Dolphins Far From Perfect, but Roll a 300

It might have seemed a little early in the season to consider it a must-win situation, but that’s what the Miami Dolphins thought about Sunday’s game with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Miami held Kansas City scoreless in the final 34 minutes, and Olindo Mare made a 26-yard field goal with 5:40 left, lifting the Dolphins to a 17-14 victory.

The victory could prove pivotal to the young Dolphins (3-2), who bounced back from consecutive losses to Green Bay and Tampa Bay.

“We had to have this one,” linebacker Anthony Harris said. “There was no way we could have gone out at home and lost a third straight game. That would have really hurt.”

Dan Marino threw for 259 yards and directed an offense that committed no turnovers and kept the ball away from the Chiefs in the second half.

“This was a big one, not just in terms of our record, but also in terms of our morale,” cornerback Terrell Buckley said.

It was the 300th victory for the Dolphins, who have 196 losses and four ties since joining the AFL as an expansion team in 1966.

Kansas City (4-2) lost its sixth consecutive game in Miami since 1990.

“They controlled the pace of the game the whole second half,” Kansas City Coach Marty Schottenheimer said. “We’ve got some playmakers, some guys who can do some things, and we didn’t get it done. That’s disappointing.”

Marino’s 23-yard pass to Troy Drayton was the key play in a 60-yard drive that set up Mare’s field goal. Mare, whose field goals were also the difference in Miami’s other victories, missed a 41-yard attempt in the third quarter, but is 11 for 14 this season.

Kansas City reached Miami’s 45 with two minutes left, but Tim Bowens sacked Elvis Grbac, and Harris tackled Marcus Allen after a reception two yards short of a first down at the Miami 38 on fourth-and-three.

“His eyes got big when the ball was coming,” Harris said. “When I saw that, I put the jets on. This is one day when I can say I put it on Marcus Allen.”

The Dolphins’ suspect run defense contained a Kansas City ground game that ranked fifth in the NFL. The Chiefs managed only 96 yards in 26 carries, 42 yards below their average.

In the second half, Kansas City gained only 79 yards, including 19 rushing, and had four first downs.