Dolphins Wind Up in Playoffs; Rams Booed After 41-22 Loss

The Miami Dolphins made a final push to the playoffs while the St. Louis Rams played out the string.

Dan Marino threw two touchdown passes and the Dolphins (9-7) scored three touchdowns after St. Louis turnovers in a 41-22 victory Sunday. The Dolphins then slipped into the final AFC playoff spot when Denver came from behind to defeat Oakland, 31-28.

The Dolphins play at AFC East winner Buffalo next Saturday.

“I never thought I would be happy going to Buffalo this time of year, but thank God we got some help from Denver when we had to have it,” Coach Don Shula said.

Shula found himself scoreboard-watching as the game wore down. He wasn’t encouraged after seeing Oakland leading, 28-17, in the third quarter.

“No matter what happened out there to us in the fourth quarter, it looked like it wasn’t going to be enough,” Shula said. “We are happy to still be alive.”

Marino said it was strange having the Dolphins’ fate decided by someone else.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever been in a situation where I’m playing a game and I’m worried about a game on the coast,” Marino said. “It was pretty strange, but at least it worked out.”

The Rams’ once-promising chances disappeared before the opening kickoff when two parts of a three-part scenario went against them as Atlanta and Chicago won. St. Louis (7-9) began the year 4-0 just as the Dolphins had, but was outscored an average of 35-19 in dropping five of the last six.

For the season, the Rams gave up a franchise-record 418 points, topping the mark of 412 in 1990. Some of the players were booed as they left the field at the conclusion of their first season in St. Louis.

That they were eliminated by game time apparently wasn’t much of a factor.

“I think some guys saw what was on the scoreboard, that we didn’t get the help we needed, but we still fought down to the end,” defensive end Fred Stokes said. “I know the turnovers killed us, but nobody was thinking about the offseason.”

Marino threw touchdown passes of six yards to Irving Fryar and seven yards to O.J. McDuffie in the first half as the Dolphins grabbed a 24-6 lead and held on for most of the second half. Marino was 23 for 35 for 290 yards with two interceptions.

The Rams’ Isaac Bruce got his team-record ninth 100-yard receiving day with ease. Bruce had 133 yards on six catches at halftime and finished with 210 yards on 15 receptions, including a five-yard touchdown catch from Mark Rypien. Bruce, in his second NFL season and first as a starter, finished with 119 catches for 1,791 yards--second on the career season list behind Jerry Rice, who had 1,848 this year.

Rypien had his third consecutive 300-yard passing day for the Rams, tying another team record, completing 27 of 42 for 320 yards and two touchdowns. He also hooked up with Todd Kinchen on a seven-yard touchdown pass near the end of the half.

But St. Louis lost all three of Rypien’s big games and three fumbles--two by Kinchen--cost them dearly.

Kinchen lost the ball on a punt return at the Miami 22 to help set up the Dolphins’ first touchdown, a three-yard run by Bernie Parmalee with 1:58 left in the first quarter.

The Dolphins then got away with a Marino interception for their second touchdown. Roman Phifer made the pickoff at the St. Louis one and returned it seven yards, but Keith Byars then knocked it loose and McDuffie recovered. Three plays later, Marino threw the six-yard scoring pass to Fryar.

Dean Biasucci’s 38-yard field goal cut the gap to 27-22 with 7:01 to play.

Irving Spikes responded with a 54-yard kickoff return to the Rams’ 36 to set up a clinching seven-yard touchdown run by Parmalee with 3:57 to play.

Kinchen fumbled again with 1:19 to play and Pat Johnson returned the ball 37 yards for a touchdown.