Dolphins Extend Redskins’ Slump, 17-10 : Pro football: Strong start, finish help Miami improve to 3-1.

The Miami Dolphins were at their best at the beginning and at the end. That was good enough to beat the Washington Redskins.

Dan Marino passed to Tony Martin for an 80-yard touchdown play on the game’s third play and directed a time-consuming fourth-quarter drive for a field goal Monday night in a 17-10 victory.

Miami limited the Redskins to 10 yards in the first quarter, and Troy Vincent intercepted a Rich Gannon pass at the Washington 44-yard line with 59 seconds left to seal the victory.

The Dolphins improved to 3-1, and Coach Don Shula closed to within three victories of George Halas’ NFL record of 324.

“We let them get back into the game,” Shula said. “After the two quick touchdowns, we didn’t get much done after that.”

The Redskins lost their third in a row and fell to 1-3 for the first time since 1985. They have never made the playoffs after such a start.

Marino caught Washington in a blitz on the first series and flipped a pass to Martin, who made the catch at the Miami 35 and sprinted to the end zone. The pass play was Marino’s longest in nearly five years.

Miami mounted a nine-play, 73-yard touchdown drive on its second possession. Marino went to rookie running back Terry Kirby for 34 yards, and Mark Higgs scored on a one-yard run for a 14-0 lead.

Kirby rushed for 94 yards in 16 carries. Martin caught four passes for 110 yards.

Gannon replaced Cary Conklin at quarterback in the third period and directed a 75-yard drive for the Redskins’ only touchdown, a 12-yard pass to Ricky Sanders that cut Miami’s lead to 14-10 with 11:08 remaining.

But Marino then led a 13-play drive that consumed 7:10. It ended with Pete Stoyanovich’s 37-yard field goal.

“This team has a lot of fight and a lot of composure to turn it around,” Gannon said.