With Oilers’ Help, Rams Slide Into Playoffs : Overtime Loss to Dolphins Can’t Stop L.A.
Coach Don Shula was afraid the Dolphins would lose the coin toss. Center Dwight Stephenson called heads, it came up heads, and Miami elected to receive to open the overtime.
“We should give the game ball for winning the flip,” Shula said after Dan Marino’s fifth touchdown pass of the day gave Miami a 37-31 overtime victory over the playoff-bound Rams Sunday.
Although they lost, the Rams locked up at least a wild-card playoff berth, when the Minnesota Vikings dropped out of postseason contention by losing to Houston, 23-10.
The Rams, 10-5 and a half-game ahead of the 49ers in the NFC West, play at San Francisco Friday night for the division title.
“It was an outstanding and exciting game,” Ram Coach John Robinson said. “Dan Marino was phenomenal. We just couldn’t stop him.
“Now it’s a one-game season for us, against the 49ers. That’s our rival and our game.”
“The way that (Jim) Everett was moving the ball for them at the end, I was very happy we won the toss,” Shula said.
The victory gave the Dolphins an 8-7 record and kept their slim playoff hopes alive. They must beat New England in next week’s Monday night game--and have other AFC outcomes go their way--to earn a wild-card spot.
“We’re still in it, but we’re not the type to kid anybody,” Shula said. “We realize it’s the thinnest of thin opportunities.”
“I had a lot of help,” said Marino, who threw for 403 yards while completing 29 of 46 passes. He hit Mark Duper with a 20-yard touchdown strike 3:04 into overtime.
Miami started the overtime from its own 25-yard line, and a 35-yard run by Ron Davenport put the Dolphins at the Ram 32. An apparent Rams interception was wiped out by an offsides penalty, and three plays later, Marino hit Duper in the end zone.
“I was just trying to go underneath (with short passes) when we had to, to maintain the ball,” Marino said. “They were playing a lot of zone.”
Duper had three touchdown catches for the underdog Dolphins, who have won four of their last five.
Marino’s outstanding day overshadowed a solid outing by Everett, the Rams’ rookie quarterback who completed 18 of 31 for 251 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Eric Dickerson scored on a 1-yard run with 50 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, and Mike Lansford kicked the PAT to send the game into overtime.
Everett guided the Rams 75 yards to the tying score, completing all three of his throws for 51 yards in a drive that began with five minutes remaining in regulation.
The Rams closed to within 31-24 on Lansford’s 32-yard field goal eight minutes into the fourth period.
The Dolphins had bolted away from 21-21 tie on Duper’s second touchdown reception of the game, a 5-yarder with 1:35 left in the third quarter, and an 18-yard field goal by Fuad Reveiz early in the fourth.
Marino’s other touchdown throws were a 69-yarder to Duper, a 6-yarder to James Pruitt, and a 43-yarder to Mark Clayton.
Everett connected on touchdown throws of 19 yards to Henry Ellard and 23 yards to Kevin House.
After the third Rams’ touchdown, officials initially ruled that House was out of the end zone, but the call was changed after a review of instant-replay tapes.
Marino has thrown for 41 touchdowns this season, the second-highest total in league history and seven shy of his record of 48 set two years ago.
It was the 22nd consecutive game in which Marino has thrown a touchdown pass, extending his team record in that category.
The Rams’ Dickerson gained 124 yards in 28 carries against a Miami defense which ranked next-to-last in the league going into the game.
He has 1,753 yards this season.
Duper had five receptions for 145 yards for the Dolphins, and Clayton caught four passes for 84 yards.
Ellard had eight receptions for the Rams for 121 yards.
The Dolphins’ first touchdown came when Marino handed off to Davenport, who turned and flipped the ball back to the Marino, who threw the long pass to Duper.
Duper was some six yards behind the nearest Ram defender, cornerback LeRoy Irvin, and took the pass in full stride at the Los Angeles 20-yard line.
Linebacker Larry Kolic, picked up by the Dolphins last week, set up Miami’s second touchdown when he recovered a fumble by Dickerson at the Ram 39. Marino made it 14-7 on a 6-yard scoring pass to Pruitt.
Marino burned the Ram secondary again moments later, connecting with Clayton on a touchdown pass.
The Rams had taken a 7-0 lead in the opening minute of the second quarter when Dickerson fumbled across the goal line and rookie guard Tom Newberry covered the ball in the back of the end zone.
The Dolphins threatened twice in the opening quarter, but Lorenzo Hampton lost a fumble at the Ram 18, and Marino was intercepted by Vince Newsome in the Rams’ end zone.