Marino Passes Milestone in Dolphin Win : AFC: Miami quarterback becomes 11th player to reach 30,000-yard plateau in 30-13 victory over Browns.

It has been kind of a quiet season for Dan Marino.

The Miami Dolphin quarterback has not had a game in which he has passed for more than 300 yards or two touchdowns.

All Marino has done is help the Dolphins win.

Marino passed for 245 yards and two touchdowns and went over the 30,000-yard career passing mark Sunday in a 30-13 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Miami (9-2) clinched its first winning record since 1987 and moved within a half game of Buffalo in the AFC East. The Bills (9-1) play at Houston tonight.

The Browns (2-9) have lost six in a row, their longest skid since 1975, and set a team record with their fifth consecutive home loss. They also ensured their first losing season since 1984, when they were 5-11.

Marino, in his eighth season with the Dolphins, entered the game needing 146 yards to become the 11th NFL quarterback to reach the 30,000-yard plateau. His 13-yard pass to Jim Jensen, which set up a four-yard touchdown run by Sammie Smith in the second quarter, put him over the mark in his 114th game.

Marino reached 30,000 quicker than anyone in NFL history, achieving the milestone during a season in which the Dolphins have de-emphasized the pass in favor of a more balanced attack. Former San Diego quarterback Dan Fouts had been the quickest to 30,000, doing it in 131 games.

“Sure, everybody misses throwing for 300, 400 yards and a lot of touchdowns,” said Marino, who has 37 career games with 300 yards or more. “But today was an example. We got ahead and we didn’t have to throw. You just try to control the ball and keep the clock moving.”

Marino completed 16 of 29 passes, and connected on first-quarter touchdown pass plays to Mark Duper and James Pruitt. Marino was most accurate on third down, completing 11 of 14 passes for 182 yards.

Smith rushed for 96 yards in 24 carries, including a career-best 33-yard run late in the game and a four-yard touchdown run in the first half as the Dolphins rebounded from last Monday night’s 13-10 loss to the Raiders.

The Dolphins’ No. 1-ranked defense also contributed points when Kerry Glenn intercepted a pass by Cleveland quarterback Bernie Kosar and returned it 31 yards late in the first half.

Kosar, who turned 27 Sunday, completed 17 of 37 passes for 191 yards and had two passes intercepted. He declined to take questions afterward, but made a statement criticizing the Browns’ work ethic.

“I really question what type of work ethic and dedication that we have to this organization and for the pride that we should have playing for the Cleveland Browns and playing professional football,” Kosar said.

Cleveland scored its only touchdown on a two-yard run by Kevin Mack in the fourth quarter. Mack rushed for a season-high 79 yards.

The Dolphins scored touchdowns on their first three possessions and took a 27-0 lead on Glenn’s interception return.

Marino passed five yards to Duper in the left corner of the end zone on the Dolphins’ first series, then lofted a 35-yard scoring pass to Pruitt, who was seeing his first action for the Dolphins since he rejoined the team Nov. 16 after being waived by Indianapolis.

Smith’s touchdown midway through the second quarter made it 20-0.