Marino Down to Last Shot?

Dan Marino has always been at his best with time running out, so there’s a good chance he’ll play well today.

After all, it could be the final game of his career.

A defeat at Seattle would knock the Miami Dolphins out of the playoffs and perhaps push Marino into retirement. A victory would leave him just two rounds from the game he has never won--the Super Bowl.

Marino declines to characterize today in such dramatic terms, dancing around the question of retirement as though he had two good knees.

“The last few years what I’ve done is when the season’s over, I look at what’s gone on and how I feel and analyze it and decide,” he said. “Right now I’m focusing on going to Seattle and winning this game. That’s what’s important in my life right now.”

Candid, colorful quotes have never been Marino’s style, but that’s OK. For 17 years he has provided the media with plenty of material by playing quarterback like no one else.

Numbers describe Marino’s achievements better than he ever will: 4,967 completions for 61,361 yards and 420 touchdowns. All are NFL records.

This season’s numbers are also revealing: 12 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions, by far the worst ratio of his career. His quarterback rating of 67.4 ranked 30th in the league.

He is 38, and an old 38 at that. Eight operations on his knees, right ankle and right Achilles’ tendon have rendered him immobile for years, and this season a neck injury sidelined him for five games and hindered his arm strength even after he returned.

When he came back, the Dolphins stumbled to a 1-5 finish and barely made the playoffs. Today’s game will be Marino’s 17th in postseason play.

“Your mindset is you want to take advantage of the opportunity,” he said, “because you never know when it might be your last.”

Marino has won only one game since Oct. 10, and everyone wonders whether he can win another. In the Dolphins’ locker room this week, comments about their quarterback sounded like eulogies.

Defensive end Trace Armstrong: “His love for the game is unrivaled. What he has gone through physically year after year--a lot of guys would have decided it was time to do something else. He just amazes me. It has been an honor to play with him.”

Guard Kevin Donnalley: “When I first got here, I was a little in awe of him, but he’s just like the rest of us. He’s not Dan Marino, superstar. He’s just Dan. He’s a good guy. I think that’s why everybody has such tremendous loyalty to him and why they love him so much around here.”

Teammate loyalty may have saved Marino from being benched this season. The future Hall of Famer frequently clashed with coach Jimmy Johnson, who is frustrated by Marino’s turnovers and the way he runs an offense that sputtered most of the year.

Why hasn’t Johnson replaced Marino with Damon Huard? Does the coach fear a backlash from players and fans? Johnson declines to address such speculation.

“I plead with everybody--let’s put the soap opera on the back burner for one week, just for one week,” Johnson said. “Right now we think Dan Marino is the best chance we have to win. I would anticipate that we’ll stay with him because he gives us the best chance to win.”

The soap opera probably won’t last beyond this season. Johnson is considering retirement himself, and if he returns for another year, it’s unlikely he’ll want Marino back. If Johnson quits, Marino may not be inclined to play at age 39 under a new coach, and it’s difficult to imagine him in another team’s uniform.

So Marino’s career likely will end today, or next week at Jacksonville, or in the AFC championship game. Or maybe No. 13 gets lucky. Maybe the Dolphins shake their doldrums, win three consecutive road playoff games and reach the Super Bowl for the first time in 15 years.

Maybe Marino departs the same way John Elway did last year--holding a championship trophy.

“I’m proud of my consistency over a 17-year period,” Marino said. “This team was able to rely on me every week, and I feel I played my position at a very, very high level. The big disappointment is not being able to win a Super Bowl. That’s what you play for. That’s a goal I had--and I still have.”

Oops. For a moment there, Marino spoke about his career in the past tense.