt was blocked again, this time by defensive end Leroy Jones.
The Chargers then sealed the deal. A 35-yard pass from Fouts to Joiner set up the Bolts in Miami’s red zone, and Rolf Benirschke drilled the 29-yard field goal that sent San Diego to its second consecutive AFC Championship Game.
The offenses put on a show in the Orange Bowl, combining for 1,036 yards in the Chargers’ 41-38 victory.
Three Chargers receivers cracked the 100-yard mark, led by Winslow – the hero of the game. Winslow had 13 catches for 166 yards and the crucial blocked field goal at the end of regulation.
It was one of the best performances of Winslow’s Hall of Fame career, as he played with an injured shoulder, pinched nerve, swollen eye, cramps and dehydration from the South Florida humidity.
“My recollection of that game,” Shula said, “is that we had players who continued to help Winslow get up off the field when he was down and tired and didn’t have enough strength to get up. We were helping him up, and he would turn around and make a big play again. I was trying to get them to let him get up by himself.”
That difficult loss is overshadowed by Shula’s overall body of work.
His 347 wins are the most in NFL history. Miami won 66% of its games with 16 playoff bids and five conference championships and two Super Bowl appearances, including back-to-back titles during Shula’s 26 seasons as their head coach. Previously, he won 71 games in seven seasons as head coach of the Baltimore Colts, whom he guided to Super Bowl III. His legacy as a football innovator who changed the game forever will always be remembered.